Eco conscious shoes: Top Footwear Brands Made of Recycled Plastic

The eco conscious consumer is more critical than ever to know where her clothing and footwear comes from and how it was produced. The latest shoe trends are favoring the use of recycled materials. There is now a growing number of manufacturers that are using plastic sourced from our oceans, thereby reducing the amount of plastic waste.

Recycled plastic products now include shoes and accessories. This recycling revolution is coming at a perfect time for our planet. If it is important to you where you put your feet and watch your step, make sure to look at these eco conscious shoes, brands that are rethinking and re purposing plastic to save our oceans.

These are some innovative brands that make cool shoes from recycled plastic.

1. Vivaia 

Step into eco conscious comfort with sustainable and stylish footwear from Vivaia. Vivaia founded in 2021 with a mission to create sustainable and stylish footwear. The focus is to create a positive impact on both the planet and the people around us. The luxurious and fashion forward footwear is affordable and has exceptional quality.

These are the ideas behind the name VIVAIA:

  • The double “A” and “V” have designs that come from opposite directions and symbolizes the shoes worn by the customers.
  • The double “I” represents the plastic bottles that are used to produce the shoes.
  • Thus, the combination of the products, customers and environmentally friendly production methods, is signified in the design of the VIVAIA brand name.

Vivaia combine modern technology with sustainable practices to create the ultimate in eco friendly footwear. The shoes are incredibly stylish, yet very comfortable and functional, as well as stretchy, making them perfect for wide feet.

Fair prices are maintained by shipping the footwear directly to the customer. This reduces the intermediate costs that are associated with selling through retailers.

Technology used is seamless 3D knitted designs that use recycled materials, combined with 3D technology. The result is a zero waste process.

Features of Vivaia footwear:

  • The knitted upper is soft and breathable.
  • Recycled material is eco friendly.
  • Natural latex insoles minimizes odours.
  • Insole arch support provides stability.
  • Shoes are hand or machine washable.
  • Seamless design means zero waste.

6 Plastic water bottles are used to produce a pair of Vivaia flats. The Vivaia range includes flats, loafers, mules, heels and boots.

Women shoes made of recycled plastic that are washable. Step into conscious comfort and shop sustainable and stylish footwear now with VIVAIA and benefit from free worldwide shipping.

2. Rothy’s

For Rothy’s, sustainability is important all the way through the production process, from sourcing and producing materials, to looking after their workers and people. They strive for zero waste at their factory situated in Dongguan, China. They combine 3D knitting technology with handcrafted assembly to produce comfortable and stylish footwear. Rothy's eco conscious shoesRothy’s make three styles of shoes, the Flat, the Point and the Loafer, and also a range of bags.

The 3D knitting technology means that the exact size can be produced and cuts out waste. It is knitting by shape, resulting in a seamless knit that fits. Shoes are knitted to the exact size, with almost zero waste. Because there are no seams, it results in a more comfortable and consistent fit.

Rothy’s 3D knitting has four main ingredients: Rothy's 3D knitting technology

  1. Time: the designer comes up with a design, shape, silhouette and color and translates it into a digital image or sample. The programmer than develops the right software for the exact design.
  2. Engineering: the 3D knitting machine is programmed and set. An engineer adjusts any small details and runs the machine.
  3. Manpower: the process requires three people, the designer, programmer and engineer. Communication between them is crucial to getting the 3D knitting process right.
  4. Technical process: the 3D knitting machine contains thousands of tiny needles that are programmed. They than run back and forth to create a flat knit shoe.

These are the materials that are used:

  • Recycled plastic water bottles are used to knit the uppers of their shoes that are stylish and washable. Rothy’s have already re purposed more than 43 million single use plastic water bottles.
  • Merino Wool is also used for uppers. The wool is humanely harvested at an Australian farm and crafted using sustainable methods at an Italian mill.
  • Eco-friendly out soles are made from carbon free rubber and luxe vegan leather.
  • Recycled foam insoles that are washable, soft and cushy, are made from bio-based castor oil and recycled materials

Rothy’s have transformed more than 30 million plastic water bottles into stylish shoes and they strive for zero waste at the factory. If you want to follow the latest shoe trends of using recycled plastic, than these are a perfect choice. Rothy's eco conscious bags

Bags are also knitted to shape and size using the 3d knitting technology. They come with thoughtful design details like removable straps and magnetic closures. Rothy’s shoes and bags are all fully machine washable. Use a gentle cycle and let it dry naturally, without any heat.

They also use sustainable packaging and shipping materials and methods. Rothy’s is a truly circular company and will recycle your old shoes if you send it back to them.

3. Veja

Veja is a French brand that was started in 2005. The range started with sneakers, but they produce environmentally friendly footwear and accessories. Their ethical sneakers are produced with raw materials that are sourced from organic and ecological farming, without using chemicals and polluting processes. Each production stage must have a positive impact on the environment. Veja eco conscious sneakers

The founders of Veja realised that 70% of the cost of a pair of sneakers from a big brand, is related to advertising costs. By eliminating advertising costs, more can be invested in the actual product. If you remove advertising from the process, you can spend five times more on the raw materials.

Production of Veja sneakers is 100% in Brazil, with sourcing of all the raw materials in Brazil.  The factory to make the sneakers, is also in Brazil.

The first step was to source the rubber for the soles of the sneakers. Wild rubber from the Amazon rain forest are used, where they work with “seringueiros”. These are local communities that live in harmony with the forest, without cutting down trees or destroying the forest. This rubber is used in the soles of 40% of the sneakers they make.

Materials used in the tops include these:

  • A material called B-mesh, which is entirely made from recycled plastic bottles. Veja B-mesh recycled plastic fibersPlastic bottles are collected in the streets of Rio and San Paolo, sorted and crushed into flakes. The flakes are shipped to a Brazilian factory where, through a process of extrusion, the flakes are turned into polyester fiber. Each pair of sneakers contains the recycled plastic from three bottles. B-mesh is more expensive than traditional materials that are used in the footwear industry. Veja claims that the fabric is waterproof and breathable.
  • Organic cotton, which is not only organic, but also agro-ecological cotton. Agro-ecology enriches the soil after the harvest, instead of harming the soil.
  • Leather that is used, uses the vegetable tanning process. Although this was true until 2015, since 2016 only 10% of the leather that is used goes through the vegetable tanning process. Because of the particularly high production costs of vegetable tanning, they have reverted to using leather that goes through the chrome tanning process as well.

Transparency in the production and distribution process is very important to Veja.

The points in favor of sustainability:

  • One sneaker out of four made by Veja is completely vegan.
  • The fibers in the B-Mesh fabric that is used for uppers, are 100% made by recycling PET (plastic bottles).
  • The skins used by Veja come from a fully traceable production chain and do not come from farms in the Amazon.
  • Since 2013 Veja has also used the skin of Tilapia fish – the most eaten species in the world – and therefore a waste from the food industry.
  • The eco leather used by the brand as an alternative to real leather, is made with the waste from corn crops. Because it is not derived from petroleum, like most of the faux leather on the market, it can be defined as truly ecological.
  • Fair trade organic cotton is used. Fair Trade logo

The raw materials that are used to make Veja shoes are eco friendly and produced to Fair Trade standards. Becaues of this, it means that it costs five to seven times more to produce than most other sneakers. Through the elimination of advertising costs, Veja shoes are sold in shops in the same price range as competitive brands.

Money that would have been spent on advertising, is instead used to compensate producers and workers fairly,. This is a perfect brand to support if you want to follow the latest shoe trends.

Although the range is not completely leather free, many of the sneakers that are produced can be classified as vegan. Veja defines itself as sustainable, because it focuses on the total transparency of the production chain. Buy your Veja shoes at the best price here.

4. Saola

Saola styles cool, street wear shoes out of recycled materials, organic cotton and harvested algae. They produce a range of shoes for men and women and apart from being ethical, they are also a hundred percent vegan. It was started in 2016 with a clear sustainability goal and two main missions:

  1. Eco design and sustainable manufacturing Saola eco conscious shoes
  2. Preservation of wildlife and biodiversity.

Eco construction is at the center of their shoe development, so recycled and bio-sourced materials are used. Materials that are used include recycled plastic, organic cotton, harvested algae and cork insoles. Cushioned with sustainable cork insoles and this is where you can buy your pair.

1. Recycled plastic from PET bottles is used for the uppers. Depending on the style of the shoe, four to five bottles are used for every pair of shoes. Their PET supplier has a certification from Recycled Global Standards, which means that the production line of the materials is traceable. The recycling process of the PET bottles is cleaning, grinding and melting to finally get the thread. Through recycling, it reduces the amount of plastic trash and also gives plastic a second life. To make the uppers for Saola shoes, the thread is knitted, resulting in a stylish and comfortable upper.

2. Algae Foam is used for the insoles and many of the outer soles of Saola shoes. I can hear you think:Recycled algae foam

What is recycled algae foam?

Algae grows in rivers and lakes and with rising global temperatures and an increased amount of chemicals in the water, more algae is growing. This is harmful to plant and animal life and also to humans. In partnership with Bloom Foam, the harmful algae is harvested and removed from the water.

It goes through a process where it is dried, crushed and converted into powder. The powder is mixed with EVA, which is a synthetic material, to form Algae Foam. This is an eco friendly, bio-sourced material which is than used for insoles and out soles of shoes.

By using Algae Foam, it reduces the amount of synthetic materials that are used in the soles by fifteen to twenty percent. By removing harmful algae, It also cleans lakes and rivers and prevents the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

3. Shoelaces are all made from organic cotton.

4. Cork is used for the top layer of the insoles. Cork creates not only a healthy environment for your feet, but it is also resistant to odors and reduces joint stress. It is a natural and sustainable material that is harvested from cork trees and cork insoles are lightweight and comfortable. Algae foam sole

Manufacturing takes place in Vietnam in a factory that has social and environmental regulations that guarantees good working conditions for their workers.

With each pair of shoes, the equivalent of 240 bottles of filtered water is put back into the natural environment and the equivalent of thirteen balloons of carbon dioxide is prevented from being released into the atmosphere.

Saola is committed to preservation of wildlife, so they donate one percent of their annual turnover to associations that wish to make an impact. With each pair of Saola shoes that you buy, you help to support wildlife conservation. This is another perfect choice if you want to follow the latest shoe trends and wear eco conscious shoes. Buy your Saola shoes at the best prices here at Amazon.

5. Sperry Bionic Recycled Shoes

Sperry is an American company that was started in 1935 by Paul Sperry and produced the original boat shoe. Paul Sperry also patented non-slip soles for boat shoes.Sperry Bionic boat shoes Since 2019 they produce Sperry Bionic boat shoes and sneakers, that are made with reclaimed plastic. Bionic material is spun from plastic that is recovered from coastal and marine environments. Every pair is woven from an average of 5 plastic bottles, keeping the plastic bottles out of the ocean and waste stream.

Sperry is working together with Bionic and Waterkeeper Alliance, who have launched the Ocean Plastic Recovery Initiative to protect our marine environment and combat plastic pollution. Bionic uses the plastic waste that is recovered from coastal and marine environments, to produce fabrics and polymers.

Bionic recycled yarn is used in fashion garments and performance clothing, as well as handbags and soft luggage. The canvas is also suitable for automotive applications.

Over and above the fashion applications for Bionic yarns, there is also the very exciting and endless opportunities of architectural and building applications.

Look out for the best sneakers made of recycled plastic here:

If you have any questions or comments about the latest shoe trends and eco conscious shoes, than please leave them below and I will get back to you.

 

 

28 thoughts on “Eco conscious shoes: Top Footwear Brands Made of Recycled Plastic”

  1. Who knew that shoes made from recycled plastic could be this good looking? I had no idea, thank you for sharing. Now that we know that we do not need to compromise style to be eco conscious, there is no excuse. Also, you have given us a good variety of brands to pick from .  

    I am really interested in doing my part to save our mother earth. I will definitely be looking at the brands you suggested before I buy my next pair of shoes.

    Reply
    • Shoes made from recycled plastic are chic and stylish, so one can look good and also feel good about helping the environment. 

      Reply
  2. Wow!  I enjoyed reading your post about Eco Conscious shoes,  I found it very informative and got a bit wiser on how these shoes are made. Recycled plastic surely comes to great use when shoes are manufactured from it. The shoes are really modern and stylish. I hope Eco conscious consumers find your post as informative and enjoyable as I did. Ocean plastic is a big headache,  I am very pleased that there are systems in place to recover the waste and manufacture something from it, a great help to combat plastic pollution.  Great post!       

    Reply
    • Recycled materials always help with the waste problem, and recycled plastic can sure contribute to reduce plastic waste. But I also think we need to stop producing virgin plastic, and force manufacturers and producers to use recycled plastic only.

      Reply
  3. Hello there,,

    Thank you for sharing this great post. Truth is these brands are remarkably innovative. Its hard to notice such rare innovations for sure. As an eco concious consumer, am always very keen about what i wear and put on as shoes and this is why i find this site very helpful. Its great news for all that the latest shoes are favouring the use of recycled plastic. Amazing

    Reply
  4. I am always excited when I read about innovations that help in the sustainability of the environment. 

    Without a doubt, this is the way to go. Arguably there is enough plastic to make shoes for everyone. There is a lot of single-use plastic in our waste, and we need ways to deal with it. 

    Thanks for sharing a well-researched article. 

    Reply
    • I agree that we already have enough plastic, that it is time to only use recycled plastic. Great to find that there are brands that are looking after mother nature, as well as provide stylish and sustainable footwear. 

      Reply
  5. Its really fascinating how shoes could be gotten from recycled plastics…. This is indeed very much creative, very soon we would have no more waste product because with this,  other companies would want to emulate and recycle waste product into sometime good…. Keep up with the good work. And also I would love to get one of your product. 

    Reply
    • Hi Aboribo, If more brands were using recycled plastic and avoid virgin plastics, it will help to reduce the huge mountain of plastic waste that we have. All the best, Liné

      Reply
  6. Hello there! Thanks for sharing this informative article with us about “ Top Footwear Brands Made of Recycled Plastic,” recycling method really useful for our world that’s why we need to support it & the products has made by recycled plastic are really amazing. I’ll collect the footwear for me for my family as soon as possible and I’ll also share this with friends so your page can have more visits. Thanks a lot

    Reply
  7. Helooo,

    I really want to say a big thanks to you for sharing this insightful and informative article on Eco conscious shoes, too footwear brands made of recycled plastic.

    I have been a huge fan of Sperry brand, they have been doing absolutely fine in the production industry. Anyways I really find  sperrybionic recycled Shoes amazing, I would recommend them to anyone. 

    Reply
  8. Hi there, this is a very important article on every count. I hope the governments are funding these companies, like the Sperry, and its allies, they are doing an incredible job with this kind of effort to reduce the effect of environmental toxicity.

    Without this article, I had no clue that these beautiful shoes and sneakers are produced by recycled plastic bottles. I think with this kind of conscious curative activities, there is hope for the climate and the oceanic lives.

    Sperry Bionic boat shoes are great and durable. Algae foams are another eye-opener. I’m glad to read this article today. A lot has been learned from it. 

    Favorme. 

    Reply
    • Hi Favorme, These companies do not receive government funding. There are some great projects to reduce the plastic waste that we already have and producing shoes, clothes and other products from recycled plastic. All the best, Liné

      Reply
  9. Wow, this is a great post. I was very interested in this as I teach fashion courses part time, and the course that I just finished is Sustainable Fashion. Shoes were not a topic really covered in our textbook, so I loved this article. I will share these with my students once we get back into the swing of things. I will for sure be checking out your page in the near future. 

    Reply
    • Hi Nicole, You are welcome to share my posts with your students and I hope they will also benefit from it. All the best, Liné

      Reply
  10. It is really heart warming to know that companies are taking a stand to save our environment, very heart warming article. I never knew that recycled materials was being used to create such wonderful products.Are any of these products available online for purchase, i will play my part by supporting the cause and sourcing my sneakers from these companies instead.

    Thank you

    Reply
  11. Thanks for sharing this informative article with us about “ Top Footwear Brands Made of Recycled Plastic,” recycling method really useful for our world that’s why we need to support it & the products has made by recycled plastic are really amazing. I’ll collect the footwear for me for my family as soon as possible…

    Thank you very much for this article…                   

    Reply
    • The latest shoe trends are to look for shoes made of recycled plastic and also other recycled materials, and even better if you can recycle your footwear when it comes to the end of their working lives.

      Reply
  12. These are very nice products and wih the regular evolution going around there is bound to be a time where nothing will be regarded as waste anymore, they will be recycled and made into something new entirely and from there a lot of things will become very easy to access. These products are very great and i have been privileged to have a Veja product and truly it’s really durable and i would gladly recommend it to anyone. I hope to try some of these other products and encourage people to make use of such products. 

    Reply
    • Hi Benson, great to hear that you have been enjoying your Veja footwear. Shoes made of recycled plastic is certainly on the increase, which is good news. Increasingly stuff that used to be thrown away or was regarded as waste, is now being recycled and upcycled to create beautiful products.

      Reply
  13. Taking into consideration our eco system before making any product is great and seeing that these companies are creating shoes from plastics rather than hurting nature is something I found delightful. Thank you so much for sharing out here.
    Well! They quite have made some great foot wears and if I can, I would make sure that I patronise them henceforth. Thanks

    Reply

Leave a Comment