As a woman right out of college, my budget was tight, so I followed the lead of some other vegans and bought shoes at Payless and Target. I was surprised at how cute and durable this affordable footwear was - some has lasted years in great condition. But what exactly is the material "man-made", the phrase that told me the shoes were leather free?
Synthetic
Rubber -
Eco-friendly materials:
- Bamboo
- Hemp
- Natural rubber (crepe)
- Organic Cotton
- Recycled Car Tires
- Recycled Plastics
Keep in mind, even the so-called eco-friendly materials may not be as good for the earth as we'd like to think. Most materials take a lot of processing and electricity, even if they started out as plants or were recycled, and some chemicals may be involved in the production.
So that leads me to a common question: what's more important, being vegan and saving money, or being eco-vegan and spending more money?
Here are some eco-vegan shoe companies to check out:
- Pocket Flops ~ $22 (plus tax & shipping = $29)
- Simple Shoes ~ *keep in mind, this is the same company that makes Uggs