Sustainable footwear has never looked so stylish – from apple leather trainers to vegan versions of your classic Stan Smith’s, these are the best sustainable and eco-friendly trainers to buy right now.
Is there a purer love than that of a woman for her trainers? Striking the perfect balance between ‘casual’ and ‘cool’, there isn’t a single outfit that can’t be rocked with a pair of your favourite sneaks. From Converse with floral dresses to chunky dad-style trainers with slouchy suits and Stan Smith with, well, absolutely everything, there is a trainer to bring the perfect touch of laid-back luxe (and comfort) to every outfit.
Now, thanks to the attention of fashion-forward sustainable brands, your favourite shoe just got an environmentally conscious makeover. Enter the new era of vegan, recycled and solvent-free trainers that are as planet-friendly as they are stylish.
Nothing beats that box-fresh feeling, but as we consider the environmental impact of our trainers, we’re looking for products that minimise their impact on our planet. The next generation of sustainable footwear designers are creating styles that are deviating from the norm and incorporating ethical practices into their materials and manufacture process. Shopping a little smarter will make all the difference to our planet.
From eschewing animal leather by using apple skin leather alternatives, to laces made from recycled plastic bottles, the latest fabric innovations mean that you can get the same luxe designs you love, while supporting eco-conscious brands.
Want to update your wardrobe with a new pair of trainers while ensuring your new pair is as sustainable as it is stylish? We’ve found the best vegan and ethical trainers available to buy right now – shop our edit of the best sustainable trainers.
Shop best sustainable trainers
Superdry Basket trainers
Best sustainable footwear: Superdry As part of the autumn/winter 2020 collection, Superdry has introduced its first step into vegan footwear. The collection has both low and high-top styles and each pair is processed and manufactured using no animal products.
Shop original & vintage vegan Basket lux low trainers at Superdry, £64.99
Loci trainers
Best sustainable trainers: Loci Available in 13 different colourways, Loci’s unisex sneaker is a cult classic. Made from 100% recycled, vegan materials, this is the ultimate sustainable trainer style.
Allbirds Tree Dashers trainers
Best sustainable trainers: Allbirds Allbirds’ sustainability values are truly pioneering. The brand’s all-natural shoes are made from merino wool, eucalyptus tree fibres and sugar cane, and the laces are made from recycled plastic bottles. Not only that but they’re chic and astonishingly soft; they’re the ultimate guilt-free purchase.
Clarks white suede trainers
Best sustainable trainers: Clarks Crafted using no glue and only five pieces, the materials are 100% recyclable. Even the laces are made from recycled polyester making them Clarks’ most sustainable trainer to date.
Adidas Ultraboost trainers
Best sustainable trainers: Adidas These Adidas runners are made from Parley ocean plastic; which is plastic waste intercepted from beaches and coastal communities before it gets to the ocean. You can also get them in 25 different colours so you’re bound to find one you like.
Rens Original coffee trainers
Best sustainable footwear: Rens Original Rens Original is a Finland-based brand who have made trainers made from coffee waste and recycled plastic. The vegan, eco-friendly, waterproof kicks are also lightweight and ultra breathable.
Yatay Irory trainers
Best sustainable footwear: Yatay Everyone needs an all white pair of trainers in their armoury. These slick Yatay kicks have laces made from hemp and the upper textiles of the soles are made from resins and recycled rubbers. And for extra points they are machine washable and 100% cruelty-free.
Converse Renew Chuck Taylor trainers
Best sustainable footwear: Converse The classic high-top Converse trainer has been given a sustainable update. The Converse Renew Cotton range is made from 30-40% per cent manufacturing waste canvas and regrind rubber. You can also customise the colours of each pair to make them a unique addition to your trainer collection.
Shop custom Chuck Taylor All Star Renew high top at Converse, £75
Good News Opal trainers
Best sustainable footwear: Good News Good News has reinvented the classic pump with recycled rubber soles and organic cotton uppers. Also available in stylish pastel tones and multi-coloured woven fabrics. This all white style is the most versatile of the collection, the perfect shoe to freshen up your wardrobe.
Stella McCartney + Adidas Originals
Best sustainable footwear: Stella McCartney x Adidas Originals The iconic trainer that needs no introduction, the Stan Smith is the wear-everywhere trainer that has earned a place in every fashion editor’s wardrobe. In collaboration with sustainable fashion pioneer Stella McCartney, this pair is made from 100% eco-friendly materials.
Shop Adidas by Stella McCartney Stan Smith sneaker at Net-a-Porter, £235
Veja Campo trainers
Best sustainable footwear: Veja Sustainable powerhouse Veja is famously known for the V-10 that is probably sitting in your wardrobe right now. An alternative style is the Campo – the panels are made from chrome-free leather, lining is organic cotton and recycled polyester and the soles are made from wild rubber from the Amazon forest.
Ecoalf Sandford trainers
Best sustainable footwear: Ecoalf These “Because there is no planet B” trainers are made with 100% recycled nylon. They’re also vegan, waterproof and breathable so you’ll be able to make them part of your everyday wardrobe.
Native Apollo 2.0 trainers
Best sustainable footwear: Native Are you dreaming of a trainer that goes the distance in the gym and hits all the right style notes at brunch afterwards? Enter Native and its Apollo 2.0 trainer. Solvent-based glues are the norm in shoe factories, but they are harmful and pose severe health implications to factory workers. Thankfully, brands like Native are leading the way and ensuring that their designs are solvent-free.
Images: Courtesy of brands