10 Best Ethical Footwear Brands Made In Australia

By Alex Assoune Apr 01, 2024

The best shoes companies in Australia ethically and locally make affordable sneakers, boots, heels, flats, sandals from eco-friendly and animal-free materials.

Many Australian-made, sustainable footwear brands make consistent efforts to protect the welfare of people, animals, and the planet.

Here are some of the best affordable and sustainable shoes made in Australia under the highest social and environmental standards.

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1. Kuwaii

Category: Basics, denim, knitwear, outerwear, shoes, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, zero-waste, local, made in Australia
Prices: $90-$360

Kuwaii is an alternative to mass-made fashion that creates beautiful vegan leather shoes in Melbourne. Its collections feature gorgeous styles made with love in Australia.

The Australian-made sustainable fashion brand chooses each material with intention and care, carefully considering all ingredients and the environmental impacts of their production.

Kuwaii also runs a Garment & Textile Recycling Program, giving a new life to your old items depending on their condition. It aims to be carbon-neutral, plastic-free, solar-powered, and minimize waste.

SHOP KUWAII

2. Well Made Clothes

Category: Clothing, bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry
For: Women, men
From: Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, vegan, local, made in Australia
Prices: $90-$150

Well Made Clothes curates ethically sourced Australian-made fashion brands. It sells local, ethical, vegan, and sustainable apparel and footwear for women and men.

The Australian e-marketplace aims to offer clothing and shoes to look good, feel good, and protect people and the environment. It features ethical brands and designers that reduce waste through local, fair, sustainable, and cruelty-free production.

Well Made Clothes provides you with information about the fashion industry and ethical labels. It gives you everything you need to make informed purchasing decisions.

SHOP WELL MADE CLOTHES

3. BAY Active

Category: Basics, sportswear, loungewear, shoes, accessories
For: Women
From: Byron Bay, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, timeless, local, made in Australia
Prices: $60-$150

BAY Active is an Australian-made sportswear brand that ethically makes activewear, yoga wear, and fashion in Australia from organic fabrics. It offers affordable and sustainable footwear made from organic fibers.

The Byron Bay fashion brand also collaborates with fashion houses, repurposing surplus fabrics that may otherwise end up in landfills.

BAY Active is on a mission to make the most comfortable, high-performance yoga wear and activewear. It creates timeless fashion staples in fair and certified environments that protect our planet and its people.

SHOP BAY ACTIVE

4. Etiko

Category: Clothing, ballet flats, sneakers, flip flops, accessories
For: Women, men, children
From: Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, Fair Trade, vegan
Prices: $20-$80

Etiko is an Australian ethical clothing and shoe brand founded in 2005 that makes Fair Trade certified and 100% vegan apparel, footwear, and accessories, for women, men, and kids.

It uses organic cotton and natural rubber to make affordable and comfortable ballet flats, sneakers, thongs, and more.

Etiko is also a certified B Corp company. It chooses ethically sourced and traded raw materials, pays fair prices and social premiums to workers committed to improving businesses and communities.

SHOP ETIKO

5. Thread Harvest

Category: Clothing, bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry
For: Women, men, children
From: Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, Fair Trade, artisan craft, B Corp, made in Australia
Prices: $70-$80

Thread Harvest is an Australian online fashion store promoting the world's leading ethical fashion brands for men, women, teens, and kids. It lets you shop what matters to you.

The ethical online fashion marketplace sells affordable, vegan, and sustainable apparel, shoes, and accessories, some of them manufactured in Australia.

You can shop for sustainable and ethical fashion by values and lead a revolutionary change for people and the planet. Thread Harvest is a Benefit Corporation dedicated to bringing you the best.

SHOP THREAD HARVEST

6. FME Apparel

Category: Basics, dresses, knitwear, shoes, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, made in Australia
Prices: $110-$400

FME Apparel is a Melbourne-made ethical clothing and footwear brand that celebrates creative expression and community through photography and fashion design.

Established by designer Maddy Maeve in 2012, FME Apparel creates beautiful alternatives to high-street fashion. It makes shoes with a strong emphasis on high-quality fabrics.

FME Apparel produces all its items in Melbourne in small, thoughtful runs. It offers effortless sandals, boots, and accessories.

SHOP FME APPAREL

7. Nelson Made

Category: Shoes, boots, flats, heels, sandals
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, local, made in Australia
Prices: $90-$300

Nelson Made is an ethical Australian-made footwear brand that crafts beautiful shoes with respect for people and the planet. Founder Jamie Nelson and her small team consciously make footwear in Melbourne, Australia.

Nelson Made carefully chooses materials that are better for people and the environment. It locally sources sustainable fabrics that are also comfortable, long-lasting, and low impact.

SHOP NELSON MADE

8. Allbirds

Category: Clothing, shoes, sneakers, flats, sandals, accessories
For: Women, men
From: San Francisco, California, United States
Values: Organic, recycled, timeless, B Corp, made in New Zealand
Prices: $90-$100

Allbirds is a New Zealand-American sustainable apparel and footwear brand. It aims to make the world's most comfortable shoes with natural materials.

The brand was founded in 2014 by ex-soccer player Tim Brown and renewables expert Joey Zwillinger. It has quickly grown from an online retailer to a massive global brand.

Allbirds is now a global brand serving 35 countries, with 21 brick-and-mortar stores worldwide. It strives to design environmentally friendly footwear.

SHOP ALLBIRDS

9. Arnsdorf

Category: Basics, denim, dresses, outerwear, knitwear, loungewear, shoes, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, timeless, B Corp, give back, made in Australia
Prices: $220-$230

Arnsdorf is an Australian-made fashion label founded in 2006 by clothing designer Jade Sarita Arnott. It ethically makes modern sandals for women of style and purpose in Australia.

The Melbourne-based womenswear label offers sophisticated and modern clothes and shoes for the conscious fashion consumer. It believes in the transformative power of clothing that impacts every aspect of your life.

Arnsdorf manufactures in its factory in Collingwood, Melbourne. It's a Benefit Corporation committed to transparency, respect for the environment, and sustainable practices.

The Australian-made fashion brand only chooses the highest quality and the most sustainable fibers to create perfect, long-lasting garments that can survive beyond one season in every way.

Arnsdorf builds upon respect for the people who make its products and the women who wear them. It also donates 2% of every purchase to Kiva, a loan provider for women in developing countries to helps them be financially independent and empowered.

SHOP ARNSDORF

10. Bassike

bassike ethical footwear australian made

Category: Basics, denim, loungewear, knitwear, swimwear, outerwear, bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry
For: Women, men
From: Sydney, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, local, made in Australia
Prices: $130-$180

Bassike is an Australian-made clothing brand of affordable and sustainable garments. It partners with makers in Italy to make its shoes and ensures respectful treatment, fair wages, and a safe work environment.

Bassike creates high-quality, eco-friendly, minimalist products with a commitment to sustainable and local manufacturing. Designers Deborah Sams and Mary Lou Ryan launched Bassike in 2006 and now offer certified organic wardrobe staples.

The Australian-made clothing brand produces quality, natural fibers that are better for the environment and biodegrade quickly. It reduces its carbon footprint by using green energy and a short supply chain.

SHOP BASSIKE

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About the Author: Alex Assoune

Alex Assoune (MS) is a global health and environmental advocate. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. He speaks three languages and holds two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from SIGMA and IFPEN schools.

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