Here Are 11 Sustainable Boots to Keep Your Feet Warm and Stylish

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here is nothing more miserable than having cold, damp feet. As a season of snow, rain, and bone-chilling winds approaches, it’s time to break out the winter boots, and hopefully, look good doing it.

The problem is that most boots being sold aren’t sustainable, be it because of the materials that have been used or unethical labor and manufacturing processes. Fast fashion is yet another issue in the mix with approximately 22 billion pairs of shoes ending up in landfills each year.

We’d like to see fewer shoes being thrown out and fewer people not even being able to get a season’s wear out of their investments. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 11 eco-friendly boots. Whether you’re looking for something practical, something for the outdoors, or for your next pair of stylish, sustainable knee-high boots, we’ve got options for you.

We’ll also provide a breakdown of leather alternatives and sustainable materials to prioritize when shopping as well as a detailed look at how to discern meaningful brand sustainability from greenwashed advertising. The sustainable boots on this list aren’t just made for walking. They’re made for strutting past unsustainable practices and straight toward a greener future for all.

Table of Contents

What Are Sustainable Boots?

There are plenty of emerging brands claiming to sell sustainable winter boots, but there is no universal set of criteria for what “sustainability” looks like. Here are four key tenets that we consider to be the most important when buying eco-friendly boots:

Shoe Materials

The most obvious starting point when discerning whether a pair of sustainable boots is as environmentally conscious as they claim to be is to check what they’re made from. Plastic is usually the first thing to avoid as it can be tricky to recycle and won’t decompose on its own.

That said, many brands are switching from virgin plastic to recycled materials which at least makes the use of this fossil-fuel-derived material a little less harmful. As we’ll explore later in this article, plastic that is mixed with plant-based materials also ups the sustainability factor. What makes a pair of boots sustainable isn’t just the material, but how it’s sourced and the larger scope of its environmental impact. As another example, purchasing more sustainable leather boots means prioritizing brands that use recycled material or have certifications showing that the leather was sourced through environmentally friendly farming practices.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing processes are another area to consider when picking out sustainable winter boots this season. Transparency, commitment to lowering energy and water usage, better labor practices, and an overall alignment with legal environmental protections are all things that we’d expect from brands claiming to sell eco-friendly boots.

One of the most trustworthy markers of this is the “B-Corp” label. To operate as a certified B-Corp, companies have to meet rigorous global standards in terms of both social and environmental performance throughout their manufacturing and supply chain processes. Buying your sustainable winter boots from a B-Corp not only means supporting things like fair labor treatment and purpose-driven practices, but it takes a stand against the often shady, environmentally hazardous ways of so many fast fashion brands.

Packaging

Even if a company isn’t a certified B-Corp, they might still have sustainability measures in place worth supporting. Packaging and shipping play a significant part in this so look out for brands that have recyclable packaging, plastic-free delivery, or programs to offset carbon emissions involved in shipping.

Durability

Most shoes are thrown out within 12 months of being purchased. As far as we’re concerned, that just isn’t sustainable for the planet or your wallet. If you buy a cute pair of winter boots, you should be able to strut through more than one season with them, which is why durability is the final key point on what makes for great eco-friendly boots.

We all need to be buying shoes that last better. It reduces how much ends up in landfills and how much needs to be produced in the first place. Some brands have warranties for their footwear but it’s also worth looking at online reviews to see how items have fared with long-term use.

Sustainable Materials to Look Out For

There are plenty of brands emerging with claims that they sell “recycled leather boots” or “Fair trade” boots but that can get tricky to wade through and understand. Here’s a guide on some of the main sustainable materials and certifications that arise in the world of eco-friendly winter boots and what they actually mean:

Sustainable and Recycled Leather

Though leather is a natural fiber, intensive farming practices have diminished its sustainability. Cattle farming is one of the biggest contributors to environmental issues such as soil erosion, carbon emissions, and deforestation. The actual treatment of leather in tanneries also tends to use toxic chemicals and create excess waste.

Sustainable and recycled leather options are trying to improve on all sides of these issues. We have a few sustainable leather boots included later in this article which are LWG-certified, meaning that the leather was sourced and treated through more environmentally conscious practices. We’ve also included a brand that makes recycled leather boots that use leather that has been reconstituted from leather scraps, thus reducing waste in the industry.

Leather Alternatives

For any vegans or vegetarians, however, no amount of change in the way that leather is made and treated can alter the fact that it’s sourced from animals and supports a slaughter industry.

Here are some vegan leather options and materials to look out for instead:

Pineapple Leather: Pinatex is the main form of pineapple leather used and not only is it formed from waste left by pineapple farming, but any further waste left by the process is used as biofuel and fertilizer to create a closed-loop production process. As a fun fact, it was also developed by a woman, Dr Carmen Hijosa, after decades of trying to find a leather alternative with a low environmental footprint and positive social impact.‍
Apple Leather: Apple leather is another material that recycles agricultural waste. Most versions of this fiber are a 50% mix of cellulose from the apple juicing and compote industry with 50% polyurethane. It’s not a perfect plant-based material but it’s helping to reduce waste and the use of plastics in vegan leather boots.‍
Recycled Plastic: The most widely used leather alternative for sustainable boots is probably recycled plastic. Though it’s not the ideal material to use in terms of staying natural, it does however have major environmental benefits in that it keeps plastic out of landfills and reduces the amount of virgin plastic being produced.

Fairtrade Boots

Certified Fairtrade boots aren’t very common as the certification process is extremely rigorous, but if you do see a pair of sustainable boots with a “Fairtrade” label on them, it means that materials have been sourced and used in a way that conserves natural environments. It also means that fair labor practices have been enacted.

What Does it Mean When Boots Are Sustainably Made?

A question many ask when trying to buy more ethically made boots is what that actually means in the first place. Something being “sustainably made” usually refers to both the social and environmental factors involved in the making process. Here are some examples of this in practice:

Products are made to order or in small batches to reduce manufacturing waste and deadstock.
Products are handmade and/or support the work of smaller creatives and artisans.
Those who make the products are fairly compensated and cared for. From a more legal standpoint, this means complying with things like safe working environments and minimum wage guides.

There are probably plenty of other points that could be added to that list but those are the ones we see most often discussed and the ones we’ll be referencing when looking at sustainable winter boot options in the next section.

11 Ethical and Sustainable Boot Brands

Whether you’re looking for a cool pair of sustainable combat boots that don’t make you feel like Bigfoot or more ethical leather shoes to get you through the Winter, we’ve got you sorted.

Keep reading for a comprehensive list of 11 sustainable boot brands, where to buy them, and the sustainability features that have us excited for the future:

1. Blundstone

The Blundstone leather Chelsea boots have become a thing of legend in recent years thanks to their simple look that encompasses both style and practicality.

Where to Buy: Nordstrom and directly from the brand’s site.

Sizes and Styles: Mostly ankle and Chelsea boots. Women's US size 6-11.