Ethletic Root18 Vegan Sneakers Review | Ethical Fashion

Ethletic is a German brand of sneakers, which aims to offer an ethical, vegan alternative to conventional sneakers, and in their words, inspire people ‘without finger wagging’.

Ethletic began by manufacturing footballs, they paid the workers fairly and used sustainable rubber, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Using this established network, they later diverted into the trainer/sneaker market, becoming the first on the market to be certified with the Fairtrade quality seal for organic cotton. The brand is committed to continuously improving the quality of working conditions in it’s supply chain, and enhancing fairness and sustainability wherever possible, and permanently.

So, in essence, Ethletic is a pretty cool company and brand, and one that any vegan or ethically minded person, should feel no guilt buying from whatsoever, safe in the knowledge that the money is being used fairly. 

However, that may not matter if the shoes aren’t still stylish and good to wear. Brands like this have to be smart if they want to change the market, and penetrate people who are perhaps less ethically minded, to start thinking about these sort of issues.

I think Ethletic does this excellently.

I’m reviewing the Root18 sneakers in Pewter Grey, and have been wearing them as much as possible in the last week and a half. I have to say, I really like them. Unlike most shoes, they don’t dig into your heel when you first start wearing them, and they feel comfortable from first use. They are also really nice to walk on, and feel really well made – there’s no danger of them falling apart after a bit of wear and tear. Additionally, I think they look great, and can stand up to even the biggest brands.

The only thing which may put some people off is the price – this pair costs €89, about £77. This is certainly cheaper than brands like Nike or Adidas, which can cost easily over £100 for similarly styled shoes, but much higher than a high-street brand, such as Next or River Island. I think that these shoes definitely feel more premium than most generic brands, and personally I think they are worth the cost, especially as they are a Fairtrade brand, and you know the money is going to where it should do. There’s a reason so many stores can sell things so cheaply – and we have to support the brands which do it right.

Visit their website to find out more. Additionally if you are interested in vegan shoe brands, check out our review of Will’s Vegan Shoes here.