The best vegan walking boots reviewed (2023)

For a long time, opting for vegan or the 'eco' version of something meant an almost inevitable compromise in performance (or flavour for vegan food). These days, things have changed. Alongside tasty fake meat, there is now a decent range of vegan walking boots and shoes.

The availability of animal-free walking boots used to be scarce, just like women's-specific walking boots. It's taken long enough, but now things are going in the right direction. We've been on a mission to find a range of the most talented vegan outdoor footwear.

Although the absence of animal products is the common characteristic of vegan hiking footwear, it shouldn't be a defining trait. It's not an excuse for sub-par performance, and we hold vegan hiking footwear to the same high standards as we do to all walking boots and shoes.

The best vegan walking boots at a glance:

Best in Test: Lowa Trek EVO GTX Mid - View on Sportsshoes

Best Value: Merrell Speed Eco - View on Merrell

Best vegan mountain boot: Scarpa Ribelle Lite HD - View on Sportsshoes

We wanted our shortlist to be broad and inclusive. Therefore, we've recommended a range of top-performing vegan walking boots that range from lightweight hiking shoes to crampon-compatible mountain boots.

The best vegan walking boots

What to look for in vegan walking boots

The absence of animal products is the key place to begin. But if you're after a more ethically made boot or shoe, consider the use of recycled materials. Whether a boot or shoe can be re-soled is also of key importance to longevity and, therefore, sustainability.

Beyond this, the same considerations apply to vegan walking boots as any other. Is the sole designed for the terrain you prefer? Does the footwear shape match your foot? What's your budget? If you need something tough, does the model you want have features like a rand and toe cap?

The best thing to do is first decide what you need your hiking footwear for, make a list of the features it needs, the ones you'd like it to have, and your budget. You can use this system to quickly narrow down the best walking boots or hiking shoes for you.

Vegan walking boot cleaning and care

The synthetic fabrics used in vegan hiking boot uppers can take the same cleaning products we'd recommend for cleaning all hiking footwear.

But given vegan boots don't use leather, you can use a re-proofing spray instead of a wax to replenish its water-repellency when you need to. The best option is Granger's Footwear Repel Plus. However, Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof is another excellent choice. The exception here is Altberg's Dalesway boot, which the brand recommends takes the same Leder-Gris wax used for its leather boots.

How we tested

The footwear we review are always put to thorough testing aimed to push them on the types of terrain they're designed for. Our testers are fastidious and objective, always focused on the ultimate aim of finding the best options for our audience.

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Chris Williams is a Digital Content Writer for Live For The Outdoors. He trained as a journalist in New Zealand and has been working on Live For The Outdoors since 2021.