The Best Eco Friendly Winter Boots for Happy Feet

It’s cold as heck! As we brrrr ourselves into living a reasonably active life this winter, what kinda shoes are you wearing while heading out? Eco friendly winter boots are an amazing, necessary thing, and if you’re looking for the perfect pair, this post is for you. They’re made responsibly, they keep your feet snug and warm, and they last long – these are the criteria to make it onto the list below.

This blog has covered a lot of ethical fashion, without managing to talk about footwear. And, considering footwear is among the least durable objects in your ethical wardrobe, it’s quite an oversight! This post is the beginning of the attempt to address that. What should you look for in eco friendly boots? Are there vegan winter boots? And where can you get all these wonderful pairs of boots? Check out our post on sustainable rain boots.

woman in a desert wearing eco friendly winter boots

To cut a long story short:

Want gum boots for a wet winter? Check out Alice + Whittles’ Rain Boots

Going hiking in the snowy mountains? Try Will’s Vegan Store’s WVSport Snow Boots

Doing heavy duty outdoor work? Look at the steel-toe Wellington Boots by Carhartt

Want chic, urban, luxury boots? Aera’s Gisele boots are for you

Want vegan boots? Check out the brands below with Vegan next to them.

For more details, and more eco friendly boot brands, scroll on!

Table Of Contents

How to Choose Eco Friendly Winter Boots

pretty woman wearing eco friendly boots and smiling

1 // Eco-friendly Manufacturing

Did you know that waterproofing of boots was done by coating with a type of man-made chemicals called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)? This made the boots water-resistant, but it took a huge toll on the environment. It also harmed the immune systems of the wearers and the workers who made the shoes. As a result, the use of PFAS, dubbed “forever chemicals” because of how persistent they are in bio-organisms, was ‘reprimanded.’ But what do you do when they’re already in the blood of 99 per cent of Americans? There’s no answer yet.

Today, there are PFAS-free options, but they are few and far between. (Here’s a list of PFAS-free products and brands). There’s the option for manufacturers to apply PFC-free or fluorine-free coating. Technology has also advanced to a stage where materials such as Gore-Tex can work much better at waterproofing (by preventing water droplets from entering, while allowing sweat droplets to exit). But Gore-Tex ain’t perfect – and, really, nothing manufactured in a factory is.

It’s best to opt for materials that are naturally water-resistant or waterproof (like rubber, etc).

2 // Eco-friendly Materials

The main things we need to look for in sustainably made boots are that the materials are renewable. Whether this means buying a brand new pair of boots will depend on your circumstances. Our best option, however, is to buy second hand boots. Secondhand boots will save you money. Plus, buying used boots from a thrift shop will reduce waste piling up in the landfill.

Now, animal products can be responsibly used to make durable footwear (supposedly). But why go down that route when there are so many cruelty-free alternatives? If you are keen on buying leather or wool-lined boots, then look for secondhand or upcycled options. Leather tanning lends itself to a huge amount of environmental pollution (air, water and soil), is typically done in dangerous conditions with little to no worker protection – and to say nothing of the animal cruelty involved. A hugely preferable option is to go instead for boots made with natural rubber, recycled plastic or bioplastic, although there are other environmental issues with these as well.

When it comes to the lining for your eco-friendly boots, make sure it’s made of a natural material sans any petroleum-based products – cotton, upcycled wool, Java kapok and hemp fiber are examples. And avoid chemical anti-bacterial agents that are often applied to the inner lining of footwear.

3 // Long-lasting Quality

Buy one sturdy and well made pair, and use it for years instead of buying cheap, easily-damaged boots. Quality over quantity.

The Best Brands for Eco-friendly Winter Boots

1 // AERA | USA | Vegan

AERA is a New York-based luxury footwear brand. Their boots are certified vegan, they place a lot of focus on being environmentally sustainable, and they work exclusively with Italian materials, supplies and factories.

2 // Alice + Whittles | USA | Vegan

Their vegan and virgin plastic-free boots look gorgeous! They waterproof the boots with repurposed marine plastic, line the boots with recycled synthetic wool, and use vegan glue and sustainable rubber to finish them off. And the end result looks super rugged – sufficient for your most adventurous hikes.

3 // Amour Vert | USA

They use TENCEL, ethical wool, Mulberry silk, organic cotton and vegetable-tanned leather, and round it off with sustainable packaging.

4 // Beyond Skin | UK | Vegan

Beyond Skin’s designer vegan shoes have recycled faux leather lining with a vegetable polymer coating. They use polyester instead of viscose.

5 // Carhartt | USA

Carhartt’s workwear is included here for its stylish, durable workwear collection, its environmentally sustainable practices, and its 130-year legacy of quality. Please note that they use leather in their products.

6 // Christy Dawn | USA

Christy Dawn’s handmade, vintage-style boots are made with upcycled, sustainably-sourced leather. Good news? The boots are built to “last a lifetime.”

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.

7 // Good Guys | France

Cruelty-free footwear for women and men

8 // NAE | Portugal | Vegan

Nae makes vegan boots from recycled PET, OEKO-TEX® certified microfibres, recycled car tyres, natural cork, recycled thermoplastic, pineapple fibre, and more.

9 // Nisolo | USA

Ethical and fair trade brand that’s working to combat climate change

10 // Poppy Barley | Canada

Poppy Barley is a certified B Corp direct-to-consumer startup that uses plant-based materials, chromium-free leather, and eco-fabric. All wrapped up in dust bags and recycled paper packaging.

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.

11 // RAFA | USA | Vegan

RAFA’s (not this Rafa) retro-inspired footwear is handmade in Los Angeles, and the colors are to die for!

12 // United by Blue | USA

United by Blue is a certified B Corp and their boots are made from fair trade, eco friendly and sustainable sources. Help them remove trash from our waterways.

13 // Will’s Vegan Store | UK | Vegan

Boots made in Italy with Ecolabel certified vegan suede that meets OEKO-TEX^® and the EU’s REACH regulations.

14 // Womsh | Italy | Vegan

PETA-approved vegan, punk-aesthetic boots. Enough said!

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.

Secondhand / Used Winter Boots

1 // REI

REI’s used boots collection is da bomb. You get to buy top-notch products at amazing prices. Of course, you’re not always going to find the perfect size right when you’re looking for it. Which is why it’s a good idea to keep checking the website (or pop into the store) now and then for new arrivals (of used goods!).

2 // Etsy

This is where you’ll get the full range of all sorts of quirky (I mean, Russian special forces tactical winter leather boots?!), vintage, colorful boots for winter. At unbeatable prices. Jump in and enjoy!

You can also check out your local Goodwill store for some lucky finds! Or our post on secondhand fashion.

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.

The Best Eco Friendly Winter Boots for Happy Feet