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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.
14 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. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
Ecothes Reviewed: “I’ve tested a pair of Vivaia’s heeled boots and I absolutely love style and breathability of the knitted uppers. The heels are well made, super sleek, and can be dressed up or down – Overall, I’m impressed!” – Bethany
8. 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.
9. Wills Vegan Store
Sustainability: Vegan shoe brand creating its footwear ethically from responsible materials
Heel Styles: Sustainable pumps, ethical courts, stilettos
Ships to: Worldwide
If you’re looking for vegan ethical heels that aren’t just made from plastic, then I recommend you check out Wills Vegan Store.
The London-based brand has been a staple in the vegan footwear industry for a decade. Although the brand only has a limited collection of heels, it’s a great brand if you’re looking for a pair of sustainable pumps or court shoes for work.
10. Nae
Sustainability: Vegan shoe brand creating heels ethically in Portugal
Heel Styles: Heeled sandals, mules
Ships to: Worldwide
After discovering Nae and checking out their flagship store on a recent trip to Portugal, I’m obsessed with the brand because of its selection of shoes, quality, and sustainable materials.
Nae is an entirely vegan brand that uses sustainable, biodegradable materials such as cork and Pinatex to create its on-trend heels.
Nae’s versatile heels should be on your radar, as they’re perfect to wear on holiday or through the summer.
11. Hilos
Sustainability: Sustainable shoe brand, creating limited batch runs, using only sustainable materials
Heel Styles: Sustainable clogs, block heels
Ships to: the US
Hilos is a Portland-based footwear brand creating bespoke shoes from sustainable materials. The innovative brand uses 3D printing to model and create its shoes, a method that helps avoid waste.
Hilo’s shoes feature recyclable parts, so they should never end up in a landfill – now that’s something we love to hear!
12. Able
Sustainability: Ethical brand creating sustainable heels, apparel, and accessories responsibly
Heel Styles: Sustainable mules
Ships to: Worldwide
If you’re looking for heels built to last, check out Able. The brand creates ethical heels that come with a lifetime guarantee – yep, you read that correctly.
Able is an ethical brand that partners with suppliers worldwide to invest in and empower women across the globe.
The brand is transparent about the wages it pays and publishes a full list on its website – an initiative we hope more brands will follow!
13. Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather
Sustainability: Vegan brand using sustainable materials and vegan leathers
Heel Styles: Vegan clogs
Ships to: Worldwide
While not technically heels, Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather has a fantastic range of heeled clogs – a must-have this season!
The Parisian brand is entirely vegan and uses bio-based vegan leathers such as Appleskin™ to create its clogs.
We know clogs will be a big trend again in 2023, so make sure you check out the brand.
14. 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.
Sustainable and Ethical Heels FAQ
Sustainable heels are shoes made using environmentally-friendly materials and ethical production practices. A genuine pair of sustainable heels should be designed to reduce their environmental impact. It’s also essential that they should be high-quality, durable, and long-lasting to ensure that they’re not thrown away in a landfill after the first few wears.
There are several materials you can look for when shopping for sustainable heels, depending on the brand. I’ve included a few of the most popular sustainable materials to look out for:
Recycled materials: Look for heels made from recycled materials, such as recycled leather or rubber. These materials help to reduce waste and minimize the environmental impact of production.
Natural materials: Natural materials, such as cork or wood, are more environmentally friendly than synthetic materials like polyester or plastic. They are also typically more durable, longer-lasting, and biodegradable.
Vegan materials: Vegan materials like recycled plastic or bio-based vegan leather like Pinatex or Appleskin are excellent choices for environmentally-conscious consumers. These materials are made without animal products, which helps to reduce the impact on animals and the environment. I personally prefer bio-based vegan leathers over plastic-based, as bio-based leathers are biodegradable, whereas recycled plastic is not.
Responsible materials: Materials that are produced using lower-impact and ethical methods, such as leather from Leather Working Group tanneries, ensure that leather is produced responsibly, such as reducing the number of toxic chemicals used.
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 guides on sustainable sneakers, boots and sandals.
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