We have ourselves a few new footwear trends this fall/winter season: grungy combats, knee-high structured classics and the good ole westerns… Luxury brands sent them down the runways, fast fashion brands immediately (and of course, unethically) replicated them, Instagram girls promoted them and we’re all left wanting to add them to our closets… I hate trends and can’t repeat enough how no one should follow them just because they’re there, but the good news about this year is all these “trendy” styles are actually classic. Even when they get bumped down the “season’s hottest” lists, they’ll still look great and complementary to other items in your closet.

Investing in classic high quality footwear is key to maintaining a sustainable shoe collection that’ll last and prevent you from spending more $$ on footwear. Take it from a girl who recently POKED A LEGIT HOLE in my cheap old faux-leather combat boots with my toe. And then a week later, the sole of my cheap old knee high boots just casually fell off.

So now I was on the hunt for durable and modern boots for the season by brands that excel in the ethical department. Researching led me to discover quite a few amazing companies that more people need to know about. So I invite you to consider these options before buying another cheap pair of shoes you’ll need to soon replace because… oh, I don’t know… zipper fell off, paint came off, leather ripped… (And I’m not even getting into all the unethical reasons to boycott cheap mass-produced fast fashion shoes).