Choose sustainable hiking boots

Your outdoor gear should reflect your love of the earth, so whether you're heading to a local campground for a weekend getaway or climbing the next big peak, you'll want to choose sustainable boots.

Find it! Sustainable hiking boots

Choosing hiking boots made from natural materials results in minimal environmental damage during the production process and limits the amount of harmful synthetic materials used by substituting natural ones. Look for materials like low-impact leather or imitation leather, hemp, organic cotton, water-based adhesives, vegetable dyes, and recycled content.

Before you buy

Trade-offs are somewhat common when purchasing green. While buying what can be considered "vegan" footwear is certainly an eco-fashion statement, man-made imitation animal products are usually made of polyester and acrylic fibers — synthetic, frequently petroleum-based materials that generate significant amounts of factory pollution. So before purchasing that faux leather boot, consider both the benefits and disadvantages of your action. See Drawbacks: Pleather for more detailed information.

Choosing sustainably-made hiking boots helps you go green because…

• Buying products with recycled content keeps valuable materials out of landfills and saves new materials from being harvested.
• Hemp and organic cotton are grown chemical-free in a sustainable manner.
• Using enzymes in the production of leather instead of chemicals cuts back on the pollution that typically results from the tanning process.