10 Best Ethical And Affordable Vegan Running Shoes

By Alex Assoune Apr 01, 2024

It's very encouraging to see more shoe companies adding ethical, vegan, and affordable options to their collections.

Many shoe brands are listening to conscious consumers and making consistent efforts for the well-being of people, animals, and the planet.

The best shoe companies sustainably and ethically make vegan sneakers with eco-friendly and animal-free materials.

High performance and environmentally friendly vegan kicks are a great addition to any conscious wardrobe. And as the fashion industry becomes more ethical and sustainable, vegan apparel and footwear are gaining traction.

As a consumer, you have the power to accelerate change by supporting clothing brands that demonstrate high supply chain transparency, accountability, and sustainability.

Great style or performance doesn't have to come at expense of animals or the planet. Look for shoes without real leather, preferably made with cruelty-free, organic, and natural materials.

Fashion brands often use fibers, glues, and dyes derived from animals. Buy footwear that doesn't contain any animal ingredients and wasn't tested on animals.

When in doubt, you can always ask each brand directly how they manufacture their products.

The large majority of vegan running shoes contain man-made or synthetic materials. They aren't the most ethical, sustainable, or eco-friendly. So look for recycled content as much as possible, such as recycled plastic and rubber.

When picking a running shoe, pay attention to safety, support, stability, and grip as well. Don't hurt yourself by wearing sneakers that aren't designed for running sports.

And prefer high quality over quantity. One of the best ways to build a sustainable wardrobe is to invest in durable, timeless pieces. Don't buy shoes that won't last very long, especially under intense athletic activity.

To help you make conscious purchasing decisions as a well-informed consumer, here are the best ethical and affordable vegan running shoes made under the highest social and environmental standards.

Panaprium is proud to be 100% independent, free of any influence, and not sponsored. We carefully handpick products from brands we trust. Thank you so much for buying something through our link, as we may earn a commission that supports us.

1. Veja

Category: Sneakers
For: Women, Men
From: Paris, France
Values: Organic, recycled, vegan, Fair Trade, artisan craft
Prices: $120-$150

Veja is a French footwear and accessories brand selling a collection of sustainable sneakers for men and women. It sells eco-friendly shoes, bags, and accessories in 1,800 retailers in 45 countries.

Its products are made with organic materials, fair trade sourcing, and transparency. Veja already sold more than 4 million pairs of sneakers worldwide.

Veja is one of the few good places where you can buy sustainable, ethical, and vegan running shoes. It aims to make the most ecological sneakers possible.

Veja manufactures its shoes using a large proportion of recycled materials. Its upcycling process creates a smart, breathable, and water-repellent fabric.

Not all Veja shoes are cruelty-free though. The brand doesn't use exotic animal skin but uses leather from southern Brazil to make some of its products.

SHOP VEJA

2. Ecoalf

Category: Sneakers, flats, clothing, bags, accessories
For: Women, Men, children
From: Madrid, Spain
Values: Natural, recycled, vegan, B Corp, give back
Prices: $80-$150

Ecoalf is a Spanish fashion brand founded in 2009 by Javier Goyeneche. It creates clothing, sneaker, flip flops, and accessories made entirely from recycled materials to reduce its environmental impact.

Ecoalf is Bluesign and Oeko-Tex certified and makes its shoes under the REACH regulation. Many third-party organizations verify Ecoalf suppliers' compliance with the highest social standards, such as BSCI, SA 8000, and SMETA.

Ecoalf offers great trainers for women, men, and kids made with natural, vegan, and extremely light materials. They are comfortable, sustainable, and stabilizing.

Ecoalf also uses other materials such as recycled polyester, regenerated nylon, recycled rubber, and post-industrial wool. Wool isn't vegan but recycled wool is a better alternative to conventional wool sourced directly from animals.

3. Native Shoes

Category: Sneakers, flats, boots, scandals
For: Women, Men, children
From: Vancouver, Canada
Values: Natural, recycled, vegan, innovation, activism
Prices: $100-$170

Native Shoes is an ethical fashion company founded in 2009 that crafts 100% animal-free footwear. It sells shoes, sandals, boots, and sneakers for women, men, and children.

Its Mercury 2.0 Liteknit vegan running shoes are seamless, lightweight, and ultra-breathable. They feature improved and innovative technology that's ergonomic with a lighter footprint on the planet.

The footwear brand aims to design products and experiences that create a lighter, healthier, happier world for us all. It plans to have each pair of shoes 100% lifecycle managed by 2023.

To make its sneakers, Native Shoes uses natural rubber, as well as recycled polyester, molded ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and polyurethane.

4. Vegetarian Shoes

Category: Sneakers, boots, sandals, shoes, accessories
For: Women, Men
From: Brighton, United Kingdom
Values: Natural, vegan, recycled
Prices: $70-$160

Vegetarian Shoes is a British footwear brand that first started in 1990. It creates ethical, quality animal-friendly shoes, boots, casuals, and trainers for men and women.

Vegetarian Shoes is still a small business but now sends shoes all over the world. A growing number of stores carry a selected range of Vegetarian Shoes.

Its vegan running shoes are lightweight and high-quality with a simple, classic look. They are also long-lasting and very comfortable with thick insoles.

The footwear brand uses a large portfolio of biodegradable, plant-based, natural, and synthetic materials mostly made in Europe, including organic cotton, cork, hemp, polyurethane, polyester, and Pinatex leather made from pineapple fibers.

5. Womsh

Category: Sneakers
For: Women, Men
From: Padua, Italy
Values: Natural, recycled, vegan, diversity, artisan craft
Prices: $180-$250

Womsh creates beautiful and sustainable Italian sneakers that respect the planet and those who live on it. It produces sustainable sneakers to shape a better world.

Not all Womsh shoes are cruelty-free. The brand uses real leather in some of its shoes. But it offers a vegan line of sneakers from apples without leather.

Womsh makes vegan running shoes using recycled polyester, cotton, natural rubber, and sustainable bio-based materials, such as faux leather made from apple fibers and polyurethane.

Womsh upcycling and manufacturing processes ensure the highest comfort, lightness, and eco-friendliness. The final products are well-made and communicate sustainable beauty.

6. Novesta

Category: Sneakers, boots
For: Women, Men, children
From: Partizánske, Slovakia
Values: Organic, vegan, artisan craft
Prices: $40-$150

Novesta combines imaginative design with timeless sophistication to create unique sneakers. It manufactures shoes according to the highest environmental standards in Slovakia since 1939.

Novesta uses sustainable materials such as natural rubber and organic cotton. But not all shoes from Novesta are vegan. The brand uses leather to create some of its footwear.

Its vegan running shoes are very stylish, lightweight, comfortable, and available in a wide range of colors. They also are of high quality and recognizable around the world.

7. Will's Vegan Shoes

Category: Sneakers, boots, shoes, bags, accessories
For: Women, Men, children
From: London, United Kingdom
Values: Natural, vegan, carbon-neutral
Prices: $70-$140

Will's Vegan Shoes is a London-based vegan company founded in 2012 by Will Green. The brand places itself at the forefront of vegan clothing and sustainable fashion.

It encourages you to make positive choices and adopt a sustainable, ethical, and vegan lifestyle. Will's Vegan Shoes manufactures its products in Italy and Portugal.

It offers vegan essentials such as vegan shoes, boots, sneakers, and bags. It only uses vegan materials from the uppers and linings to the glue. Will's Vegan Shoes is a PETA Approved Vegan shoe company.

Some of the eco-friendly and sustainable materials it uses include vegan leather created with bio oil sourced from organic cereal crops grown in Northern Europe.

The ethical brand makes vegan running shoes for women, men, and kids. They are soft, breathable, water-resistant, Oeko-Tex certified, and meet European REACH regulations.

8. Vivobarefoot

Category: Sneakers, boots, accessories
For: Women, Men, children
From: London, United Kingdom
Values: Natural, vegan, B Corp, give back
Prices: $110-$220

Vivobarefoot is a British minimalist running shoe company founded in 1997. It creates outdoor, active, and everyday shoes for women, men, and kids using an increasing amount of natural materials.

Not all Vivobarefoot shoes are vegan and sustainable. The brand uses real leather and wool to make some of its footwear. But its goal remains to become the most regenerative business on the planet.

Vivobarefoot offers many vegan options made with plant-based or recycled materials such as recycled plastics and bio-based polymers to reduce its reliance on petroleum products.

Its vegan running shoes are perfect for running and everyday wear with responsive foot control and an adaptive fit. They offer maximum sensory feedback, durability, and functionality.

9. NAE Vegan Shoes

Category: Sneakers, boots, sandals, heels, flats, shoes, accessories
For: Women, Men
From: Amadora, Portugal
Values: Organic, vegan, recycled
Prices: $60-$120

NAE Vegan Shoes makes sustainable footwear in Portugal. It creates ethical, vegan, and eco-friendly flats, shoes, sneakers, sandals, boots, heels, and accessories.

The shoe company makes its products with GRS certified recycled materials from plastic bottles. It also uses cork, organic cotton, pineapple leather, and polyurethane.

NAE Vegan Shoes is a 100% vegan brand that doesn't use any animal-derived materials in production. It offers quality footwear design that presents an increased responsibility towards the environment.

Its vegan running shoes are Oeko-Tex certified, hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial. They are made from natural and recycled materials, offering high comfort and slip resistance.

10. Matt And Nat

Category: Sneakers, boots, heels, flats, clothing, bags, accessories
For: Women, men
From: Montreal, Canada
Values: Natural, vegan, recycled, inclusive
Prices: $90-$110

Matt And Nat is a Canadian designer brand that makes premium quality vegan leather bags, shoes, and accessories. All its products are cruelty-free, fashion-forward, and made with recycled materials.

The designer brand's values include social responsibility, excellence, inclusiveness, integrity, learning, authenticity, and love. It aims to protect nature and appreciate the humanity, creativity, and positivity found in all of us.

Some of the materials it uses are recycled nylon, cork, rubber, and polyurethane. Its vegan running shoes are chic, classic, durable, and timeless.

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About the Author: Alex Assoune

Alex Assoune (MS) is a global health and environmental advocate. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. He speaks three languages and holds two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from SIGMA and IFPEN schools.