Organic Espadrille

The conventional footwear industry is a dirty business; it produces more than 20 billion pairs of shoes a year. About 300 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills each year, with most taking 30-40 years to decompose because they’re predominantly made up of plastic and polymers.

Conventional Espadrilles

Avoid conventional Espadrilles made with synthetic and petroleum-derived material and chrome-tanned leathers. Plus toxic dyes, smelly glues, and polluting materials.

❌ Toxic leather: Conventional leather tanning may contain chromium, arsenic, and other chemicals that pollute the environment and water supplies.

❌ Petroleum-based: Conventional shoes, midsoles, and insoles are environmentally harmful and made of petroleum-based foam.

❌ Chrome Tanned Leather: 90% of leather is chrome tanned. Chrome tanning is a widely used method in the leather industry, involving the treatment of animal hides with chromium salts, primarily chromium(III) sulfate. Toxic wastewater from tanneries can contaminate local ecosystems. It can lead to toxic chromium (VI) formation, which is harmful to humans and the environment.

❌ PFAS: They contain toxic PFAS that are not only harmful to you but also to the environment. They are found especially in waterproof footwear  

​Greenwashing Espadrilles

Avoid Greenwashing  espadrilles made by brands that pretend to be sustainable, eco-friendly, and claim to be made with safer materials when they are not. They will use misleading marketing claims to convince you to buy their products. 

Many came with vegan leather alternatives, bringing more plastic to the world:

❌ Polyurethane PVC: Most vegan leathers today are made from PVC, made from petroleum. PVC is, for this reason, harmful to the environment. 

❌ Polyurethane (PU):  another synthetic vegan or faux leather. By definition, PU stands for Polyurethane, a plastic polymer derived from petroleum. Even less than PVC, PU still requires petroleum. 

❌ High-density EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate): lightweight, closed-cell polymer foam. 

❌ Toxic dyes: toxic to the workers and the environment.  

Sustainable Espadrilles

The best organic Espadrilles are made with natural and sustainable materials. The more I learn about shoe wear and toxicity, the more I select and pick brands that do take extra steps to avoid the conventional tanning process, which is toxic to the workers, environment, and consumer! I have chemical sensitivity, and I can smell when a shoe is made with toxic glues and dyes! 

• 🌿 GOTS Organic Cotton: made without toxic chemicals and pesticides. It protects the soil and 💦water (71% less water used) and energy⚡️ (62% less energy), while 👩‍🌾protecting farmers who work the crop! ☁️ Biodegradable, vegan, breathable, durable, and anti-mycotic. 
• 🌿 Organic Hemp: Hemp has long fibers, which bring a big edge in durability when making fabrics. For that reason, hemp is in many ways the strongest natural fiber available. According to the Hemp Foundation, hemp can be even stronger than steel.
• 🌿 Organic linen: natural and biodegradable fiber
• 🌳 Cork: one of Portugal’s most treasured sustainable materials. This process is mindful of the trees with a goal of sustainable production every 9 years for a 150-year lifespan. Animal-free and plastic-free, each product is handcrafted in small batches by skilled Portuguese artisans.
• 🌿 Natural rubber: like Yulex.

The Best Organic Espadrille Brands

On this page, you will find the best organic and sustainable Espadrilles on the market made by responsible brands using the most natural material available.

• ✅ Certified Organic Cotton canvas
• ✅ Natural Jute
• ✅ Vulcanized rubber sole
• ✅ Natural Materials
• ✅ Biodegradable, recyclable
• ✅ Handcrafted in Spain, Europe

My sustainable sandal brand recommendations are:

• 🌿 Biankina  10% off code: PRETTYORGANICGIRL
• 🌿 Quince
• 🌿 Rothy’s
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