Check out some of the best vegan flats in the world, right here! They’re comfy, they’re ethical, and they work for any outfit
By Chere Di Boscio
Made a wardrobe staple by none other than (trained dancer herself) Audrey Hepburn, ballet flats are comfortable and timelessly chic. They’re also dead easy to pop into your handbag to take as a substitute shoe when you just can’t stand wearing heels for another second (surely, I’m not the only one who does that?)
But the flat has moved beyond the ballet pump style. They now come with pointy toes, slight heels, or even a platform sole, for example. No matter which style you prefer, a pair of vegan flats is a must-have for any sustainable wardrobe. They look elegant with slim cigarette pants, summer dresses, and of course, jeans.
They’re also perfect for any season. I wear mine with tights in the cooler months to keep my legs warm, but unless there’s a bit of snow outside, I’m pretty much wearing vegan flats all year round.
Since ballet flats were originally made of satin, vegan materials for flats seem like a natural choice. And there’s plenty of variety these days, too: you can select from everything from cactus leather to fabric made from recycled bottles!
But flats don’t just mean ballet pumps, of course. They can come in the form of mules, loafers or moccasins, too.
Here, we’ve curated a selection of some of the best vegan flats of all different colours, styles and textiles, for any sartorial situation you may find yourself in.
Flat Vegan Shoes For Any Occasion
1. Vivaia
Vivaia was founded with the mission to create stylish and sustainable footwear that’s both eco-friendly and socially responsible. The result is a stunning range of vegan flats, created from recycled materials and 3D technology.
The latter aspect means Vivaia has developed a zero-waste process to create their sustainable shoes, which boast a seamless 3D knitted design for the ultimate combination of comfort and function. We also love that these are flexible enough to be folded in half for when you need to pack them away in a suitcase! No wonder they’re a fave with celebs.
Materials: Recycled PET bottles, natural rubber
Price: $97
2. Rothy’s
Some of the best vegan flats in the world are made by this brand! In fact, Rothy’s are basically the gold standard for vegan flats.
Made from repurposed plastic bottles, they’re as eco-friendly as they are gorgeous. The fabric is so soft and stretchy, you’ll never have to worry about feeling uncomfortable in these – the shoe will constantly bend and flex to the movement of your feet. Rothy’s come in sizes that fit just about any foot (they run from US 5 all the way up to 13).
We particularly love their pointed toe flats, which bring an instant polish to any outfit.
Materials: Recycled PET bottles, natural rubber
Price: Around $140
3. Stella McCartney
First, there was the iconic vegan bag. And now, the Falabella vibe has been made into a flat vegan shoe. We love the squared toe and slim, recycled brass chain on these loafers.
Borrowing from menswear aesthetics, these shoes feature saddle stitching around the midsole and are made from eco-friendly materials.
Materials: Vegan leather, with production offcuts in the counter lining. The chain is recycled brass. The sole is recycled rubber.
Price: $860
4. Allbirds
If you like your vegan flats super sustainable, you’ll love this style by Allbirds!
They’re made from silky-smooth eucalyptus tree fibre, which breathes beautifully. That means your feet are always comfortable, and never sweaty! These ballet flats also come in a wide variety of colours, from this lovely canary hue to more classic black.
Materials: Natural eucalyptus fibres and rubber
Price: $100
5. JW PEI
We love this take by vegan bag makers JW PEI on the classic ballet slipper! The materials say ‘ballerina’ but the design says ‘modern sneaker’. These are supremely comfortable, gorgeously unique, but best used in summer, as the satin fabric won’t last long in muddy, rainy weather.
Materials: Satin
Price: $99
6. O2 Monde
These Italian made shoes by O2 Monde feature gilded plaques that make them really stand out! These are one of the more unusual vegan flats, since they’re slip-on mules with monk straps. But we love them, since they’re so easy to wear, and to pair with skirts, dresses or trousers.
Materials: Cactus-derived leather and bio-based PU, with a bio-based cereal lining
Price: $398
7. Matt and Nat
Your favourite bag brand is now trying to be your favourite shoe brand, too! Made from PU microfibre, their Ivy flats are comfy slip on loafers with a classic vibe. This is a super minimalist style that adds elegance to even the most casual looks. But if you’re not keen on these, there are plenty of other vegan flat styles to choose from.
Materials: PU, recycled plastic bottles
Price: Around $85
8. Josefinas
Josefinas is the only luxury shoe brand born with the purpose to inspire and empower women! Three years ago, three female friends launched the brand with the dream of inspiring other women to follow their own paths. Now the three female entrepreneurs are taking it further, helping other female leaders grow their businesses and supporting individual women in need in Rwanda.
Since its founding, Josefinas has become popular with conscious celebrities and has become a fast favourite with influencers on Instagram.
Although this brand is NOT fully vegan at all, we do love their ballet-inspired vegan flats – especially the bubblegum pink ones! You can find the pink ones here, or black ones here.
Materials: Neolite, recycled plastics
Price: Around $170
9. Rungg
Rungg’s Co-Founder and Chief Designer Ekta Sethi finds inspiration in nature and colour. She creates beautiful cruelty free flats, sandals and heels that feature handmade, Indian-style embroidery and bead work, giving them a delicate, artisanal touch. Those who participate in creating this elaborately embellished footwear are all fairly paid, of course.
Rungg makes the best vegan flats for those who are looking for vibrant shoes with an ethnic vibe.
Materials: We’re not sure. The website says these shoes are made from durable, breathable, water resistant and eco friendly PETA approved vegan leathers. Ok, then!
Price: Around $250
10. Noah Vegan Shoes
Founded in 2009, Noah provides exclusively handcrafted Italian footwear produced in guaranteed worker friendly conditions. Like every vegan brand mentioned above, Noah also uses the materials proven to have less of an impact on our environment, like PU and natural rubber. The quality of the footwear is unmistakable, and the collection can be described as both conservative and stylish.
Perfect for office wear and day-to-day life, Noah’s range of flats offer plenty of fashionable styles to choose from, but their two-tone ballet flats, below, are perennial faves.
Image: @theaugustlion
Materials: PU and natural rubber
Price: Around $85
11. NAE Vegan
This Portuguese based brand delivers internationally and is devoted to providing 100% vegan products using only the most eco-friendly materials available. There’s never any trace of any toxic fabrics such as PVC! The brand is also confident that its produce is manufactured in worker-friendly factories in accordance with the labour standards set by the European Union.
Our pick of their best vegan flats? The Elena Black Loafer, below! These feature a centre saddle, moccasin shape and a modern chunky sole.
Materials: Recycled plastic bottles, cork, recycled windshields from cars and many other innovative textiles
Price: Around $150
12. Veerah
They may be best known for making lovely heels that you can embellish with ankle straps, buckles and fringes, but guess what? Now Veerah makes vegan flats, too!
They’re fabricated from the same vegan leathers, and the best part of these babies is that they boast a sneaker-like cushioned insole that’s made from repurposed algae.
Oh, and get this: each pair saves 11 gallons of filtered water and keeps 8 gallons of CO2 out of the atmosphere, compared to leather shoe manufacturing.
Materials: Vegan microfibre, organic cotton lining, alage cushioned insoles
Price: $228
Which of these do you think are the best vegan flats? Let us know in the comments, below!
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Thanks for the list of cute vegan shoes. What are the shoes in the picture at the beginning of the article, the pink ballet flats?
Hi Diana! You can find similar shoes at Josefina’s 🙂
Oh my! love this list of beautifully designed flats made with a conscious! these ethical brands have done it again by proving we don’t have to compromise on style in order to doing good on this planet!
Exactly! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!