What are the Best Vegan Barefoot Shoe Options?

Following the success of their Vegan Go and Empire Boots, Peerko recently brought out a great range of vegan shoes, and have expanded their range of vegan boots. We think they're a fantastic option for those of us that want to make a choice to wear an alternative to leather. Whether it be for reasons related to a vegan diet or just for practicality, we wanted to find out more about these amazing new vegan leathers and to understand the differences and benefits of each option, so we had a chat with Iva, from Peerko. We thought it worth sharing what we found.

Vegan Peerko Go Boot on the Left, Leather Peerko Go Boot on the right

In many ways these are hard to tell apart from their leather counterparts and they are definitely not just for people following a vegan diet. In fact, the quality of vegan leathers has improved so much in recent years that they can provide a good hardwearing alternative to leather for everyone to try. 

Peerko Vegan Frost Zipper Boots Nut, Peerko Vegan Go Boot White, Peerko Vegan Empire Black

Durability

It surprised us that Peerko have found the vegan leather to be more durable than the conventional leather. It is less prone to scratching and generally needs less polishing than a leather option. Great news if you are hard on your shoes or don’t like the need for regular maintenance.

Peerko Vegan Go Boot

Water Resistance

We were also surprised to find that the vegan leather is more water resistant than the conventional product. Great for those of us in wet areas who want a smart boot but need something to resist the rain showers.

Peerko Vegan Go Boot

Breathability

The downside of the improved water resistance is that vegan leather is less breathable than conventional leather. If hot feet are an issue for you, conventional leather may be a better choice.

Peerko Adults Frost Zipper Boots Nut

Suppleness

As a result of the inherent suppleness of the conventional leather it will stretch a little more than its vegan counterpart and will therefore be more forgiving of fit and mould to the foot a little better. If your vegan leather shoe feels a little tight initially it is worth being aware that it won’t give and soften like a conventional leather shoe.

Peerko Vegan Go Boot White

Maintenance 

Not surprisingly conventional leather does need a little more care and benefits from regular treatment with a nourishing wax polish to keep it looking good, we recomment the Chain Bridge Honey Farm Beeswax Shoe Polish, other shoe care products can be found HERE.

All in all we found that vegan leather shoes and boots are definitely worth considering as part of your footwear choices and certainly not just for the vegans among us. Peerko also have a wide range of vegan adults shoes and trainers which can be found HERE.

If Peerko isn't the right fit for you we have lots of other vegan footwear options for adults from brands such as Freet, Realfoot, Xero, Be Lenka and Vivobarefoot. 

Freet - Happy Little Soles has a wide selection of Freet footwear and the classic Tundra Boots and their Calver Trail Shoes are both vegan. A great option if you are after a barefoot walking boot or trail shoe with some grip.

Realfoot - One of the widest barefoot brands we stock, have produced a lovely vegan Highlander Boot and Vegan Trekker in black. The popular Trekker comes in an array of colours but we love that they have considered a vegan option for those that don't want to wear leather too.

Xero - have a realy wide range of vegan trainers on the Happy Little Soles website for you to explore a fit that suits you.

Be Lenka Barebarics - Barebarics are fast becoming one of the most popular barefoot brands, with there attention to detail and cool styles, so it's great to see that so many styles are vegan friendly too.

Vivobarefoot - If you love Vivobarefoot and their classic Trekker boots then you're in luck, they have a fantasitic Trekker Boot in a vegan textile fabric.

We also have an extensive range of vegan friendly options for your little ones too and now have a vegan option to search styles on the Happy Little Soles website HERE.