Ask a woman what her most-worn shoes are, and 99% of the time she will say trainers. Once thought of as a functional shoe for exercise, trainers are now a wardrobe staple in most of our lives. Whether you wear them to the supermarket with jeans and a jumper or to the office with a floaty midi dress, they’re versatile, comfortable and easy to style.
We’re gradually becoming more clued up about the importance of ethical and eco-friendly fashion — and shoes aren’t exempt. From vegan leather and recycled materials to carbon neutral production and fair wages, there are many ways we can make our footwear better for people and the planet. If you’re in the market for a new pair, here are five of the best sustainable trainers to buy.
Sustainable Trainers UK: 5 of the Best
Whistles Chilton
Whistles’ Sustainable Trainer Project is a capsule shoe collection made with eco-friendly materials such as biodegradable leather and suede, regenerated wool and recycled polyester. The Chilton Trainer has a chunky sole for the illusion of longer legs. £139
The Allbirds Treedasher trainers are a high tech running shoe made with natural materials. The upper is from eucalyptus trees, the SweetFoam™ sole from sugarcane and there’s Merino wool for extra comfort around the heel. We love this cheerful mint green called Cyclone. £120
Veja has become the ‘it’ trainer brand you see everyone from celebrities to busy mums wearing. The Campo shoes are made with ChromeFree leather, a tanning process which doesn’t use hazardous chrome, heavy metals or acids. £115
Saye’s vintage-style sneakers are made in Portugal with organic and recycled materials. For every pair sold, they plant two trees with 150,000 trees planted and counting. Pictured are the Modelo ’89s in Garnet, which are available in multiple colours as well as vegan leather. £122
Stella McCartney’s vegan take on the iconic Adidas x Stan Smith plimsoles were released last year. The leather-free design has illustrations of the designers on the tongue and two lace options, rainbow and white. £235
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