At The Eco Hub, our mission is to discover and highlight the finest sustainable brands available. Each product we recommend undergoes an independent review process to ensure quality and value. When you purchase through our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more about our practices here.
Spending time outdoors is one of the best ways to enhance your overall well-being. Nature offers a multitude of benefits, from improving sleep quality and reducing stress and anxiety to boosting our levels of happiness. Regardless of your hiking style, having a solid pair of eco-friendly hiking boots is crucial for keeping your feet comfortable and prepared for whatever challenges the trail may present!
Best Ethical Hiking Boots
- Will’s Vegan Store
- Forsake
- Thesus
- Vivobarefoot
- Merrell
- 8000 Kicks
Sustainable Hiking Boots To Stand Behind!
Ready to conquer any landscape, these boots are designed for walking.
1. Will’s Vegan Store
Price: $122
Manufactured in Italy to meet high standards, the WV Sport Hiking Boots are crafted for traction, stability, comfort, and durability across the most challenging terrains. I took them on a recent camping adventure and experienced no discomfort—no break-in period needed! The rubber outsoles deliver exceptional grip, traction, and stability, making them one of the best waterproof hiking boots available, as well as excellent vegan options for women.
Will’s – Fabrics and Materials
The majority of their footwear and accessories utilize Italian bio-based vegan leather derived from cereal crops, which serves as a sustainable alternative to traditional leather. The latest iteration of this material comprises 69% bio-oil, with a backing fabric sourced from eucalyptus-derived viscose. However, it still contains 31% polyurethane, a plastic that isn’t biodegradable. Their vegan suedes, however, are made entirely of 100% polyurethane, which isn’t the most sustainable choice. Nevertheless, the brand is actively exploring more eco-friendly alternatives. Crucially, none of their products contain PVC or harmful PFCs.
Will’s – Ethical Sourcing
In addition to adhering to EU employment, discrimination, and health and safety regulations, the factory employs a Charter of Human Responsibilities (or Code of Ethics) to uphold the rights and dignity of its workforce. They utilize a traceability system for material sourcing, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the production process.
Will’s – Corporate Responsibility
The factory producing these sustainable hiking boots boasts one of Italy’s largest photovoltaic plants, ensuring that 70% of the energy used in the production of WVSport footwear comes from solar power. Notably, these boots are certified carbon-neutral and are shipped through a carbon-neutral supply chain, packaged in paper and cardboard. Additionally, they offer a hassle-free return policy for 365 days and support recycling initiatives for the product’s end-of-life.
2. Forsake
Price Range: $180-$210
Forsake’s ethical and sustainable hiking boots cater to both men and women, offering a variety of styles and colors. The Hiking Sneaker Boot is constructed to be durable, waterproof, and suitable for all-terrain adventurers. The classic design combined with diverse color options is sure to impress.
Forsake’s – Fabrics and Materials
Their boots are crafted from a mix of materials, with leather sourced exclusively from tanneries that have received a Gold rating from the Leather Working Group.
Forsake’s – Ethical Sourcing
These boots are ethically manufactured in China, where the tanneries have passed multiple audits focusing on waste management and emissions. Through these audits, they have successfully decreased energy consumption by up to 48%.
Forsake’s – Corporate Responsibility
Forsake ships boots using 100% recyclable shrink wrap, thereby cutting cardboard waste in half. They also offset their carbon footprint by purchasing carbon credits, supporting programs like Envira Amazonia, a rainforest conservation project in Brazil that safeguards biodiversity and local communities.
3. Thesus
Price Range: $138–$220
Thesus is a BIPOC women-owned Canadian brand that specializes in eco-friendly hiking shoes made without new virgin plastics and is 100% vegan! Their ethical hiking boots feature a versatile design, making them perfect for any outdoor outfit. The Allegra Weekend Boot is suitable for both hikes and everyday errands, effective in both warm and cold weather. We recommend sizing up, as they tend to run small, and you’ll likely want to pair them with comfortable sustainable socks!
Thesus – Fabrics and Materials
These boots feature a temperature-regulating lining made of 100% synthetic wool. The upper is crafted from repurposed marine plastic for waterproofing, while the soles are made from natural rubber, held together with vegan glue. The rubber content is 45% recycled, and the laces are constructed from entirely recycled PET bottles.
Thesus – Ethical Sourcing
All products are manufactured in Portugal and Sri Lanka, where employees are compensated with a living wage.
Thesus – Corporate Responsibility
Thesus aims to be Climate Neutral Certified by the end of the year, and some of their products contribute to various charitable organizations.
4. Vivobarefoot
Price Range: $180–$280
With a strong focus on sustainability, the Tracker Hiking Boot by Vivobarefoot is designed for flexibility and durability. Users praise their secure fit and waterproof capabilities, which prevent sand and gravel from entering. Vivobarefoot promotes the “joys of natural foot freedom” and offers a 100-day trial period for all orders, allowing hassle-free returns within that timeframe.
Vivobarefoot’s – Fabrics and Materials
These boots incorporate a variety of eco-fabrics, including natural leather from free-roaming cattle and sustainably tanned hides that minimize chemical and water usage. They also utilize sustainably sourced natural yarns, cork, and recycle PET and rubber compounds to cut down on virgin materials.
Vivobarefoot’s – Ethical Sourcing
Whenever feasible, they ensure that materials are sourced close to their manufacturing facility to reduce unnecessary emissions. They consistently strive to restrict the use of harmful chemicals in their products and work closely with suppliers to adhere to the highest environmental safety standards.
Vivobarefoot’s – Corporate Responsibility
They focus on energy conservation by developing new technologies and enhancing existing ones for efficiency. In the future, they aim to create products with closed-loop manufacturing processes that produce no waste, free from toxic substances and environmental impact.
5. Merrell
Price Range: $85–$120
Among the eco-friendly hiking boots we examined, the Merrell Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots received the most favorable reviews, making them the top choice for sustainable hiking footwear. These boots are both waterproof and vented, ensuring that your feet remain dry and comfortable. Available in various styles for men, women, and even children, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Merrell’s – Fabrics and Materials
The Moab boots are constructed with various fabrics, including 70% recycled mesh, and the laces are made from 100% recycled materials. All of their products will contain organic, recycled, or renewable materials, with some utilizing leather from Gold-rated tanneries.
Merrell’s – Ethical Sourcing
As a participant in the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Merrell emphasizes sustainability throughout their supply chain while prioritizing durability, which extends the lifespan of their products and reduces waste.
Merrell’s – Corporate Responsibility
Merrell offers a hassle-free return policy for used shoes, regardless of their condition. They ensure that returned shoes are either refurbished for reuse or recycled into new materials for future products. By recycling your old Merrell footwear or choosing their pre-owned options, you support their goal of diverting 300,000 shoes from landfills by 2025.
6. 8000 Kicks
Price Range: $129–$199
8000 Kicks is a brand dedicated to offering eco-friendly, vegan hiking boots and sneakers made from sustainable materials such as hemp fibers and algae bloom soles. The founder, Bernardo, collaborated with his grandmother, a textile expert with over five decades of experience, to develop the world’s first waterproof hemp sneaker after extensive trial and error. The Explorer model is the inaugural design of hemp footwear from 8000 Kicks.
8000 Kicks – Fabrics and Materials
The boots utilize robust hemp fibers that ensure durability and waterproofing, essential for hikers. They also feature the world’s first hemp insoles made from organic materials, providing extra support and comfort for your feet. Additionally, the algae bloom soles deliver excellent traction across various terrains.
8000 Kicks – Ethical Sourcing
The brand sources its hemp from France, Romania, and China, ensuring good working conditions and high-quality production through regular inspections of their factories. They maintain representatives in each production country to uphold their ethical standards.
8000 Kicks – Corporate Responsibility
Committed to corporate responsibility, 8000 Kicks collaborates with factory partners to increase reliance on renewable energy sources. Their Portuguese factory utilizes 45% to 55% clean energy, while the Chinese factory operates at 30% to 40%. They are actively working to enhance these figures. Furthermore, by planting trees and capturing CO2 through hemp farming, they contribute to environmental health, as each newly planted tree can absorb an average of 50 kilograms of CO2 from the atmosphere annually during its growth period.
To support their mission, you can use the code THEECOHUB10 for a 10% discount on your first purchase.
So you want to buy sustainable hiking boots? Here’s what to consider:
If you follow The Eco Hub, you know we advocate for purchasing secondhand gear whenever possible. However, when it comes to specific items like sustainable hiking boots, buying new may be unavoidable. The footwear industry, notorious for its unsustainable practices (thanks, fast fashion!), makes finding eco-friendly hiking boots particularly challenging.
When shopping for sustainable clothing, we recommend focusing on three key criteria:
1. What materials and fabrics is the brand using?
In the realm of eco-friendly hiking boots, look for fabrics and materials derived from recycled sources, such as polyester and nylon, rather than virgin synthetics. If leather is involved, consider its origin. The leather industry is responsible for the death of approximately one billion animals annually, and the tanning process is heavily chemical-dependent! It’s also advisable to steer clear of waterproofing chemicals like PFCs (per- and polyfluorinated carbons), which, while effective for keeping our feet dry, can cause environmental pollution and are linked to health issues.
While leather and wool can be durable and warm, they come with ethical implications regarding animal welfare. You may have heard of “ethical leather,” but it’s important to note that there’s no truly ethical leather option, as it often relies on the meat industry for profitability. Certifications like Leather Working Group (LWG) solely address the tanning process and neglect broader concerns about worker and animal rights, as well as the deforestation linked to the industry. Therefore, opting for plant-based materials is often a more responsible choice.
Certifications to look for: Leather Working Group (LWG), OEKO-TEX, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), bluesign®, Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), Woolmark.
2. How are the materials being sourced?
Investigate how companies are enhancing their supply chains. Are the fabrics and materials being sourced responsibly? Are any third-party certifications available to verify their claims?
Certifications to look for: B Corporation (B Corp), fair trade, Fair Wear Foundation.
3. What’s the company’s corporate responsibility?
Is the company a B Corp? Do they offer carbon-neutral shipping? Are they working to reduce packaging waste? What other sustainability initiatives do they have in place?
A Final Word on Sustainable Hiking Boots
As we conclude our exploration of sustainable hiking boots, it is evident that the market is shifting toward more eco-conscious options. Brands like 8000 Kicks are pioneering this movement by utilizing sustainable materials such as hemp and algae bloom soles.
It’s essential to recognize that sustainability in the footwear industry extends beyond merely selecting eco-friendly options. It also involves minimizing waste and preventing landfill overflow. Shockingly, Americans discard over 300 million pairs of shoes annually, with a staggering 95% ending up in landfills, creating an alarming waste crisis.
To address this issue, it’s vital to choose brands that prioritize sustainability in their production methods and waste reduction strategies. Seek out brands that provide recycling or repurposing programs for their footwear or consider donating your old shoes to those in need.
Bir yanıt yazın