Here’s a round-up of my favorite vegan rain boots in women’s styles for 2021. These range from tall, heavy-duty rain boots, to sleek booties that can blend in with a dressy outfit.
While rain boots are usually made from synthetic or plant materials and may happen to be vegan, there can be hidden materials like wool linings, leather footbeds, or more rarely, animal glues.
The rain boots on this list are explicitly vegan – either the company is 100% vegan or states that these particular boots are vegan.
Should you choose plastic or rubber rain boots?
This list includes both plastic and rubber vegan rain boots. Both materials are waterproof. Here are a few quick facts to help you decide.
Rubber
Rubber is made from sap from rubber trees. It is more flexible than plastic, so it may be more comfortable. For example, the edges of a rubber boot are less likely to dig into your skin. But rubber is also heavier than plastic.
Rubber has the potential to come from FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council) sources. Some companies offer a rubber boot recycling program.
Plastic
Plastic rain boots are usually made from polyvinyl chloride, more commonly known as PVC or vinyl. PVC is lightweight and can be molded into many shapes.
PVC product has a particularly negative environmental impact and is not easily recycled.
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Best Vegan Rain Boots in Women’s Styles – 2021
Hunter Boots ($98 – $185)
While Hunter Boots is not a 100% vegan company, they have a dedicated vegan section on their website with 482 certified vegan products as of Fall 2021. I’m listing them first since that’s what I wear.
Hunter’s vegan rain boots range in height from low-ankle to mid-calf to knee, and come in various fits including wide leg, adjustable, original, and slim-fit. Not to mention all of the different colors and styles!
I’ve had a pair of their black original tall rain boots for years, and I’ve worn them to walk around cities for hours at a time, as well as on muddy trails. They’re so tall, I’ve never had to worry about getting my feet even slightly damp while wearing them. And thanks to the softness of the rubber, I’ve never had any chaffing or digging issues.
I’m actually between sneakers, so these Hunter rain boots ended up being the only shoes I took to Utah on a recent trip. Here I am above visiting Sage Mountain Sanctuary, a wonderful organization that provides lifelong care, family, and tons of space for rescued animals. Please support them! I’ll be making a separate post about it soon.
Back to the boots: for larger calves, Hunter makes boots with an adjustable strap in the back rather than on the sides. And for wider legs in general, they also offer several other “wide leg” styles.
Hunter offers a boot recycling program where you can send in your old rubber boots to be turned into roads and kickboxing bag filler. Hunter has also pledged that by 2025 their boots will come from 100% FSC-certified rubber.
I’m particularly enamored with Hunter’s Balmoral Field Hybrid Chelsea Boots.
You really just have to check out the Hunter website, because there are so many cool vegan rain boot options. Here are a few more that I’m into.
Hunter even did a collaboration with vegetarian brand Stella McCartney!
Shop Hunter US & Canada, Hunter UK, and Hunter EU.
Merry People ($130 – $160)
Merry People is a 100% vegan company that specializes in rain boots and rain gear. They offer two styles of rain boots, both made from natural rubber and neoprene, and both tested for subzero temperatures, to keep your toes warm.
The Bobbi Ankle boot, Merry People’s signature style, comes in a variety of awesome colors. The neoprene lining adds stretch around the ankle.
The Darcy rain boot is a mid-calf boot that comes in black.
Matt and Nat ($110 – $150)
Matt and Nat is a 100% vegan clothing company with an entire website section dedicated to waterproof footwear. Here are my favorite Matt & Nat rain boots, but there are even more styles on their website.
Matt and Nat’s rain boots are made from PVC. Their most environmentally friendly option might be their Laney vegan rain boot. This waterproof ankle boot is made from recycled PVC, and comes in several colors including but not limited to shiny black, matte back, and my favorite – matte green.
For a slimmer, minimalist look, try Matt & Nat’s Chelz boot in black – shown on the right below.
For an ankle rain boot with a little extra, Matt and Nat’s Denver boot (above left) has a brogue-like perforated toe cap. Like the Chelz, the Denver would go great with a formal look, or dressed down with jeans or even shorts.
For tall rain boots, Matt & Nat’s Otaki women’s tall vegan rain boots have that classic slopping through the mud look. They’re available in black, too.
Matt & Nat’s Camila tall boots have a buckle and are reminiscent of a riding boot.
Melissa ($129)
Melissa is a 100% vegan, Brazil-based brand, known for making jelly sandals, as well as numerous footwear styles in waterproof material.
Melissa’s shoes are made from their patented Melflex® material, a proprietary type of PVC which Melissa claims is 100% recyclable. However, they don’t currently provide any information on where or how to recycle their shoes.
Melissa currently offers two ankle boots, the Gal and the Storm.
The Melissa Gal offers a feminine cut with a pointy toe. This boot could definitely dress up. The Melissa Storm is a classic Chelsea boot. Both shoes come in some surprising colors.
I hope you found this guide to vegan rain boots helpful! Feel free to share your favorite vegan rainy day footwear in the comments.
So far, this list has skewed on the pricy side. I’m waiting to hear back from a few companies to see if there are more affordable options I can add to this list – will update accordingly.
What do you think?