Sustainable Sneakers - 8 Brands Making Eco-Friendly Kicks with Minimal Impact
Nuven - Cool, Comfy and Eco-Friendly Shoes Made with Discarded Balloons
A study conducted by MIT found that a typical pair of running shoes generates approximately 13.6 kilograms of CO₂ emissions. Yes, the worldwide footwear industry is hugely wasteful and also cruel on the planet. But don't worry, new companies are rising to bring new possibilities such as Nuven, a young sneaker brand with a powerful promise: cool comfy shoes easy on you and the planet.
Rens - Everyday Sneakers Made from Coffee

Meet Rens, the first everyday sneaker made from coffee waste. Each pair is made from 300 grams of coffee waste and 6 recycled plastic bottles. They're also ultralight, unisex, waterproof, super comfy, and vegan/cruelty-free. Up to now, Rens sneakers have recycled more than 250.000 plastic bottles and 750.000 cups worth of coffee.
Sampla - Vegan Sneakers Made from Apples and Eco-Materials

Sampla is an Irish eco-friendly sneaker brand that uses apple waste and other innovative sustainable materials. Their shoes are made with organic cotton laces, crepe rubber, recycled and handmade PU insoles, and 100% vegan apple skin, produced by repurposing leftover apple waste from the juice industry in Italy. With every pair of sneakers made, they also plant an indigenous tree in Ireland.
Saye - Sustainable Sneakers Inspired by the 80s

Based in Spain, Saye is a young brand bravely fighting deforestation since 2018. They produce retro-inspired sneakers with recycled and bio-based materials such as corn vegan leather, cactus, recycled PU foam for the insoles and outsoles, and most surprisingly: discarded mangos. Additionally, they plant two trees for every pair sold. So far, they've funded 165,550 trees; 132,994 of them in Zambia, 30,326 trees in India, 1,982 in Australia and 248 in the Amazon.
Veja - Premium Sneakers with a Positive Impact

Classic style and sustainability for every day is Veja's promise. Each pair is produced with organic cotton made by farmer associations in Brazil and Peru, while soles are manufactured using amazonian rubber purchased directly to local families at twice the market price. Ever Since VEJA was created, their sneakers have always been made in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil.
Kengos - Uniquely Crafted Sneakers Made from Plants

Kengos’ sneakers are amazingly made from plants, eliminating petrochemicals and animal materials from their ingredients. Yes, they're made by hand, bound together without glue, and assembled with only five components: cork, cotton, corn, eucalyptus, and natural rubber.
Allbirds - Comfortable Footwear Made with Natural Materials like Eucalyptus

Brown teamed up with Joey Zwillinger, an engineer with expertise in renewable energy, and together they founded Allbirds in 2016. With mother nature as their muse, they discovered uses for natural materials such as wool and eucalyptus for fabrics, sugar cane for soles, and trine for threads. The best part of the story is that all their sustainable materials are open-source, meaning the entire industry can (and should) use them in their products too.
Voronoi - 100% Biodegradable Sneakers Assembles without Adhesives

Ideated by Rik, Voronoi is the first pair of sneakers made from 100% biodegradable materials, offering a solution to the waste that's polluting the planet. Voronoi runners are made with merino wool for the fabric, cotton, and linen threads and use no glues in construction so that the shoe can be entirely dissembled and composted separately at the end of its useful life.