Leather Boots for Vegans: Stylish and Durable Vegan Leather Boots to Buy
Being a vegan goes beyond eating plant-based food alone; It’s a lifestyle that entails staying away from anything that threatens animal species and the environment, including fashion items made from animal leather. Most leather materials are chrome-tanned, and waste materials consisting of chromium are dangerous to human life. In fact, the risk of cancer increases significantly for people who work or live close to tanneries.
The CDC records that cases of leukemia among locals who stay around a tannery in Kentucky was five times the average in America (1). Also, arsenic, one of the chemicals prevalent in tanneries, is a major cause of cancer among workers employed in these factories.
Little wonder then that most vegans opt for vegan leather boots and other fashion items; the environment has to come before red carpet-style fashion. Nonetheless, vegan fashion brands also know how to combine environmental sustainability and style.
That said, this article looks at the best vegan leather boots for men and women. We’re bringing you our top list of fashionable vegan boots that are both durable and eco-friendly. Excited? Let’s dive in.
What Should You Look for In Vegan Shoes?
As much as environmental sustainability is the primary factor, it shouldn’t be the only one you consider when shopping for vegan leather boots. On that note, here are some things you should look out for when buying a vegan leather boot:
Durability
Next to being eco-friendly, durability is probably the second most crucial factor influencing your choice of a vegan leather boot. You need a material that’s of the highest quality with an extended life expectancy.
You don’t want to go through the hassle of buying a new vegan rain boot every few years. That said, vegan boots made from polyurethane typically last for several years, but you could also opt for other products crafted from cork, mushroom, apple, or pineapple (piñatex).
Breathability
Breathability is crucial to feeling comfortable in your vegan leather boots. And while one common complaint about vegan shoes was that they were made with materials that weren’t breathable, today’s brands have taken different approaches to manufacture vegan footwear. They now use synthetics and natural products to improve the breathability of their vegan leather boots.
Eco-friendly
Of course, vegan shoes have to be environmentally friendly. That’s the whole point of skipping animal skin in the production process.
Vegan fashion brands use different materials to manufacture artificial leather, including polyurethane (PU) – which is the most common material for making faux leather products – polyvinyl chloride (PVC), apple cork, piñatex, cactus, and mushroom.
And while PVC is largely considered dangerous to human health and the environment and PU isn’t entirely safe, the other plant-based products are pretty eco-friendly and sustainable.
Furthermore, synthetic leather manufacturers continue to research safer and more environmentally friendly plant-based vegan leather materials and ways to improve those currently in use.
The most encouraging aspect of these plant-based alternatives to animal skin is that they’re not chrome-tanned; as such, the risk of causing major health conditions like cancer reduces significantly.
Top Vegan Boots for Men and Women
Vegan leather boot brands aren’t in short supply, and you might end up a bit confused about which product to buy.
Thankfully, you’ve got us to help you out, and we’ve done the hard part for you by researching the top manufacturers around and ranking our picks based on environmental sustainability, durability, and style.
Quickly, here are the top vegan leather boots brands you can buy.
Vegan Leather Boots
Will's Vegan Store
Will’s Vegan Store is a British fashion brand that manufactures leather boots with 100 percent vegan materials. Everything on Will’s Vegan Leather boots, from shoelaces to glue, comes from eco-friendly products, such as organic cereal crops and recycled rubber.
As such, these fashion essentials are entirely carbon-free, which means you’ll be keeping the planet safe whenever you purchase a boot from Will’s Vegan. Their shoes are also water-resistant, easy to maintain, and durable, giving you convenience and an extended life expectancy in one package.
If you asked our opinion, though, we’d tell you we’d do anything to get Will’s Vegan Work Boots.
Good Guys Don't Wear Leather
Another vegan leather brand from Europe, Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather is an Italian fashion outfit that crafts its leather boots from apple waste and microfiber.
Their Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certification also reassures you that not only did they use eco-friendly products throughout the manufacturing of their boots, but no toxic materials found their way into the production process.
Furthermore, their boots are of the highest quality, with durability a guarantee and style not sacrificed for sustainability. We particularly love the Blaze Apple Leather Vegan Ankle Boots.
Nae Etna Vegan Boots
Nae crafts PETA-approved boots from vegan materials such as organic cotton, rubber, cork, cocoa fiber, and Goodyear products. Their shoes are supremely durable, comfortable, and stylish.
Also, Nae donates a portion of sales from their PETA-approved boots to PETA to contribute to the cause of protecting animal life. That said, our pick from their quality vegan leather boots is the Nae Etna Vegan Boots.
Hiking Boots
La Sportiva
La Sportiva’s hiking boots are your go-to option for that adventurous trip to the mountains. Manufactured from vegan recycled rubber, these vegan boots are durable, breathable, and abrasion-resistant.
And after years of use, when you feel it’s time to throw away your boots and get something new, La Sportiva gives you the option of sending your shoes in for a replacement sole so you can enjoy using them for another extra couple of years.
Vegans will also be excited to hear that La Sportiva donates one percent of its profits to charities committed to protecting the environment. Our pick of La Sportiva’s hiking boots, though, is the Ultra Raptor II Mid GTX Hiking Boots.
High Heel Shoes
Matt and Nat
Based in Canada, Matt and Nat use a wide range of vegan materials to produce its stylish collection of high-heeled boots for women.
The brand uses polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl butyral (PVB) – made from recycled windshield glass resin – nylon, rubbed, recycled plastic bottles, and fruit skin fibers.
With a rich blend of fruit-based and sustainable materials used throughout the manufacturing process, Matt and Nat’s cruelty-free vegan shoes are super-durable and fashionable.
We couldn’t help but fall in love with the Dea Women’s Vegan Mid Heel Boots the moment we saw it, and we can guarantee you’ll love it, as well.
Chelsea Boots
Dr. Martens
British brand Dr. Martens is well-known for its footwear collection, typically characterized by an air-cushioned sole, welted construction, and yellow stitching.
But the company is also famous for prioritizing sustainability, thanks to its use of materials like recycled polyester to manufacture its vegan leather shoes.
We didn’t have to think much to figure out which boot was our pick from its extensive collection, as the Vegan 2976 Chelsea Boots caught our eye immediately.
Knee High Boots
Lulus
Lulus focuses on giving its customers the most stylish fashion accessories on the market. Still, the company is also pretty big on ethical and sustainable production, as shown by its use of microfiber over animal skin in manufacturing its vegan boots.
If you’re looking for a trendy, vegan-friendly, and comfortable knee-high boot, we recommend you take a look at Lulus’ Di Black Suede Over the Knee Boots.
Cowboy Boots
Roper
Roper specializes in crafting western footwear from 100 percent synthetic leather instead of animal skin. But besides being ethical, their products are also durable and classy. You should check out the Men’s Faux Ostrich Leather Cowboy Boot.
Rain Boots
Alice + Whittles
Alice + Whittles produces vegan rain boots from fairly-traded natural rubber sourced from sustainably managed rubber trees in Sri Lanka. Because of the choice of materials, these vegan rain boots are plastic-free, breathable, lightweight, and waterproof.
The production process also uses 80 percent less energy than standard rain boots. That said, the Classic Black + White Ankle Rain Boot is perfect for you if you’re looking for fashionable and waterproof vegan rain boots for the rainy seasons.
Winter Boots
Hunter
Hunter handcrafts its vegan snow boots from natural rubber sourced from deforestation-free plantations.
They’re also waterproof, vulcanized for extra protection from the elements, and insulated with sherpa fleece lining to keep you warm when you step out into the cold. Hunter’s Men’s Insulated Chelsea Boots are our pick out of the bunch, though.
Work Shoes
Rock Fall
Based in the UK, Rock Fall makes solid vegan work boots that meet industry standards to get you through any day at the factory, no matter how tedious your job is. Manufactured from microfiber, they’re breathable, oil, heat, chemical, and slip-resistant, water-repellent, with protective toe caps and midsoles.
They’re also 100 percent non-metallic and ESD certified. We’d recommend you consider the FaraDRI – RF008 for your days at the factory.
Combat Boots
Daily Shoes
Daily Shoes Ankle Bootie High Lace up Military Combat Boots vegan combat boots are made with heavy-duty synthetic leather, making them perfect for any high-intensity activity.
They’re also slip-resistant, meaning you won’t walk on slippery floors or icy sidewalks scared of tripping and falling. The 3-inch by 3.5-inch zippered pockets give you some extra space to keep any essential items you’ll need for work or a hiking trip.
FAQs
Conclusion
Vegan leather boots are stylish, durable, and eco-friendly, and regardless of your needs, brands are crafting the perfect vegan footwear to suit you. We’ve detailed some of these best vegan shoes and boots in this article, and you can check out our recommendations. Don’t forget to thank us later, though.
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