For all vegans, here is a listing of all zero drop shoes that uses no animal parts as part of their manufacturing process.

The best zero drop vegan shoe is the vivobarefoot primus lite. It uses vegan friendly materials like recycled plastic for almost 100% of its shoes. It also has 0 drop from toe to heel. Finally, they are comfortable to wear and has a roomy toe box.

Below are more detailed reviews of the recommended shoes.

1. Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Vegan Shoe (for men)

Vivobarefoot is one of the great shoe companies focusing on zero drop shoes. It is good to see them getting on the sustainability movement with its primus lite model.

What kind shoe: Altheic shoe. Can be used for walking, running

What it is made of: Vivobarefoot primus lite used PET recycle plastic to create the materials for this vegan shoe.

What I like

• Comfortable: Despite using different materials from its usual shoes, the comfort level is pretty similar to its other non vegan models.

• Toe box: Roomy toe box for those who need more wriggle room.

• Wide design

What can be improved

• Price: The price can be a bit of steep but that to be expected. I am only guessing but I expect the production process for such a shoe is more complicated and also outside of their normal process. This no doubt creates more costs for the company. However, over time, I expect prices to drop as the production flow improves.

Sizing for this shoe seems to be true sizing so no adjustments are needed when you are purchasing them.

2. Xero Incursion Vegan Hiking Boot (for men)

The Xero incursion is a new vegan shoe that is meant for hiking.

What kind of shoe: Hiking shoe. Good for tracking but some reviewers have complaint about the lack of solid grip.

What it is made of: Xero is not a 100% vegan product. However, it uses canvas that covers majority of the shoe. Canvas does not use any animal related products.

What I like

• Waterproof: These boots can keep you feet dry, be it if you are standing in mud or on snow. This is great for tracking when the floor is usually not completely dry.

• Solid grip: The sole has good gripping ability. One reviewer said he walk on ice using these shoes, and didn’t slip on the icy surface.

What can be improved

• Nothing

One thing to note is that the waterproofing also makes the shoe stuffy to wear when it is on a hot day. In other words, you need to wear socks or your feet will smell from the sweating. 

3. Xero Shoes Prio (for women)

For women looking for running or just casual sneakers that uses vegan friendly materials, the Xero Prio is a good choice.

What kind of shoe: These shoes are suitable for running or casual walks and even light trail walking.

What it is made of: This model uses mostly vegan friendly materials as much as possible but certain things like latex are still used in the glue.

What I like

• Comfortable: You can wear these for hours and feel fine. Some said they feel like wearing their slippers when they are in them.

• Wide design: The Xero prio has a wide design with a big wide toe box, suitable for people like me with wide feet. However, if you have narror feet, these might not be as fitting as you would like. 

• Design: Looks good and easy to match with any casual outfit.

What can be improved

• Nothing: These shoes are pretty much perfect for anybody looking for a zero drop vegan sneaker, except if you have narrow feet.

Sizing wise, it is recommended to order half a size bigger than your usual sizing, especially if you have wide feet.

4. Xero Vienna Vegan Ankle Boots

The Xero vienne is another model from Xero that is vegan.

What kind of shoe: walking dress boots

What are they made of: Cotton canvas is used for its upper layer and synthetic material for its toe cap and ankle accents

What I like:

• Durable: There are reviewers who taken this boot through hiking, daily use etc and claim they still come out fine.

• Light weight: These boots are pretty light weight since they used canvas rather than leather

• Stylish: Simple design that can match easily with any outfit

What can be improved:

• Zipper: The opening is snug so getting in and out of the boots can be cumbersome. A zipper system will make it much easier.

For sizing, this is definitely suitable for normal or narrow feet. You will also need to order one size up from your usual size if you want a more comfortable fit. 

What are vegan shoes made of

If you are new to this trend of vegan shoes, you might want to know what are vegan shoes actually made of.

Most of the time, they replaced animal based materials such as leather, suede, fur, wool etc with man made materials such as plastics. Specifically, polyurethane is commonly used. This kind of plastic is bonded with a cotton backing to make it more comfortable and soft.

However, I don’t think there are any shoes that are 100% vegan. There will be some small components that still non vegan. This is why you don’t see any shoe company claiming this. Usually they will put out message likes “most” or “best efforts”.

Vegan shoes, although good for animals, might have an adverse effect on our environment due to the amount of plastics being used. This is why I like the Vivobarefoot’s approach of using recycle plastic. At least, the company is trying to reduce the environment impact as much as possible.

Conclusion

Vegan shoes are getting more popular among people who want to do their part for the animals. Included here are models for different purposes. Some are for casual walking while others are for hiking.

If you have more models to recommend, please leave a comment.