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Fashionable
Eco Friendly Shoes?

Yes, The Time Has Come To
Go Green With Your Footwear

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The time has come for fashionable eco friendly shoes. Whether you are running, climbing or walking, you know that shoes really do make the outfit.

Today you are much more aware of each purchase you make and it is great to know that you can go green when it comes to fabulous footwear for all your needs. Gone are the days of boxy hemp shoes and sandals that were eco friendly and great for the earth but seriously lacked any sort of style.

Lucky for you, the choice of designs, colors and materials in green shoes has grown by leaps and bounds. Eco friendly shoes are sexy, stylish and beautiful. Shoe designers have taken eco shoes to the next level with a blend of creativity and the use of an amazing array of materials from inner tubes to hemp.

Whether you are looking for a fabulous three inch heel to go dancing in or comfortable running shoes for the entire family, you can now choose to go green with your footwear and have eco shoes for each occasion.

Besides recycled inner tubes and hemp, here are some other natural materials you will find in an eco friendly shoe:

Sustainable wood

Recycled car tires

Recycled carpet padding

Organic cotton

Cork

Bamboo

Crepe (natural rubber from the hevea tree)

Vegetable-dyed leathers

Why Choose Eco Friendly Shoes?

Some people prefer to spend their money on eco friendly shoes to maintain a vegetarian lifestyle. Others are more concerned about sustainability of the planet and how the materials used in making shoes, such as leather, affects animals and the environment.

Yet others are bothered by the use of toxic materials, such as glue used in making most shoes and how those toxins are absorbed into our bodies and affect our overall health. Whatever your motive is for choosing eco friendly shoes, you are most definitely not alone.

Eco Friendly Women’s Shoes

In the past, if you were interested making an eco conscious selection in purchasing a shoe there were simply not many choices available. Simply avoiding animal based products such as leather left you with a small array of not so pretty canvas shoes. The companies and designers crafting eco friendly shoes today have demonstrated that you do not have to sacrifice style to be socially conscious.

Shoe stores around the country are catching the green wave and realizing the need to add eco friendly shoe options to their selection. If you cannot find any local stores who carry earth friendly options, make sure to ask the owner to make the change. Until then, there are wonderful online retailers offering a wide selection of eco friendly footwear.

Also, there are many more options for eco mens shoes than just a few years ago. Whether for dress, golf, athletics, etc.

Here is a list some wonderful brands creating unique, beautiful eco friendly shoes.

Mohop – Here is a remarkable brand created, designed and handmade by Annie Mohaupt. With just one pair of wooden soles, Annie allows you to create unlimited looks by simply changing the ribbon of your shoe. Each wooden sole is created in Chicago using sustainable wood.

Charmone – Combine luxury, cruelty-free plus a unique sexy style and you have defined Charmone shoes. With a conscious effort to protect animals, people and the planet, each shoe is ethically made in Italy and Brazil without the use of sweatshops. Charmone Shoes also donates 5% of profits to charities which support animals, people and the environment.

TerraPlana – A unique eco shoe line, Terra Plana has found many ways to minimize waste and toxin use in their designs. They focus on funky designs which, because of the architecture of the shoe, requires no glue or very little glue. Other designs feature recycled materials such as recycled PET bottles for mesh, recycled rice husks for soling materials, recycled leather and recycled foam for foot-beds.

Olsen Haus – This beautiful line of vegan shoes created by Elizabeth Olsen shows that vegan can be sexy. Olsen uses sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, in these stunning designs. At around $100-$200, ethical luxury is actually attainable.

ThinkShoes – One of my favorite eco shoe companies that you will love is Think! Shoes. Think! creates sustainable, comfortable styles for men and women. They say, “Think! creates shoes that are good for your feet.” Using all-natural materials, we craft them with love and respect for the tradition of shoe-making.”

SimpleShoes – A funky line of comfortable, hip and natural shoes for men, women and children using materials such as recycled inner tubes, recycled car tires and bamboo.

As their name indicates, since 1991, Simple has focused on creating a counterculture to the overhyped and overdesigned shoes of today. Featuring their line of 100% natural material shoes, the Green Toe collection, Simple Shoes is paving the way towards fully sustainable shoe production and design.

Zoe and Zac – You already know about the low low prices at Payless Shoes. But, you may have avoided it like many people because of the low low quality of materials used. Payless has been the throw away trendy shoe of the last decade. But things are changing.

Well known eco model, Summer Rayne Oakes, has joined forces with Payless Shoes to create an eco friendly line of shoes that are extremely well priced and pretty darn cute. The entire collection for women and girls is under $30. From environmentally responsible packaging, to water based glues, Payless has done a wonderful thing for you and your Mother Earth.

El Naturalista – This unique line of shoes features themselves as a lifestyle brand they call ‘a way of being’. They want you to feel good and comfy when you are walking through life wearing their shoes and feel so good that you want to buy another pair.

This brand reflects focus human values combined with a respect for nature. This company not only makes sustainable and beautiful shoes, but they also help poor communities around the world. El Naturalista uses only natural dyes, avoids toxic products, uses recyclable and recycled materials and always uses the least harmful materials.

Eco Friendly Kids Shoes

When it comes to choosing eco friendly shoes, we can’t forget the sweet tootsies of your baby and children. Our feet actually absorb an amazing amount of chemicals. The pores on the soles of our feet are quite large and absorb amazingly well, even from the surfaces we walk on. That’s why it is important to pay extra special attention to what goes on to our little one’s feet. Luckily, some of the same brands that make eco friendly shoes for adults have not forgotten about little feet.

Here are a few online brands that make comfortable, supportive eco friendly shoes for kids of all ages:

TomsShoes

SimpleShoes

Ecolution

North Face Shoes at REI

Patagonia