Vegan Minimalist Shoes: Our 5 Recommendations

Are you looking for the best vegan, minimalist shoes on the market? There are several vegan products available today, but have you ever thought of getting vegan shoes or clothes, or furniture?

It can be difficult to find genuine vegan products, given that it is not a lifestyle that absolutely everyone understands. 

1. Are you looking for vegan shoes but don’t know where or how to find them?
2. Perhaps you have just become a vegan, and you want to be as authentic as possible.
3. Or maybe you are looking to replace your vegan, minimalist shoes and wondering where to get your next pair.

vegan minimalist shoes

Some companies have dedicated their work to manufacturing products that are vegan. Today, there are more and more people that are turning vegan because of various reasons.

And as such, there is a growing market for vegan products.  When it comes to the products you use, it is possible to get shoes that have no animal products used in their making.

You will need to be diligent in finding out which ones these are. Veganism requires attention to detail. In this article, we take a look at the best minimalist vegan shoes on the market today. 

In a Hurry

Do you need a quick guide to buying the best vegan minimalist shoes on the market today? There are a few things that you will need to take into consideration.

Firstly, you need to make sure to read the label carefully. You can not just pick up a shoe and trust that it looks vegan. This means that you will want to stay away from shoes made of fur, suede or leather.

There are standard symbols and you must familiarize yourself with these symbols as they tell you what materials the shoes are made of. 

When it comes to shoes, there are brands such as Vivo barefoot that are known for making vegan-friendly shoes. Check on the heel to toe drop and ensure that it is minimalist.

A minimalist shoe should not have too much material between your foot and the ground. Make sure that you get a shoe that is comfortable for you and that fits well. Ill-fitting shoes can have long-reaching effects.

Our Top Pick

We have done our research and found our favorite to be the Vivobarefoot Women’s Stealth 2 Walk Shoe. This shoe is made of synthetic material that tells you off the bat that it is vegan. It transitions easily from a shoe fit for the rugged trail to a shoe perfect for walking city roads. The sole on the shoe is minimalist and it is lightweight. They have considerable arch support, which some do not particularly like, however, if you have high arches then you will find these shoes are quite comfortable to wear. We also love the hex mesh that has special stretch zones. This allows the shoe to be responsive and very adaptive. This shoe will last you quite a bit. Even though the sole is thin, it is also very durable. 

Vegan Minimalist Shoes Product Reviews

Vivobarefoot Women’s Stealth 2 Walk Shoe 

As far as minimalist shoes go you can hardly go wrong with this one. One of the first things that you will notice when you get this you on is how incredibly lightweight it is.

This is partly due to the mesh upper part of this shoe which is made out of hex mesh.

The soles of the shoes do not actually add much weight either. They are designed to provide you with just sufficient support without adding any bulk.

Part of the reason why these shoes are so attractive is that they do not require much maintenance. There is a great degree of emphasis on actual performance which is what matters for most of us.

The hex mesh that we mentioned earlier is supported by stretch zones. These zones are designed to provide you with a shoe that is very responsive and an adaptive fit.

This is to say that they stretched to allow more room or to reduce room depending on your feet. There is a little bit of a tall cap on the front end of the shoe. It is certainly not one of the most robust ones that we’ve seen, but it certainly adds a little bit of protection.

The soles of these shoes are both thin and surprisingly durable. They are designed to give you sufficient underfoot protection as well as good traction as you move.

The lacing system is as you would expect, nothing out of the ordinary. There are usually 6 colours that you can choose your shoe from. These usually provide for people of all sorts of tastes.

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Vivobarefoot Women’s Primus FG L Mesh Trail Runner 

These shoes are a low-cut version of the wildly successful Primus FG boot. The success of these boots is largely down to the fact that you do not find very good zero-drop barefoot boots on the market to start with.

This is the same sort of design and functionality that has been delivered through this you.

The key difference is the fact that these are not stretching beyond your ankles. If you’re hiking in warm conditions, this is where these sorts of shoes would come handy.

For the sake of breathability, the upper part of these shoes is made out of a breathable mesh material. This is the material that allows for the liberal movement of air into a lot of shoes keeping your feet cool.

The soles with these shoes are made out of rubber. As you’d expect from shoes that are designed for hiking there is a great emphasis on delivering a higher degree of traction than you’d find on ordinary shoes.

As such you will see that the lugs on these shoes are more pronounced than those on other shoes from this friend. They also shaped slightly differently to allow them to interact with the ground more and generate friction.

The lacing system is another thing that we appreciated. It is a quick release lacing system that allows you to tighten the shoes with one hand if need be. It is also easy to loosen the shoes when required.

The inside of the shoes has a reasonable amount of padding both on top of your feet and underneath the foot. Having said that, these are barefoot shoes which mean that you get to feel more of the ground as you move.

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Saucony Originals Men’s Jazz Low Pro Vegan Sneaker 

This shoe is undoubtedly one of the best and most successful that this brand has ever produced. By virtue of it being on this list, you probably don’t need telling that this is a minimal shoe.

The images would have given this away anyway. The bulk of the material that is used to make the upper part of this shoe is canvas.

As you will already know converse is synonymous with breathability. This means that your feet will be kept cool even if you spend a lot of time on the move.

The shape of the shoe is one that most of us will be familiar with. They are a lot of brands that carry something identical or at the very least similar.

The soles of the shoes are made out of strong rubber. They are designed to not only be durable but to provide you with good traction while they last. The outsoles are textured to ensure that this traction is consistent.

The lacing system is as you would expect from shoes of this kind. There is a reasonable amount of padding on the collar as well as the tongue of these shoes to reduce friction.

We may also take this opportunity to mention that these shoes are vegan. That is to say that they are no animal products or derivatives used in the manufacturing of these shoes.

They are 3 colour options that you can choose yours from. These include the conventional black, blue, and a charcoal orange.

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Xero Shoes Prio Minimalist Barefoot Trail and Road Running Shoe

This is perhaps one of the flagship shoes from this brand. It is a lightweight shoe that is designed to combine performance and comfort. The philosophy behind the design as what is the brand is that of giving you a shoe that is minimalist.

As such you find that these huge have no proverbial bells and whistles. They are designed to provide you with enough flexibility for your feet to move in their natural motion.

You can use these shoes for running on the road, trail, hiking, and all sorts of training.

This is a brand that it’s at the forefront of delivering shoes that are foot first when it comes to design. What that means is that every shoe that they produce is designed to benefit the foot before considering any aesthetics.

The Prio is a zero drop shoe. This is to say that there is no elevation between the forefoot and the heel of the shoe. It is a design that is known for doing great for your posture.

The sole is a FeelTrue sole that is known for delivering good traction. Even with this minimalist nature this shoe still manages to provide you with a good amount of underfoot protection without doing away with the stimulation and feedback.

To give you a more precise fitting shoe they are some bands that run from underneath the foot and over the top of your shoe and connect with your laces. This means that as you tighten the shoe these bands will pull your feet even closer to the shoe.

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Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 Fashion Sneaker 

From the first time I got this shoe, I knew that I had seen it somewhere. It wasn’t until later that I was able to connect the dots.

It turns out this is the same shoe that was used by the legend Bruce Lee in one of his movie scenes. In his case, his shoe was actually an orange one.

As you can imagine at the peak of his powers that drove this you into the spotlight and I’d imagine drove sales up as well.

What seeing these shoes used by someone like Bruce does is confirm that the shoes are incredibly minimalist. As they are able to allow him to perform at an elite level of martial arts without adding unnecessary weight.

The upper part of the shoes is made out of a mesh-like material that is synthetic. It allows for the ease of movement or air from within the shoe. This keeps your feet cool at all times.

There is also some suede material used on mainly the toes and the heel end of the shoes. This makes for a great aesthetic addition. Besides that, these are fairly normal looking shoes with nothing after the ordinary about them.

They have soles that are made out of rubber. These obviously give you a reasonable amount of traction as you get up and about.

At the front end of these shoes is a toe cap that is also good for helping with breathability and providing you with a bit of protection for your tours. Another interesting feature of the shoe is cush-hole shock absorption.

This is a ventilation system that makes use of 3 holes on the rear end of the midsole. As the name suggests these holes are designed to minimise shock that goes into your feet. This makes these shoes incredibly comfortable for long parts of a day.

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Buyer’s Guide

Can you wash minimalist shoes?

Keeping your shoes clean is a big part of taking care of them. If you want to keep them longer, you must keep them clean. Make sure to remove any loose debris before you try washing them.

The way you then wash them depends on what material they made of. Leather, for example, can not be cleaned in the exact way that you clean synthetic materials. Find out how your shoes want to be cleaned and follow those instructions. 

Is shoe glue vegan?

When you think of switching to a vegan lifestyle you will usually find that most information is on what you eat and drink. There is however so much more that it entails.

The shoes that you wear as well as the clothes you wear play a part. Shoes need to be stitched together and glue is one of the most common ways of doing this.

However, glue is not always free of animal products. Glue is traditionally made of collagen from animals. The only way to know is if the manufacturer has specifically mentioned the type of glue used, otherwise you have no way of knowing.

There is vegan-friendly shoe glue, and manufacturers have found that it is stronger and cheaper to use than animal-based glue. 

Can you use cork to make vegan-friendly shoes?

One of the vegan-friendly materials that can be used to make shoes is cork. It has grown in popularity as it makes light and fashionable shoes, especially for women.

This material is breathable, lightweight and fire-resistant. All this added on the vegan-friendly factor, makes cork a great bet for shoemaking materials. It also has antibacterial properties.

Conclusion

Deciding to go vegan can be difficult, especially when you are unsure what to look for and where to get vegan products. Vegan, minimalist shoes are an area that companies such as VivoBarefoot specialize in.

Other shoe companies have also jumped onto the bandwagon, which has broadened consumers’ choices.

There are many benefits of wearing minimalist shoes, and once you know what your specific needs are, it makes it easier to zero in on the shoes you will need for a particular purpose.

Shoes that can be used in various situations are a good buy. Look for versatility as one of the key features in your shoes, along with comfort and fit. We have reviewed some of the top shoes on the vegan-friendly market. We hope that amongst these, you can find your perfect fit. Happy shopping!