The Best Vegan Shoes for Work

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We've rounded up the best vegan shoes for work a few times in the past, but we thought it was high time for an update — especially because, unfortunately, some of the smaller brands we featured aren't around anymore. Here's a bonus: vegan shoe and accessory companies also usually prioritize sustainability and ethical production.

What are your favorite office-friendly vegan shoe and accessory brands? Are you able to buy them from mainstream sites/stores or do you have to get them from more specialized retailers? 

Note that some shoes from “regular” brands like Amazon Essentials, Lifestride, and Anne Klein may be vegan-friendly — and at retailers like Nordstrom and Zappos, you can filter shoes and bags by material. (For example, here are all the faux-leather shoes at Nordstrom.) In addition, sites like MooShoes, Ethica, and Avesu bring together many vegan brands and products in one place.

The Best Brands for Vegan Shoes for Work

Before highlighting some specific brands, let’s review what's NOT vegan. Drawing from a post at The Compassionate Closet, here’s a list of materials made from animals: leather, wool, suede, silk, cashmere, mohair, alpaca, angora, worsted, serge, tweed, down, velvet (non-synthetic type), gabardine (wool type), grosgrain (silk type), jersey (wool type), satin (silk type). 

Madewell's LITE Leather

Madewell has one of the best options if you're hunting for a lug-soled loafer, but the leather is the interesting part: The shoes are made with “LITE” leather — Low Impact to the Environment leather that uses less energy and water than the standard tanning process.

You can get the shoes at Zappos or Madewell.

Great Vegan Boots for Work with Apple Leather: Dear Frances

Dear Frances is a relatively new brand to me (hat tip to the readers for mentioning it!) and I really like a lot of the simple yet elevated styles they have.

These ankle boots are part of their core collection and look perfect for so many looks this fall — I love the slightly pronounced block heel and gold zipper details.

The boots are $730, available in five colors, including a vegan black “apple leather” option.

As the company notes:

We have partnered with an innovative Italian supplier to produce an Eco-Vegan leather made from apples. Each style within the collection is made and produced in Italy using apple waste, which is a by-product of the food and drink industry. The use of this sustainable fruit skin lowers the emissions and the consumption of energy throughout the entire production chain. The apple residual is naturally dried and turned into apple powder, which is then used in the production of the collection.

You can see all of their eco-leather options here.

BC Footwear

All of BC Footwear's shoes are made from 100% cruelty-free materials: cotton, raffia, jute, bamboo, recycled natural fibers, polyurethane, and rubber (including recycled rubber). Not only are the shoe components vegan, but also the glue used in assembling them — it's free of animal derivatives like casein, gelatin, and beeswax. BC Footwear's styles are designed for comfort, with features like OrthoLite padding.

The pictured Lucky Day Boot — simple but stylish — is available in the pictured taupe as well as black patent (relatively rare for an ankle boot, no?) and comes in sizes 6–11. It's $99 at BCFootwear.com.

The brand is also available at retailers like Nordstrom and Amazon.

Veerah

This vegan, cruelty-free brand makes their shoes from apple leather (a byproduct of the apple juice industry), recycled plastic bottles, and algae foam (for insoles). The company also donates at least 1% of their revenue to “social impact causes.”

Besides the shoes themselves, Veerah sells unique, removable “accessories” to accent them, including tassels, ankle straps, and brooches. If they're not quite work-appropriate for your office, they could work well as little desk-to-dinner additions. 

The pictured Vicky flat is ethically produced from vegan microfiber suede and has algae foam insoles. It's available in four colors, including black, in sizes 5–11 for $228 at Veerah.com.

{related: 8 slow fashion workwear brands to try}

Ahimsa

Ahimsa, named after the Hindu and Buddhist practice of avoiding any harm to living beings, owns the 100% vegan shoe factory in the world — it's in Brazil, and most of the production there is by hand. You can learn about Ahimsa's materials, including cotton canvas and polyurethane vegan leather, on their “read more” page.

With its understated, monochromatic style, the pictured 772 unisex sneaker would fit in well in our recent roundup of sneakers for work. It's made from breathable vegan suede, and it's available in sizes 36–47 (U.S. women's 5–16) in six neutral colors for $169 at Ahimsa's website.

Ahimsa also makes vegan accessories: belts, card holders, and simple wallets.

{related: 7 brands that offer eco-friendly clothes for work}

The Best Vegan Work Bags for Work

Mat & Nat

Mat & Nat is one of the more well-known vegan, cruelty-free brands for shoes, bags, and more — and they've been around since 1995! Their products are made from PU (polyurethane), which is biodegradable, and PVB (polyvinyl butyral), which comes from 100% recycled windshield glass resin. The lining of all Mat & Nat bags is sourced from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

The pictured bag is the brand's Alik Water-Resistant Handbag, made from PVB. The bag, which has an adjustable strap and interior and exterior pockets, and measures 11.5 x 8.5 x 2.75 inches, is on sale for $83 at Nordstrom, marked down from $140.

Mat & Nat is available at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, and Mat & Nat's website.

Rothy's

Everyone knows that Rothy's makes shoes, but their vegan bags (Kat recommended one last year) aren't as well known. The bags are sustainably knit with 100% recycled materials, including ocean-bound marine plastic, and several styles are available, from totes to belt bags, and in neutrals as well as fun, bright colors.

You can find out a lot more about Rothy's sustainability practices and goals on their Sustainability and FAQ pages.

The pictured machine-washable (!) Lightweight Tote is 13.6 x 6.7 x 12.8 inches and comes in nine colors for $175. Rothy's offers free shipping and free returns.

Note: If you're curious, Allbirds shoes are not vegan.

{related: the best cruelty-free beauty products}

Stella McCartney

All of Stella McCartney's products are vegetarian-friendly — the pictured tote has been around for years and gets great reviews. You can find it at StellaMcCartney.com or department stores like Nordstrom.

Gunas

Gunas is a cruelty-free brand based in New York that sells vegan shoes, bags and wallets, and even a few soaps. The materials the company uses include cotton canvas, recycled plastic bottle lining (rPET), recycled metals (for hardware), and even Mulberry plant leaf pulp. The adhesives in the products are free of animal byproducts, and the threads are silk-free.

The pictured Miley Laptop Bag (yes, named after Miley Cyrus, who's vegan) has padded compartments for a 15-inch laptop and an iPad plus multiple other pockets, metal feet, and an external sleeve that slips over a suitcase handle. It's vegan leather and has a lining made from recycled plastic bottles. The bag is $275 at GunasTheBrand.com

Angela Roi

Angela Roi bags have been around for a while, with a ton of great color options for sleek totes like this one. The pictured tote is $280 at AngelaRoi.com and ShopEthica.com.

Readers, do tell: What are your favorite brands for vegan shoes and accessories? Have you tried any of the ones above?

Stock photo via Stencil.