[Find eco-flipflops here, slides and clogs here, sandals and slip-ons here, sneakers here, dressy boots to hiking shoes here, casual flats here]

With casual shoes, eco seems to come easier. Hemp, jute, and all sorts of green materials seem appropriate, even cute, for slides and flip flops and such. But those hippie-ish materials — and even plain old cotton — just don’t look chic enough for the dressed up shoes.

Which means that the eco features touted in green high heels often don’t sound all that eco. Take these flats to the left, on sale at eco-boutique Olio United. What makes them eco? They’re made of recyclable plastic. No — not recycled; just recyclable.

And as we all know, recyclable doesn’t mean the shoes will be recycled; I’m not even sure there ARE any places in the U.S. with recycling programs robust enough to handle the rare recyclable plastic shoe. These shoes will almost certainly go to the landfill.

Add to that the fact that many vegan shoe sellers will advertise their products as eco-friendly simply because they don’t contain animal products. While I agree that factory farming and tanneries polluting the earth with chromium are indeed unsustainable, the vinyl (aka PVC aka pleather) industry isn’t any more sustainable. Many (but not all) dressy shoes advertised as vegan are made with PVC; some Stella McCartney’s shoes are made with PVC (right), for example.

And many more dressy vegan shoes don’t readily identify the materials they use; Natalie Portman‘s collection falls under this category. For a more in-depth analysis between vinyl vs. leather, read this Green Lantern article in Slate (sustainable leather comes out ahead by a hair) or Umbra’s advice in Grist (verdict: avoid both).

So — How to be a well-heeled environmentalist:

* Take good care of the shoes you already have. Find a good shoe repair person to fix up your shoes as necessary.
* Buy used. Consignment shops, Crossroads, Wasteland, Buffalo Exchange, and Goodwill all turn up great finds.
* Buy high quality shoes that’ll last a long time. They’ll look better, and they’ll save you money in the long run.
* Avoid PVC and conventionally-treated leather.

And now: Some of the greenest options for new dressy shoes out there, listed below. As with the dressy boots, most of these shoes are higher-end designer shoes, with matching prices:

Charmone shoes — These vegan shoes are also PVC-free. No stores in LA carry them, but a few online retailers do. They’re pricy: $250 – $400+.

Form and Fauna. These shoes are handmade in the U.S. with synthetics that meet high environmental standards. Many shoes have bamboo and regenerative wood heels, recycled fiber insole boards, and water based glues. Find them at Olio United and and Kaight. Cost: $250+

Terra Plana — Pick from flats, lower kitten heels or 3 inch heels, with soles made of recycled EVA and rubber, and uppers made either from chrome-free leather or recycled quilt. $140 – $175.

El naturalista. Eco-features vary by shoe, but include chrome-free leather, natural rubber insoles, and recycled PU footbeds. Find them at nordstrom.com or Planet Shoes. Prices start around $145.

Beyond those, try the eco boutiques that sell dressy shoes: Kaight and Olio United are both cute boutiques, though I can’t vouch for the super greenness for all the shoes they carry.

Wanna go used, but sick of trolling second-hand stores? Modify’s vintage shop always has some pretty shoes available. And eBay’s actually a great place for shoe shopping! I got my latest pair of black heels there, and love them –

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