Vegan footwear is a strange category. There’s a lot of vegan footwear around by default. Just walk into any Primark or H&M and you’re guaranteed to find a huge selection of it. But it’s not created to fight animal cruelty, it’s created as a cheap leather alternative. So, yes, technically you can find vegan footwear all over the place but it’s not necessarily the ethical choice. Sure, it’s not leather but it is a product of the fast fashion system and, as I hope you’d know from glancing at a few things I’ve written, that’s hardly a gold standard of ethical practices.
Finding footwear that’s both vegan and ethical can be a challenge and, I’ll be honest, there’s a lot out there that I just plain don’t like. There are also plenty of black ankle boots which is great but the world only needs so many of them. So, to save you some time, I went on the hunt for the best ethical, vegan boots around and here’s what I found…
I’ve been coveting these blue cowboy boots from Good Guys for well over a year now but I haven’t yet taken the plunge and bought them because I already have quite a few pairs of boots. However, I don’t have half black, half blue cowboy boots and something deep inside me is telling me that they might be good for my soul (or sole, sorry, had to). They’re currently on sale and, frankly, I’m questioning why I’m even including them on this list because you might just go ahead and buy the last pair in my size. Please don’t and let me mull this purchase over for another year. Ok, thanks.
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While we’re on the subject of ridiculously amazing cowboy boots that are making me consider giving up considerate shopping and going on a rebound spree, let me point you in the direction of this silver pair, also by Good Guys. Why do they make me imagine strutting down the street in time to Jive Baby on a Saturday Night by The Jellies? Why do they make me feel like maybe I’d start hanging out in clubs that have a not openly spoken about but nevertheless overt underground criminal clientele?
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Hi, I’m Sophie and, despite my best efforts, I still fall blindly for certain trends. The latest one to capture my attention is slouchy 80s-inspired boots. I like to imagine I’d look like I’d sashayed straight off a Roksanda or Victoria Beckham catwalk, however, there is a danger I’d look like a Stranger Things extra/ultra fan instead. Still, I’d be willing to risk it in these boots from Beyond Skin. I’d wear them with a midi skirt and a slouchy knit, obvz. Also, I’d like to add a public plea to Beyond Skin to do them in postbox red because I’ve been searching high and low for a pair since last year. Please and thank you.
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I want so badly to stomp around in these boots that I’d be willing to go through the life altering pain that is breaking in a pair of Doc Martens. Have you ever done it? I honestly wanted to chop my own feet off when I did it last. With this particular pair, I want to do the really obvious, predictable thing of wearing them with uber feminine slips and skirts but I also want to wear them with jeans and blazers and big oversized dresses. Basically, I want to wear them with everything.
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These beauts from Collection & Co have a Gucci vibe about them. I think it’s that the stitching and square toes remind me of the brand’s loafer-style boots, so that’s extra points right off the bat. My love for them doesn’t stop there either: the round zip pull feels v. current in a nostalgic kind of way and the mustard shade is perfect for pairing with dark indigo denim and for clashing with bright pink. They also look *ok fingers emoji* styled with white trousers on the brand’s website but I don’t trust myself not to spill everything in sight on them, so I’ll have to leave that particular combo to someone else.
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I know I made a snarky comment about black ankle boots in the intro but this pair by Bourgeois Boheme manage to step outside the bounds of average. The slightly higher than usual length is perfectly awkward and the ‘Ecostone’ heel raises the game too. Plus, they have some western detailing going on and I think it’s clear from the first two pairs that anything cowboy boot-esque is going straight onto my most wanted list. (Cool story: I gave away some cowboy boots during my final wardrobe purge and I kind of regret it now.)
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Just to make myself feel sad and poor, I thought I’d include these visions of perfection by Stella McCartney. Everything about them could make me cry pathetic fashion person tears: the sculptural tortoise shell heel, the gold hardware, the branded press stud and the fresh white faux leather that I’d be too scared to wear outside the bounds of my own home. Unfortunately, were I to buy these, I’d be afraid it would only open the door to other completely impractical purchases that I’d immediately regret and I’m trying to buy a house so I’m not going to go down that road if I can possibly avoid it.
I’ll be honest, shopping for vegan boots is a lot of sifting through questionable Doc Martens rip offs but if you know where to look, you’ll find some gems that break the mold.
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