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17 Amazing Sustainable Kids Shoes & Brands (2023)

sustainable kids shoe brands

Looking for ethical and eco-friendly and sustainable children’s shoes and brands, but not sure where to start?
We have you covered.
Below I have hand-picked a list of the best sustainable kids’ shoes and shoe companies around.
I have chosen, what I think is a stylish choice from their selection, but be sure to check out all their options!

In A hurry? Check out 3 of our favorites below

       
SmallBirds Editors Pick
• Made from merino wool
• Machine washable
•Easy to slip on & off
Check Price at Allbirds.com
1. PRIMUS SPORT KIDS - Vivobarefoot Vivobarefoot • Lightweight
• Recycled PET plastic
• Bio-based Bloom EVA performance insole
Check Price at Vivobarefoot
2. STARLING - Wildlings shoes Wildlings
• 80% synthetic rubber
• 50% recycled content
• 20% cork
• Handmade
• Wildlings have a great range to choose from
Check Price at Wildling.shoes

Best Sustainable kids shoes and shoe brands

best sustainable kids shoes & brands

1. PRIMUS SPORT KIDS – Vivobarefoot

Website | Vivobarefoot.com
Materials | Recycled PET plastic and a bio-based Bloom EVA performance insole
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

1. PRIMUS SPORT KIDS - Vivobarefoot


Vivobarefoot is another one of these shoe companies doing their best to provide a quality product with as little impact on the environment as possible.
And with this kid’s shoe they manage to create that, but with style. This particular product is super lightweight and flexible giving little restriction on your child’s natural movement.
Vivobarefoot always strives to make their products natural, recycled, durable, and locally sourced when possible.
They have a bunch of kid’s shoes options including vegan shoes.

Find out more

2. ZORA – Wildlings shoes

Website | Wildlings.shoes
Materials | Organic wool, polyester, polyamide, rubber, cork
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

2. ZORA - Wildlings shoes
Credit: wildlings.shoes

These funky kids’ shoes will have your children not only looking good but keeping warm.
These shoes are made from canvas with a microfiber edging and 60% synthetic rubber with approx. 33% recycled content, 15% cork sole.
Each shoe is individually handmade so you can be sure of the quality and also receive a unique product.
Wildlings have a range of beautiful looking shoes for kids as well as their parents and well worth a look.

Find out more.

3. Sneakers Hitops – Etiko

Website | etiko.com.au
Materials | Sustainable latex & cotton
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

Credit: etiko.com.au


How about some Chuck Taylor-looking shoes? This trendy style of shoe has been popular for generations and continues to be so.
These high-top kids sneakers from Etiko use sustainable latex certified by the FSC and organic cotton which is certified both organic (GOTS) and fairtrade (FLO). This company provides all vegan shoes.
Etiko, whose motto is “wear no evil” has a range of products in their shop, from shoes to apparel, to accessories.

4. BLAKE SLIP ON – Inkkas

Website | Inkkas.com
Materials | Microsuede, rubber, elastic
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

4. BLAKE SLIP ON - Inkkas
Credit:inkkas.com


Inkkas range of kids’ shoes is really funky and if you are looking for bright, eccentric kids’ shoes definitely check out their range.
These particular shoes were designed by Designer/Artist Kelsey Archila and have a kaleidoscope of color and vibrance.
How are these sustainable? Although these sneakers may not be made from the most eco-friendly materials, they do participate in a ‘One Shoe, One Tree’ program and boast an impressive number of trees planted.
They have a good collection of kids’ shoes with a very diverse range of styles and colors.

5. Navy Flames – Rothy

Website |Rothys.com
Materials | Re-purposed plastic water bottles
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

5. Navy Flames - Rothy
Credit:rothys.com


This particular shoe may not be to every children’s taste but I love it. They are bright, vibrant, and have a funky design.
These shoes are made from recycled plastic water bottles and the cool thing about them is they are easily washed by removing the insole and popping them in the washing machine.
Not you, or your kid’s favorite design? No worries. Rothy’s have a good selection of shoes for your little ones with a variety of different designs.

6. Idre WP Black – Kavat

Website |Kavat.com
Materials | Recycled textiles, fleece, microfiber, lace
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

6. Idre WP Black - Kavat
Credit: kavat.com


These shoes make my feet feel warm just by looking at them and your little one’s tootsies will undoubtedly feel that way.
The upper of these shoes are made from a combination of textile and leather. An inside biodegradable membrane and sealed seams make it 100% waterproof. These kids’ shoes are perfect for those winter months.
As far as sustainable shoe brands Kavat takes its sustainability very seriously and they were the first brand to be certified with the EU Ecolabel.
As far as their selection goes they have a very large range of products for children ranging from boots, to sneakers to slip ons.

7. Smallbirds Wool Runners – Allbirds

Website | Allbirds.com
Materials | Recycled textiles, fleece, microfiber, lace
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

7. Smallbirds Wool Runners - Allbirds
Credit: allbirds.com


The Allbirds brand is super popular and has a good selection of products made from mostly natural materials.
They even have small kids range for those who want their kids to rock that classy Allbirds style.
With these kicks, your children get the Allbirds quality with all the style and quality materials you expect from this brand.
They currently don’t have many options to choose from for your kids, but if you have by chance never heard of them yet, parents should definitely check out their adult range.

8. V-12 VELCRO CHROMEFREE – Veja

Website | Veja.com
Materials | ChromeFree Leather, vegan suede, recycled plastic bottles, rubber organic cotton
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

8. V-12 VELCRO CHROMEFREE - Veja
Credit: veja-store.com


Veja kids shoes ooze style and class as can be seen here with these “steel” kids shoes.
Made from a mix of natural materials along with fair trade materials and working conditions, these quality shoes are perfect for your child or toddler.
Veja also has a good range of vegan shoes too.
For boys and girls alike, Veja has a good selection of products to choose from.

9. KIDS LO CUT CLASSIC – Ethletic

Website | Ethletic.com
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

9. KIDS LO CUT CLASSIC - Ethletic
Credit: shop-ethletic.com


These quality shoes are perfect for parents looking for traditional skater-type kicks for their kids.
From production to delivery this company does all it can to protect the environment and its workers. They are fair trade certified and source fair trade and vegan materials, always source more sustainable materials in the production process when they can and their workers have good working conditions.
Unlike many other brands, you can even see who has made the shoes! It’s nice to have a face behind the product.

Find out more

10. Jefferson 2.0 Liteknit – Native

Website | Nativeshoes.com
Materials | Recycled Liteknit Upper, Elastilite Recycled EVA & PU Insole Rubber Toe
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

10. Jefferson 2.0 Liteknit - Native
Credit:nativeshoes.com


Parents will be able to see their kids from miles away in these bright and effervescent kids’ shoes.
Fashion meets sustainability in these updated and more sustainable 2.0 versions of these kids’ shoes.
Like some of the above brands mentioned, this company sources its materials when it can from the environment, using pineapple leaf fiber, linen, kenaf, lactae hevea, and naturally sourced cotton. Their standards are high, and the use of chemicals is low making them better for the planet.
This collection of shoes comes in a number of different colors.

11. Groms ESSNTLS Flip Flops – Indosole

Website | Indosole.com
Materials | Recycled tire soles
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

11. Groms ESSNTLS Flip Flops - Indosole
Credit: indosole.com


Looking for some flip-flops that are environmentally friendly and good for the planet? Check out these recycled tire sole slip-flops. Durability is long with these because of the material, but importantly you are making use of tires that otherwise would never decompose.
Youngsters often want to replicate what their parents wear, and Indosole has flip-flips for the whole family.

12. Rush Sports shoe with Boa® – Superfit

Website | Superfit.com
Materials | +VIOS, vegetable-tanned leather, tencil laces
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

12. Rush Sports shoe with Boa® - Superfit
Credit: superfit.com


These smart-casual kids’ shoes are great for people looking for shoes that will work with any clothing style.
Made from renewable raw materials (vegetable tanned leather) these little baby shoes are part of a large collection of sneakers made by Superfit.
This company’s product catalog ranges from babies right up to teens.

13. Youth Grey Cordones Sneaker – Toms

Website | Toms.com
Materials | Chambray
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

13. Youth Grey Cordones Sneaker - Toms
Credit:toms.com


I wouldn’t mind getting a pair of these sneakers myself. These cool casual kids sneakers are perfect for the home or out in about everyday situations.
They are made from chambray and are 100% vegan. Toms are b-corp certified and are a company who are continuously working on its sustainability.
They have shoes for the whole family, from baby shoes to teens to adults.

14. VAGABOND BOYS – Sanuk

Website | Sanuk.com
Materials | Canvas, foam, rubber
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

14. VAGABOND BOYS - Sanuk
Credit:sanuk.com


Do your kids live at the beach? These are the shoes for them.
These canvas-based shoes are perfect for your kids to slip on and off with comfort and they also have materials to help reduce odor.
Sanuk is always striving to incorporate more responsibly certified and sustainable materials in its products.
They have shoes for the whole family ranging from toddlers, kids, and teens to adults.

15. SPORTY CHELSEA MOSS – Petit Nord

Website | Petitnord.com
Materials | Vegetable-tanned leather & suede and recycled TR rubber
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

15. SPORTY CHELSEA MOSS - Petit Nord
Credit: petitnord.com


Why not go for that classy Scandinavian style. These kid’s shoes from Petit Nord bring that style mixed with comfort and warmth.
Hand-made from 100% ecological, 100% vegetable tanned, 100% biodegradable, and 100% chrome-free leathers and suedes.
Petit Nord strives to use the above materials in all their shoes and vegetable tan their shoes which takes longer than the traditional method of using chrome tanning (which releases harmful waste chemicals back into the environment.)
Petit Nord has a large collection of footwear ranging from socks to sneakers to ballerinas.

16. Fenton Mesh Multi – Emu Australia

Website | emuaustralia.com
Materials | 100% wool upper, 100% cotton inner
Their Eco Pledge | Pledge

16. Fenton Mesh Multi - Emu Austrailia
Credit: emuaustralia.com


These funky ankle-high kid’s sneakers will have your kid’s feet feeling comfortable and looking good.
Made from merino wool the shoes are lightweight, and easy to get on and off, but best of all they are machine washable.
Emu Australia has a large array of merino wool shoes suitable for the whole family and certainly ticks the box for those people with sustainable values.

Ben T
(B.Des)
About the Author
Growing up in New Zealand I have always had the gift of living in a beautiful, natural environment. With all the changes happening in the world, I wanted to actively try and make a difference (be it big or small) in helping protect the nature we have by helping people make more eco-friendly decisions.

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