Chelsea boots are some of the most versatile styles you can have in your closet. They are easy to match with other closet staples and they also come in many variations such as insulated boots, water-resistant or waterproof boots, boots with a heel, boots without, and so much more.
And while Chelsea boots are traditionally made from animal hide, you can now purchase them completely vegan. Today, we’re happy to share that there are so many vegan footwear options from vegan sandals and slides to vegan boots and sneakers!
Here are some of our top suggestions of companies where you can buy vegan Chelsea boots as well as other staples like vegan sandals and sneaks.
What Are Chelsea Boots?
Chelsea boots are tight-fitting, ankle-length boots with a unique elastic side panel that makes it super easy to slide them on and off. They also frequently come with a pull tab at the back of each boot to assist with the same.
Chelsea boots have been fashionable for decades and rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, most notably in Chelsea, London—the very place this style of boots got its name from.
But while these boots were named after some time in the 1950s when it was popular in mod London, Chelsea boots have been a part of fashion for centuries.
The boots’ history can be traced back to the 1830s when Englishman Joseph Sparks Hall invented the design. The style was borne out of the need for more practical boots that did not require the buttons and laces that were popularly used in boots at the time.
To make them easier to wear, Joseph Sparks Hall added an elastic side panel to boots using tightly coiled wire and cotton—which eventually got replaced with rubber for an improved design.
During the 1800s, boots were the preferred form of footwear for both men and women as they were functional and versatile at the same time. Joseph Hall’s version of the boot only made it more efficient for everyday wear.
By the late 1830s, Joseph Hall presented a prototype of the boots to the then-newly crowned Queen Victoria, who liked the design and wore the style quite frequently. The design then spread throughout Europe and became one of the most favored footwear styles of the period.
They have since been popularized by iconic personalities like The Beatles in the late 20th century.
Today, Chelsea boots remain a popular option because of their sheer versatility. These boots are gender-neutral and can be worn to functions with varying degrees of formality. Plus, they’re also super comfortable and easy on the feet (provided you got a good pair that fits you perfectly).
Unfortunately, Chelsea boots are often made from animal leather, which is not vegan-friendly.
The good news is that vegan Chelsea boots aren’t that difficult to find! Given the popularity of the design and how versatile these shoes are, options for vegan customers are available left and right.
Nevertheless, not all vegan leather boots are sustainable options. Here are some of the best brands with vegan Chelsea boots we can recommend. This list was curated not only for the quality of the shoes in their collection but also for the values that each brand emulates and practices regularly.
Good Guys Don't Wear Leather - France
Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather was founded in 2011 by prolific shoe designer Marion Hanania to create a completely cruelty-free, vegan closet.
Good Guys is the first vegan French shoe company, and they are now one of the leading brands creating stylish, vegan shoewear in the country.
The Boot Collection
Good Guys has a wide selection of boots and different footwear ranging from vegan sandals to clogs. However, they only have one style of Chelsea boots, which is to be expected given that these boots are somewhat of a specific and traditional style set.
Good Guys’ Oliver Boots come in black and white and are constructed with “climb stitching,” which means that the shoes’ upper and lining are stitched together.
The shoes’ stitches are also visible around the welt so that they can be re-soled should the need arise. This feature is super helpful for extending the life of your boot, further adding to its sustainability factor.
The rubber sole is lightweight and super durable without needing a break-in period. If you’re looking for a pair of vegan boots for walking to work, taking walks in the park, or even going to events, these boots are a great buy.
True to the nature of a traditional Chelsea boot, these shoes are exceedingly versatile and offer a wide array of outfit pairings. You can pair it with jeans, skirts, and everything in between.
Although unassuming and pretty simple, these boots are a perfect closet staple because they allow you to walk miles and miles all without compromising your ethics, and of course, your style.
Materials & Sustainability
Good Guys’ Chelsea boots are entirely made of vegan-friendly materials. The vegan upper is made of non-woven microfiber vegan leather. While microfiber is not necessarily the most sustainable material, it’s a great, durable alternative to animal leather.
The lining of the boot is a plant-based material made from corn and is V-label, indicating that it is a vegan-certified material.
The lining material Good Guys’ uses is also 100% recycled and is fully recyclable. If the time comes when you have to let go of your pair, recycling can be a good option.
Their microfiber is Oekotex Standard 100 Class approved and their uppers are REACH-compliant, showing that toxic chemicals are not present in the material.
Good Guys has always made sustainability at the forefront of its materials journey. Back when they started ten years ago, the options in the market for vegan leather were mostly PU, which, as we know from our discussion on vegan leather, isn’t exactly the most sustainable option.
Now, there are many other vegan materials currently being developed, and Good Guys continuously tries to stay on top of innovations that can produce the same quality of durable vegan sandals and shoes they put out in their collections.
As a testament to how long their shoes last, Good Guys still receives photos from customers using shoes from their very first collections more than a decade ago!
Ethics & Community
Good Guys shoes are made in either Portugal, Spain, or Italy—the same locations where they source all their materials.
Their Chelsea boots, in particular, are hand-made in a family-owned factory in Italy. Good Guys partnered with this factory back in 2021, and they’ve since built a good relationship where comments and ideas on the production processes are constantly exchanged.
In the Marche region of Italy, where this factory is located, there is a local community of different factories and suppliers that manufacture different shoe components.
This local community of shoemakers and suppliers significantly reduces Good Guys’ carbon footprint since they all reside in one area.
Of course, the shoes are made in healthy working environments and are compensated fairly for their labor. You can read more about Good Guys’ production processes here.
Bhava - US
Thoughtful by design, Bhava is a New York-based shoewear company determined to make vegan footwear that will last even with daily walking through the busy streets of NYC.
Founded in 2012 by a fashion designer with two decades of experience, Bhava’s aesthetic is best described as elegant, and timeless, with a little dose of ingénue charm—perfect for toughing it out with rough urban terrain.
The Boot Collection
Bhava only has one style of vegan Chelsea boots in its collection. The Kai vegan Chelsea boot is available in two colors: black and natural (a brown-nude shade).
The Kai boots are super sleek and stylish with the cool factor of a combat boot but the elegance of a more modern, updated fit. While traditional Chelsea boots have a pull tab on the back, the Kai has a handy zipper, making it even easier to put on and pull off.
Nevertheless, this pair still has Chelsea’s signature side elastic feature.
These boots also have a chunky sole and the slight heel is super sleek and gives you plenty of support throughout the day. Bhava has made it a point to produce soles that are replaceable to extend the life of their shoes—making them an excellent sustainable option.
The pointed toe also gives the illusion of length, creating more dimension and depth to your outfit, even if it is something as simple as jeans and a shirt.
The shoes also come with a removable insole as well as an extra pair of organic cotton plush insoles for days when you need a little bit more warmth in your footwear.
All that said, Bhava typically has above-average prices and their shoes are quite the investment. But for the quality of these shoes, the money you’re paying is well worth it.
Materials & Sustainability
The Kai boots are made of Italian vegan leather free of any PVC, aromatic amines, PCP, and formaldehyde. They also do not contain azo dyes or chrome—a common chemical used to process animal leather.
The boots’ lining is made from vegan suede and is sourced from Italy, similar to the vegan leather for the uppers. The hardware for the boot’s back zipper is sourced from Europe as well.
The removable insoles are made of cork, which is a great vegan alternative to leather by itself! Cork is a super sustainable material and has an incredibly versatile application. You can read more about cork and its many features right here.
As a bonus, Bhava includes plush organic cotton insoles with each pair of Kai boots. We appreciate their use of organic cotton compared to its conventional counterpart, which is the less eco friendly version of the fabric.
Ethics & Community
Bhava footwear is made in Alicante, Spain where artisan production is done by hand. Bhava believes in protecting workers from the (often) toxic conditions of tanners and manufacturing facilities, opting instead to source labor from artisan producers.
Bhava has been animal-free from the very beginning of the company, choosing to take a compassionate approach towards their design and not only consider the animal component but also the environment and people involved in production.
Will's Vegan Store - UK
Will’s Vegan Store was founded in 2013 as an ethically-made shoe company, one which subsequently grew to make vegan sandals, accessories, and even vegan clothing for men, women, and kids.
Now, Will’s Vegan Store is one of the industry’s leading companies in the world of good quality, vegan shoewear for all occasions.
The Boot Collection
Will’s Vegan Store is probably the biggest company on this list. They have a wide array of vegan Chelsea boots that come in different variations and colors. Compared to other vegan brands we’ve featured, their collection is the largest.
But what sets their collection apart from the other vegan Chelsea boots on this list is the fact that they have vegan winter boots! While some of the other vegan Chelsea boots we’ve talked about can give you extra warmth when you wear them, Will’s boots are intentionally made to keep your feet truly warm and protected during the winter.
So if you’re looking for a good pair of boots that aren’t made with animal products, Will’s is one of the best places you can get them. For further reading, head on over to our guide on vegan, sustainable winter boots for colder seasons.
Will’s also has some Chelsea boots that are water-resistant and insulated, which are great vegan boots for walking in the snow.
Materials & Sustainability
Will’s uses different materials for their vegan boots. But as a PETA-approved vegan company, Will’s only uses vegan materials and fabrics for all of its products.
They use vegan materials such as vegan suede and Italian vegan leather, among others. While their vegan suede is made of 100% polyurethane, it does not contain any PVC or PCF.
Their bio-based vegan leather, on the other hand, consists of 69% bio-oil and is backed by a viscose fabric. You can read more about viscose and its environmental repercussions here.
The company uses recycled rubber for their outsoles and a vegan, recycled material for their insulators and insoles, making the boots super comfy and stylish to wear.
Sustainability is at the heart of Will’s production and their entire supply chain is carbon-neutral. Plus, if you don’t like what you bought from their store, may it be vegan sandals or boots, you can return them completely carbon-neutral as well.
You can read more about how Will’s Vegan Store approaches sustainability here.
Ethics & Community
Will’s manufacturing methods are rooted in ethical production and sustainability. Their entire supply chain is plastic-free and their products are made in Italy and Portugal, where factories must operate under European labor regulations.
Some of the company’s priorities when it comes to worker protection are health & safety, equal pay, annual leaves, and a policy against workplace discrimination.
Will’s Vegan Store also operates under a closed-loop manufacturing system and their shoewear may be returned to be recycled.
Humans Are Vain - Sweden
Founded fairly recently in 2019, Humans Are Vain is a contemporary brand founded on the premise of rebelling against the fashion industry as it is today and creating better fashion for all.
Built from the ground up by someone who has seen the impact of the industry firsthand, Humans Are Vain seeks to become truly better in the face of the pressure fashion companies face today.
The Boot Collection
Humans Are Vain has a few options for vegan Chelsea boots. They have vegan-heeled boots as well as a non-heeled alternative. This is a great option for those who want a more sneaker-inspired look tho their Chelsea boots rather than the traditional style.
While their designs are all patterned after the traditional Chelsea boot, they have different finishes. One has a very matte, textured finish while the other has a velour suede surface—soft to the touch but sturdy and durable all the same.
Each boot also has counter stiffeners and toe puffs to reinforce the tops and make them more durable.
The boot itself is lightweight and easy to wear, although you may need some time to break it in. Like many other boots, don’t wear them to an important occasion for the first time since you may need time to get used to the fit of these boots.
The boots run true to size but still make sure to double-check the website’s sizes just to make sure you get the right fit for your vegan boots.
Materials & Sustainability
Humans Are Vain’s operations are focused on sustainability and innovation. From the moment they started the brand, they have constantly sought out vegan, sustainable materials to make groundbreaking shoes that don’t harm the environment.
The company’s vegan Chelsea boots are primarily made of vegan suede or microfiber vegan leather; depending on which style you get. The microfiber uppers have the bonus of being antibacterial and highly resistant to substances like chemical agents.
Technically, these two types of vegan boots are made of microfiber leather, but their appearance varies depending on the finishing of the vegan leather.
The vegan suede used for the uppers also has the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 class 1 seal, indicating that it is free of harmful health and environmental agents.
The lining and insock, on the other hand, is made from recycled polyester (rPET) and natural corn fiber. This fabric also has the Oeko-Tex standard 100 class and Global Recycling Standard certification.
The boots’ insoles are made of cork and foam, providing extra comfort whenever you take these boots out for long walks.
The outer soles are made of 70% recycled rubber, which significantly reduces the impact of these vegan boots. All the glue used during production is completely water-based.
Ethics & Community
Humans Are Vain shoewear is all produced in Portugal, where the company partners with factories they can monitor daily. The shorter supply chain not only helps them get a closer look at the production process, but it also helps with reducing their carbon footprint.
In addition to sustainable production, Humans Are Vain also partners with organizations like the SEAQUAL Initiative to use ocean trash as a material in shoes and accessories.
The company is also practicing a circular economy and its products are designed in such a way that they can be recycled and turned into a new material or product—a true commitment to sustainability and increased producer responsibility.
Taylor + Thomas - US
Taylor + Thomas is a Los Angeles-based sustainable footwear company with the goal of finding the middle ground between the consumption of luxury and an ethical way to consume products in today’s day and age.
The brand was launched just in 2018 with a capsule collection of pieces all women should have in their wardrobes. With styles that boast meticulous details interwoven with handmade artistry, each Taylor + Thomas piece is one for the books.
The Boot Collection
Taylor + Thomas only has one style of vegan Chelsea boots in their collection but the vegan boots are available in three different colors: black, mustard yellow, and burgundy brown.
The Patti is designed after the conventional Chelsea boot with a couple of alterations to give it a more modern fit. These vegan Chelsea boots have a slim silhouette and are intentionally designed to be a feminine take on the traditional design.
While it retains much of the versatility and allure of the original, the Patti has its unique features, like a short cylindrical heel and a gorgeous almond toe.
The result is an elegant, slim boot that carries with it the sturdiness and accessibility of vegan Chelsea boots while remaining chic and cruelty-free.
While Chelsea boots are made for men, women, and all bodies alike, the Patti is specifically designed for women. If you’re looking to buy a Chelsea boot but aren’t a fan of its often bulky appearance, this design is an excellent option.
Materials & Sustainability
Taylor + Thomas is passionate about designing their shoes with sustainability always in mind. Their products are made with sustainable materials like water-based polyurethane, recycled polyester, and bio-oil substitutes.
The Patti, in particular, is made of a supple, non-leather material similar to Nappa. Both the uppers and the lining are made of this material while the signature hardware detailing is made of brass.
The most unique thing about this pair of vegan boots is the heel! Made from FSC-certified beechwood, the heel adds a layer of character to the shoe and makes each one just a little bit different.
And because the wood is bought only from FSC-certified sources, we are assured that it was sourced sustainably and will not contribute to deforestation. Unsustainable sourcing is a common problem for tree-based materials like lyocell, so always make sure to consider that as well.
The outer soles are made of 100% recyclable rubber.
You can read more about how Taylor + Thomas integrates sustainable measures into their production processes here.
Ethics & Community
Taylor + Thomas shoes are made in Los Angeles, where factories and suppliers are subject to California labor laws and regulations.
The company is PETA-approved vegan and is a member of 1% for the Planet, which means they donate at least 1% of their annual profit to various charities and organizations.
Taylor + Thomas is also carbon neutral and they offset their impact through Native Energy.
Vegan Materials and Sustainability
Whenever shopping for vegan products, it’s important to remember that vegan and sustainable are not synonymous with each other.
There are plenty of vegan products that are unsustainable and shouldn’t be seen as eco friendly alternatives to conventional products. Many consumers often make the mistake of thinking that veganism always means sustainability when this simply isn’t the case.
The best example of this is PVC leather—a type of vegan leather, or in this case, “pleather.”
While technically a vegan material, PVC is not at all on the list of materials we would recommend to vegans, or to anyone for that matter! PVC is a harmful material that has a host of environmental and health concerns that render it incredibly unsustainable
Sad to say, there are still so many brands using PVC as vegan leather and marketing it as the better, more animal-friendly choice. But really, PVC is no better than animal leather, and it is simply another greenwashing tactic to get people to buy under the guise of eco friendliness.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the nuances of vegan leather and its environmental ramifications, take a look at our in-depth guide on vegan leather here.
Final Thoughts
Shopping for vegan shoewear can be a little bit of a challenge, whether you’re buying vegan sandals and sneakers or something more seasonal like vegan Chelsea boots.
But with a little guidance and perseverance, we are sure you’ll be able to find a pair you will love and cherish for the years to come.
