Summertime brings out all the shorts, t-shirts, and tank tops – but there might be nothing better than being able to set your feet free by slipping on some comfortable sandals.
Unless of course those sandals you’re slipping into are made sustainably and ethically by companies who care about the environment.
It seems fitting that footwear made for enjoying the beautiful outdoors should be made in a way that benefits the land. But not all sandals are created equal.
Read on to discover 15 brands that have made sustainable sandals that are perfect for summer 2022.
Sustainable Sandals and Flip Flops You Can Feel Extra Good About Wearing
1. Allbirds Sandals
Price Range: $40-$60 Materials: SweetFoam®, made with sugarcane-based green EVA & recycled polyester straps
Allbirds understands that in order to help reverse the impacts of climate change, we should focus on small, personal actions. This includes opting for sustainable apparel to reduce our environmental impact through Regenerative Agriculture,eco-consious materials, carbon offsetting, and responsible energy.
That’s exactly why the brand’s range of sustainable flip-flops and slides are crafted with natural sugarcane-based material that offers the perfect blend of bounce & cushion. It’s called SweetFoam®, a combination of sugarcane and the world’s first carbon-negative green EVA.
Plus, their wide range of colors (from black and orange to baby blue) will definitely match your sun-soaked summer mood to a T. Of course, there are many more sustainable men’s shoes to choose from for your all-year-round ethical wardrobe.
2. IndoSole ESSNTLS Sandals
Price: $60 Materials: Recycled tire soles & natural rubber footbed
Indosole’s “ ESSNTLS” collection of men’s sustainable sandals and flip-flops takes sustainability to a whole new level by sourcing the best materials they could find—natural rubber and vegan uppers. Tire waste is a huge issue and nearly impossible to decompose thus, most of it sits in stockyards, illegal dumping sites, and even rivers. So why not give a helping hand?
Featuring the brand’s signature recycled tire sole technology with embedded arch support, the simple yet stylish summer footwear is not only waterproof and surprisingly affordable but also comes in 13 colors. In fact, they were able to save over 80K+ tires from landfills thus far.
3. Munjoi Convertable Sandals
Price: $98 Materials: Hemp, cotton, sugarcane, blue algae & spandex
Munjoi’s sustainable sandals are definitely not your average summer shoe. In order to encourage less consumption, the brand has come up with a double-duty footwear option that turns from everyday walking shoes into your new favorite sandals. By removing the insole and collapsing down the desired toe or heel portions, you can turn your go-to pair into a sandal, a slide, a mule, or a sneaker.
The pairs are made from a blend of soft and breathable cotton, renewable hemp fiber and a small percentage of spandex. Last but not least, the brand has partnered with SEMS and their “Factory of the Future” to ensure sustainable manufacturing and offer innovative solutions to reduce environmental pollution.
4. Birkenstock
Price Range: $190 – $110
Sustainable Materials: Leather, Cork Latex, Birko-Flor
Birkenstocks are about as well-known as sandals come – and they are committed to environmentally friendly operations. The brand is constantly working to improve production processes, products, packaging, and logistics.
Thanks to their durability, Birkenstock products are sustainable by nature, and a high proportion of the natural materials that they use are from sustainable sources.. This includes the infamous Birkenstock cork, but also their natural latex, jute, leather, wool felt, copper, and brass.
5. Brave Soles
Price Range: $70 – $85
Sustainable Materials: Sustainable Leather
Brave Soles wants to help create a better future at a fair price, as finding a beautiful fashion that’s kind to both people and the planet can be difficult and expensive.
Brave Soles leather is sourced in the Dominican Republic, as well as from Argentina and Mexico. They are also doing their best to continue to move the bar forward on some of the items by using up-cycled leather that is sourced from the remnants of furniture makers, airplane seats, and other industries with usable leather.
6. El Naturalista
Price Range: $62 – $106
Sustainable Materials: Leather, Micro suede, Multi leather, Fishing Nets
El Naturalista manufactures 100% of their products, which means they get to select the highest-quality materials and be meticulous about each detail of the process to guarantee that the shoes the company makes are comfortable and last you a long time.
When you purchase a pair of El Naturalista shoes, you can also select who will benefit from among our diverse range of active programs.
7. Gumbies
Price Range: $24
Sustainable Materials: Recycled Materials
This brand reflects a real passion for simplicity, necessity, and most importantly, freedom. Using natural materials based on a strong ethical foundation, but with a visible point of difference, Gumbies is on a quest for the perfect flip-flop – and the ‘Islander,’ also known as the 1000-miler, might be the one.
8. NAE Vegan Shoes
Price Range: $50 – $74
Sustainable Materials: Pineapple fiber, OEKO-TEX
NAE, which stands for No Animal Exploitation, offers creative designs and sustainable materials. They aim to protect the environment step by step with the best vegan shoes on the market.
NAE collections are an ode to simplicity. Choosing minimalism reveals that quality always prevails over quantity.
9. Native Shoes
Price Range: $35 – $79
Sustainable Materials: Natural Rubber, EVA
Each time you wear a pair of Native Shoes, you are making an impact.
By 2023, each and every pair of Native Shoes will be 100% life cycle managed. The Remix Project, the first initiative, recycles your Native Shoes by giving them new life in projects across the community. Now that’s real sustainability!
10. Nisolo
Price Range: $150 – $160
Sustainable Materials: Leather
Nisolo wants to push the fashion industry in a more sustainable direction, a direction that not only values exceptional design but the producer and the planet just as much as the end consumer. The brand recognizes that everything they make has an impact on the planet, and they believe the fashion industry can regenerate rather than deplete the environment if the industry measures their impact and invest in proven methods to counteract it. They have a big commitment to reducing and offsetting 100% of their carbon emissions as a brand.
Nisolo’s goal is to maintain 0% net carbon emissions through measuring, reducing, and offsetting 100% of carbon emissions from the start of their supply chain all the way to the customer’s doorsteps.
11. Okabashi
Price Range: $19
Sustainable Materials: Recycled Materials
Okabashi is known for bringing the experience of comfort of reflexology into shoe design. The brand has many loyal customers and an unmatched Two-Year Guarantee. Okabashi is able to make environmentally sustainable and wonderfully comfortable footwear in popular designs at low costs. Using a recyclable, proprietary material to manufacture American-made comfort shoes, their footwear has greater durability without loss of functionality.
12. Sole
Price Range: $60 – $180
Sustainable Materials: Bloom Algae Foam., ReCORK Recycled Wine Cork
Planet-friendly custom moldable orthopedic insoles and supportive footwear. That’s what SOLE provides.
SOLE combines comfort, sustainability, and support, with insoles, shoes, and sandals that are made from eco-friendly materials such as cork and algae foam.
13. Teva
Price Range: $35 – $140
Sustainable Materials: Recycled Polyester
The original sport sandal emerged from the shores of the Grand Canyon back in 1984. Born out of necessity to prevent sandals from floating downstream, a resourceful river guide strapped two Velcro watchbands to a pair of old flip-flops. And just like that, Teva was born.
In the years following, Teva has retained the same pioneering spirit and continues to celebrate the freedom to explore.
14. Toms
Price Range: $80 – $100
Sustainable Materials: Recycled Polyester, Plant Dye, Organic Cotton, TENCEL, Lyocell, Green EVA outsole, Eco Fibers, Recycled Rubbers, Recycled Strobel Board
TOMS is a casual Alpargatas (footwear that is not quite shoes and not quite sandals) brand, designed to have a lower environmental impact. They feature a REPREVE® recycled polyester upper blend, made with post-consumer plastic bottles and dyed using a process that reduces water and energy usage.
TOMS is also a Certified B Corporation that is the original One-For-One company that continues to broaden its charitable impact. The brand is committed ⅓ of its profits to support people building equity at the grassroots level, promoting mental health, increasing access to opportunity, and ending gun violence.
TOMS’s mission has always been using business to improve lives, and that includes taking good care of the place we all call home.
15. Will’s Vegan
Price Range: $71 – $118
Sustainable Materials: Vegan Leather Made With Plants, Bio-Oil, Organic Cereal Crops
Will’s Vegan believes that if we all try to ‘Make A Positive Choice’ we can create positive change in the world.
Will’s Vegan start replacing components in its vegan footwear with natural and recycled options, introducing ethically made vegan clothing made in Italy with sustainable materials. The brand is certified carbon neutral and all its packaging is plastic-free.
In Conclusion
Your feet deserve a break from shoes – and they also deserve footwear that is made sustainably and ethically. These brands are all great options to help the environment without having to compromise quality or style. One small choice at a time, we can make the world a greener place.
Want to shop some of the most revolutionary companies? IndieGetup makes it easier for you to have access to clothing with a conscience. Click here to visit more brands we love that are creating a greener future.
About Author
Brandon
Owner of IndieGetup, the premier sustainable marketplace for men to shop ethically.
