Tread lightly in sustainable sandals this summer! The footwear industry doesn’t have a good reputation when it comes to being ethical or sustainable. Much like the garment industry, footwear is responsible for an alarming level of pollution. In fact it has been reported that 85% of the world’s leather is tanned using chromium, a heavy metal pollutant that threatens water supplies across the globe.
Our desire for shoe shopping is real, around 24 billion pairs of shoes are manufactured each year! More alarmingly, approximately 90% of unwanted shoes end up in landfills each year. Most of the shoes heading to landfill contain non-biodegradable materials including synthetic foam and PVC among many others.
Keeping these rather gut-wrenching statistics in mind, here’s a selection of five sustainable sandals perfect for summer and beyond.
Sustainable Sandals Perfect For Summer
Beaumont Organic
Beaumont Organic specialise in sustainable and ethical clothing, designed in the UK and produced in Europe. They have a small selaction of beautiful footwear styles. The Balears Sandal in Tostado and made with a natural rubber sole. They are handmade in Spain using only natural, biodegradable
and vegan materials.
- Price Range: £80-£100
- Shop: Beaumont Organic
Ecoalf
Ecoalf’s Amazonalf sandals are made from recycled polyester, partly from bottles recovered from the sea, thus giving these recovered materials a second life. The main fabrics used are: 50% Recycled Polyester (UTO) / 45% Recycled Polyester / 5% Elastane. Sole: 70% Rubber / 30% Recycled Rubber. All vegan materials.
- Price range: £45-£90
- Shop: Ecoalf
Allbirds
Allbirds make fabulous casual sustainable footwear. The Allbirds Sugar Slider’s are perfect for summer days spent poolside. They’re created with SweetFoam®, Allbird’s unique material made from sugarcane and the world’s first carbon negative green EVA (EVA = the material used in just about every footwear sole) The webbing straps are made with 100% recycled polyester, finished with a bio TPU strap end. They look pretty comfy!
Price range: £35-£45
Shop: Allbirds
Good Guys
All Good Guys sandals are made of eco-friendly microfibers inside and out. Their latest JENNY sandal is made of Appleskin, an award-winning innovative material that imitates leather and is made in Italy and made of 30% Apple waste.
Good Guys work hand in hand with a family-owned factory based in Spain. They specialise in the cork footbed that guarantees you comfort all day long and will feel like a pillow to your feet. Perfect for traveling and summertime.
Price range: £100
Shop: Good Guys
Nomadic State Of Mind
Nomadic State of Mind hand-crafts vegan sandals made of rope, up-cycled sailcloth, hemp, and recycled plastic bottles. The brand also provides jobs for workers from disadvantaged communities in Nicaragua. All their rope sandals are handmade and come from an Eco-responsible and Fair Trade production.
They are made from Polypropylene ropes (recycled plastic), which gives them greater resistance to wear, as well as better comfort for your feet compared to a traditional rope.
Price range: £60-£100
Shop: Nomadic State of Mind
If you’re trying to shop more sustainably, start by buying less- but investing in quality pieces. As the old saying goes “shoes worth wearing, are worth repairing”. Avoid high-street footwear that is only designed to be worn for one season. If you’re looking to invest in a new pair of sustainable sandals, then hopefully the above brands will be a great place to start.
