Not A Perfect World

For every vegan and eco-friendly proponent who will tell you all of the benefits buying green shoes will make, you can also find people who will present the negatives involved. For instance, while vegetable tanned leather disintegrates back into the soil, synthetic materials can be damaging to the earth. Further the industrial cropping of cotton, hemp and other materials can leave a large environmental footprint. Therefore, you need to do your research and weigh all of the facts when making a decision on what to buy and when and how.

Let The Label Be Your Guide

With all of the shoe choices out there now, and all of the details to consider when it comes to the impact they leave, shopping for the right pair is more complicated than ever before. Now several popular shoe manufacturers are doing the work for you, helping you to weed through the key facts and weigh their impact. To this end, they are posting labels on their shoe boxes that spell out all of the details of the production process so you can make an educated decision. For instance, one company tells you the energy that was expended to create the shoes. This includes the materials, transportation and labor used. Another manufacturer uses a scale of 1 to 10 to rate just how much of a negative impact the production of the shoes made on the environment. This empowers consumers to be able to fully exercise their personal and social preferences with each pair they buy.

What It Costs

If you wonder whether eco-friendly shoes cost more than more conventional options, the answer is a definite yes and no! There are so many factors involved that it really depends on each individual pair, as well as the materials they use and where they were actually produced.

If you are looking for a cheap pair, then yes, synthetic leather shoes and other vegan styles can actually cost less than leather ones. This is because the materials they are made from are less expensive than leather, and the production process, if they are mass made, can be less expensive, too. That’s why some of the mall chain stores are able to offer some very reasonable options. That being said, it is important to note that the cheaper options are not usually made of the same quality materials that some of the more expensive green shoes offer. Therefore, it you plan to buy a pair of green shoes because you want to conserve resources, you will want to consider buying a pair that will last for quite a while.

Here are some typical prices you can expect to pay for good quality men’s green shoes:

• Men’s hemp flip flop - $45
• Vegan sneaker - $50 +
• Men’s outdoor rugged eco-friendly leather work boot made from partially recycled material - $160 +

For women’s green shoes, here are some general price ranges:

• Vegan high heels - $65 +
• Green loafers - $80 +
• Designer vegan sandals and pumps - from $275 to $865

A Final Note

Whatever you pick for your next pair of shoes, look for styles that are classic and won’t go out of date anytime soon. Also look for high-quality workmanship and manufacturing practices that support human rights and protect the environment. Finally, comfort and wearability is key. With the push to save gas and conserve resources in today’s modern world, you can expect to be walking quite a lot in your shoes. Therefore, do your research and choose well.