White Apricot

Our Top Five Eco Shoe Designer Picks

Shoes, glorious shoes! Eco-friendly shoes have come a long way, baby! Remember when it was all about Birkenstocks and Earth Shoes? Well, not anymore. We’ve tried them all (and bought a few pair along the way).

Here are our picks for the five hottest eco shoe designers.

 

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TERRA PLANA
Trendy and eco-friendly with something for everyone, Terra Plana really has it all going on! Using a variety of sustainable and recycled materials, the designers behind this line create everything from sandals to casual to dress shoes. We love the Juniper pump, the Bronte ankle boot and the Worn Again Jack (really cute buttons instead of laces take on a knock around casual shoe, made from 99% recycled materials). The only downside is that the shipping is a little tricky. They have a New York store, so if what you order is in stock, they’ll ship from New York. If not, shoes will ship from the UK so there’s the tax/duty factor and steeper shipping charges (can we say worth it?!). It pays to make a quick phone call to the New York store to see if they have what you want (212-274-9000) and order by phone. And by all means, make sure you check out the graphics on the homepage of their website… www.terraplana.com.

 

CHARMONE
This collection wins our vote for most elegant and luxurious. Made from animal-free eco-friendly materials, the look is très European and the workmanship is very detailed and chic. The Darjeeling ankle boot makes quite the statement with jeans or a short skirt, while the Van Gogh French paisley pump is classic. Our choice for hottest style is the Marco Polo embossed Mary Jane. Available at www.shoes.com. Charmone doesn’t sell the shoes online on their own website, but you can check out www.charmoneshoes.com to see the entire collection and find retailers in your area.

 

MINK
The one way to describe this line is HOT! Mink shoes are hand crafted in Italy from non-animal products and...each style is named after…an animal! Go figure. Mink has a great selection of heeled, wedge and flat sandals. We love, love, love the Vulture wedge and the very sexy faux patent leather stiletto Bat. We’re also looking forward to the Gorilla flip flop from the upcoming resort collection. www.minkshoes.com

 

 

NEUAURA
This is a tricky one to explain, but still worth including in our top five. Once upon a time not too long ago, there was a great vegan shoe line called Ahneemähl. We mention that because the shoes are still available at several retailers. The biggest selection we’ve found is on sale at www.shophumanitaire.com. Get ‘em while they last! You see, Ahneemahl is no more, but the good news is that head designer Arti Upadhyay is launching her own Earth-friendly vegan shoe label, called NeuAura this coming spring. NeuAura’s mission is to provide fun quality footwear that doesn’t involve unnecessary harm to animals and to the environment. Keep checking the website for the launch at www.neuaurashoes.com. (Of course, we’ll let you know when they’re
available too!)

 

STELLA MCCARTNEY
Sure, we all know Stella McCartney…daughter of Paul…famous couture designer… But, did you know that Stella is a lifelong vegetarian and doesn’t use any leather or fur in her designs? Her new spring 2008 collection is just being previewed (you can see the fashion show at www.stellamccartney.com). Most of the collection is based around big hand-carved wooden wedges. Not sure how many of us can actually wear them comfortably in real life but we’d sure give it a try! Look for the spring shoe collection soon at stores like Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

 

 

The Runners Up:
We’re seeing more and more exciting new eco-friendly shoe designers making their debuts so it was hard to pick just five. Here are our three runners up.

 

NOVACAS
The shoes are 100% vegan, leather alternative and cruelty-free, made in Western Europe. We’d describe the styles as classic and mostly traditional. Available at www.mooshoes.com. Novacas doesn’t sell online on their own website, but you can check out www.novacas.com to see the entire collection and find retailers in your area.

 

SIMPLE
A great manufacturer of…well….simple… casual sustainable shoes. www.simpleshoes.com

 

TOM’S SHOES
Many of you have probably seen the stories in the news about Tom’s Shoes. While not vegan or eco-friendly, this one falls under socially conscious. You see, for every pair of shoes you buy, Tom’s will donate a pair to a child in need. www.tomsshoes.com