Our Toe-Tally Terrific Round-Up of Sustainable Summer Sandals
There’s suncream in the air and the supermarket smells like mangoes, which can only mean one thing. Summer is here! It’s time to bust out that formaldehyde-free nail polish and get set to bare all in a pair of oh-so-sweet sandals.
What makes a sandal sweet, you ask? Well, we’re all for bright shades and wear-with-anything practicality. Throw in some sensible packaging, vegan alternatives and recycled materials, and we are in. Here, we’ve rounded up seven of our favourite sustainable and ethical brands for the sun-kissed days ahead…
TWOOBS
It’s a rare day that sewing coordinator Laura doesn’t don her Twoobs – be it a pattern launch or an evening event. And that’s what makes them so brilliant: not only are these cool kicks comfy for running errands and chasing toddlers (and great for wide feet!), you can accessorise them with Twoobs’ own ruffly Thingys (and new Fancy Thingys) and suddenly you’ve got yourself some blingy shoes fit for the dance floor.
WHY WE LOVE ’EM: The company is B Corp certified, has PETA approval, offsets its carbon emissions, uses recycled materials and has a pretty great Takesies Backsies reuse initiative.
TEVA
Spotted on the soles of trendsetters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Teva has ditched its daggy dad-shoe connotations and won over the style set. If you’ve ever owned a pair, you’ll know why: they’re incredibly comfortable, waterproof, durable and infinitely adjustable. Just know that once you’ve embraced the ugly shoe trend, there’s no going back.
WHY WE LOVE ’EM: In 2020, Teva started creating sandal straps from recycled plastic. Since then, the company has diverted 40 million plastic bottles from landfill. Plus, the packaging is mindful and they’re serious about reducing water waste.
MERRY PEOPLE
You know them for their very jolly gumboots, but Merry People have recently dipped a toe into the sandal game – and we’re here for it. Called Lochies, they’re waterproof, come with cushion-y straps and have a grippy sole to ensure you stay upright. Huzzah! They also come in three cheery colours and a very practical black. If they tickle your fancy, act quick: Merry People is currently taking pre-orders for the only drop of the 2024/25 summer.
WHY WE LOVE ’EM: They’re made with FSC-certified natural rubber, recycled PET textiles and sugarcane EVA. The brand’s founder, Dani Pearce, is serious about sustainability; in a recent chat with Peppermint (see here!), she spoke candidly about measuring her company’s carbon impact and tackling it on her own terms.
RADICAL YES
Founder Kerryn Moscicki takes her design cues from the rave culture of her youth – a time of practical, flat shoes suited to all-night dancing. She’s not part of the rave scene anymore; she has grown-up responsibilities and stuff to get done – and that’s why she still insists on flat shoes. You won’t find any stilettos at Radical Yes; instead, you’ll find chunky, cool-girl sandals that work for the office and summer soirees. Radical!
WHY WE LOVE ’EM: Kerryn insists on small-batch production, which means the company can adjust the designs based on customer feedback and avoid over-production. She regularly visits the brand’s Chinese manufacturers to ensure staff are treated fairly.
POST SOLE STUDIO
At a time when Melbourne was losing its footwear industry to offshore operators, shoemaker Breeze purchased several old machines and materials that would otherwise have been shipped overseas and launched the brand Post Sole Studio. Today, she sells quality shoes, with most pairs made-to-order at her Abbotsford studio. Starting at about $450, these sandals aren’t cheap – but they’re built to last and transcend trends.
WHY WE LOVE ’EM: Not only can you choose to have your kicks made with vegan materials, Breeze will also customise her designs to your soles’ needs (born with one leg shorter than the other, she knows the struggle!).
DUCKFEET
Handmade in Denmark, these leather beauties are another good option for the investment buyer. Should you need to justify the initial outlay (styles start at $275), there’s always Sam Vimes’ Boots Theory of Socio-economic Unfairness (in a nutshell, buy the good boots – they’ll last longer). Or simply take a look at the shape of the sandal, which mimics the form of a foot rather than that of a traditional shoe – crazy, right?
WHY WE LOVE ’EM: Not only are Duckfeet sandals built to last, the soles can be replaced. Made with flexible crepe rubber, they’re super-shock-absorbent (and nearly silent! Great for sneaky sorts).
ZEROE
An offshoot of the footwear brand Betts, Zeroe sandals are made with recycled materials and a sustainable, vegan compound called Bloom. This clever stuff contains farmed algae, which helps to clean air and remove pollution from the sea, making it a very fine alternative to fossil fuel-based plastics. Zeroe styles are simple and seaweed-free (that is, they resemble their mushy green origins in no way at all).
WHY WE LOVE ’EM: A signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, Betts is serious about minimising the impact of its bags and boxes. Like the shoes that lie within, they’re made with recycled materials.
