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We know how hard it is to find the perfect pair of high-quality, comfortable heels that you can wear all day and night. You want a pair that will last for years and can be paired effortlessly with any outfit, whatever the season.
However, many shoe brands produce their heels with unsustainable, environmentally damaging materials like virgin plastics and leather tanned with chrome and other metals – this process is damaging for the environment and the workers involved in the process.
That’s why we’ve researched a list of brands using alternative methods, ethical production, and sustainable materials, including recycled plastic, leather that is Leather Working Group Certified, and natural materials such as cork.
Let’s jump in.
The 9 best Ethical and Sustainable Heels Brands
1. Reformation
Sustainability: Carbon neutral company, creating sustainable and ethical clothing using low-impact eco-friendly materials
Heel Styles: Heeled sandals, kitten heels, and mules
Ships to: Worldwide
Cult sustainable clothing brand Reformation is synonymous with eco-friendly and ethical fashion. They make chic, always on-trend styles, and this also extends to their sustainable heels range, which features gorgeous kitten heels and statement block heel sandals.
Reformation designs and makes all of its products ethically in Los Angeles. The leather used in its leather heels is responsibly sourced from Leather Working Group gold and silver audited tanneries.
Reformation is a climate-neutral company, offsetting all the CO2 released in its supply chain. Reformation hopes to become climate positive by 2025, and you can read more about it here.
2. Alohas
Sustainability: Leather Working Group Certified Leather, with low impact dyes, ethical production, on-demand production, reduces waste.
Heel Styles: Open toe sandals, block heel sandals, kitten heels, court shoes, heeled boots
Ships to: Worldwide
For affordable luxury leather heels that are ethical and sustainable, check out Alohas. This footwear brand specializes in creating on-trend heels and boots using ethical production and leather working group certified leather.
To combat overproduction, often a significant problem in the fashion industry, Alohas offer a pre-order system, which allows the brand to predict demand levels accurately; this ensures they only produce the number of shoes they will sell, thus reducing waste.
3. Nisolo
Sustainability: Certified B Corporation, 100% Living Wages, 0% Net Carbon, Responsibly sourced leather
Heel Styles: Heeled boots, sustainable heeled sandal styles, heeled mules
Ships to: the US only
For heels that you can wear all day and all night, check out Nisolo, who is on a mission to bring you comfortable and stylish, responsibly made shoes. Their heeled leather mule is the perfect day-to-night heel and can be dressed up or down.
Produced from responsibly sourced leather from Leather Working Group Certified Tanneries, Nisolo’s sustainable heels are made ethically and are carbon-neutral.
4. Beyond Skin
Sustainability: Vegan leather from recycled materials, ethically handcrafted in Spain
Heel Styles: Sustainable high heels, open toe sandals, mules, vegan sandals, court and wedding heels
Ships to: UK
Founded in 2001, Beyond Skin began with a vision to create a luxury vegan footwear brand; fast-forward twenty years, and they are still going strong, creating gorgeous vegan footwear from sustainable materials.
Beyond Skin design their vegan heels in England and then bring the designs to life in Spain, using the finest sourced materials, including recycled vegan leather.
5. Matisse
Sustainability: Sustainable materials, including regenerated leather from responsible tanneries and 100% recycled packaging
Heel Styles: Heeled mules, sustainable stilettos, block heel sandals, and sustainable wedges
Ships to: Worldwide
Los Angeles sustainable shoe brand Matisse has been designing quality, trendsetting collections for over two decades. Matisse ethically produces all of its shoes in family-owned factories, ensuring workers are treated fairly and paid a fair wage.
Matisse’s heel collection is perfect for work and play, with block heels perfect for daytime looks and open-toe heels for dancing all night.
6. Bhava
Sustainability: Vegan shoe brand, using responsible and eco-friendly material to create ethical heels and sandals.
Heel Styles: Sustainable sling-backs, stilettos, court shoes, and heeled loafers
Ships to: US & International
Bhava is a vegan shoe brand, creating luxury animal-free heels and sandals from eco-friendly materials, including cork and vegan leather.
Designed in New York and ethically crafted by artisans in Spain, Bhava’s heels are unique, inspiring vintage designs, which are perfect for being on your feet all day, and dancing all night.
7. Nomasei
Sustainability: Ethical heels, produced from metal-free, upcycled leather. Recycled packaging and organic cotton dust-bag.
Heel Styles: Slingback heels, block heels, court shoes
Ships to: Europe & UK
For sustainable heels that ooze coolness, check out French brand Nomasei, an ethical shoe company founded by two friends passionate about sustainability in the luxury fashion sector. Their eco-friendly and ethical heels are unique and offer a sustainable, luxury alternative to designer heels.
Nomasei’s sustainable shoes are designed in Paris and handmade by local artisans using the finest Italian sourced materials and metal-free leather in Montopoli, Italy. In addition, Nomasei is transparent about its materials and suppliers and ensure they produce its boots and heels with as little environmental impact as possible; you can read more about Nomasei’s sustainable initiatives here.
8. Vivaia
Sustainability: Fabric from recycled plastic bottles, carbon-neutral soles
Heel Styles: Court heels, heeled mules, heeled boots
Ships to: Worldwide
For heels made from recycled materials, check out Vivaia, a sustainable shoe company creating knitted heels from recycled plastic bottles; it takes recycled plastic bottles to develop their unique eco-yarn for every shoe produced.
Each shoe is naturally antimicrobial and breathable and features an eco-friendly deodorizing insole that minimizes foot odor, even in hot, humid conditions.
9. MIISTA
Sustainability: Ethical heels by Artisans in Spain and Portugal using high-quality materials and low-impact production methods
Heel Styles: Open toe sandals, court shoes, block heel styles, mules
Ships to: UK & International
Miista is a luxury footwear company designing bespoke heel styles using low-impact, eco-friendly production methods. In addition, Miista sources all materials and fabrics from the EU, which significantly cuts down flight time in shipment emissions to their production facilities.
Designed in London, Miista creates its unique designs that are then handmade over several months by highly skilled craftspeople in Spain.
Wrapping Up: Sustainable and Ethical Heels
We hope you enjoyed our top picks for sustainable and ethical heels. As always please leave any feedback in the comments below.
If you’re on the hunt for other sustainable shoe brands, check out our guide on sustainable sneakers here.
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