Are Shoes Made from Recycled Plastic Truly Sustainable? (+ 6 Eco-Friendly Brands)

Even if you wash your take-out containers thoroughly, there’s still a high chance they won’t be recycled properly.

In the United States, only about 9% of plastic produced gets recycled. While we often view recycling as a simple step toward a greener planet, the reality is that there’s much confusion surrounding it.

Thankfully, numerous NGOs, businesses, and nonprofits are stepping up with new solutions to our growing plastic crisis, which stretches from disposable containers to our footwear. Over recent years, shoes crafted from recycled plastic have taken significant strides. But is this truly a step forward? And are these recycled shoes just another form of greenwashing?

While shoes made from recycled materials can indeed be more eco-friendly than their conventional counterparts, they are far from a flawless solution. ‘Sustainable’ shoes still end up in landfills, and are typically made from only partially recycled components (more on that).

Though the issue is complex, it’s important to note that recycled shoes aren’t all bad. Keep reading to discover what’s worth celebrating, what still needs improvement, and how to choose better alternatives.

What Are Recycled Shoes?

Shoes are crafted from a wide array of materials, such as rubber, natural substances like leather or cotton, and synthetics like polyurethane or nylon, all of which are forms of plastic. These synthetic materials are often favored in shoe manufacturing for their flexibility, durability, water resistance, and low cost.

While both natural and synthetic materials have their environmental impacts, synthetic materials in particular cause significant harm. This has driven efforts to find sustainable alternatives, one of which is recycling synthetic materials.

Using recycled synthetics doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire shoe is composed of recycled materials, but typically,