HOW AUSTRALIAN BRAND HOLSTER FASHION IS INSPIRING PEOPLE TO TAKE POSITIVE STEPS FOR THE PLANET
By: Zibah Olabode
People choose vegan fashion for many of the same reasons they adopt a vegan diet—ethical concerns, environmental impact, and a commitment to conscious consumerism. Vegan fashion is about more than just avoiding animal products—it’s a shift toward a more ethical, sustainable, and innovative fashion industry.
Vegan footwear in particular refers to shoes made without any animal-derived materials, such as leather, suede, wool, silk, or glues that contain animal byproducts. Instead, these shoes are crafted from synthetic or plant-based alternatives, including recycled plastics, bio-based leather made from mushrooms, apple or pineapple fibers, organic cotton, and natural rubber.
The global vegan footwear market is estimated to be valued at $34.45B USD in 2025 and is expected to reach $58.31B by 2032. Current growth trends are being driven by rising ethical concerns and health awareness among consumers as more people choose to avoid animal products in their clothing.
Vegan shoes are made without leather, wool, suede, or silk, and are instead made from materials like corn, bamboo, or recycled plastics. However, It takes a lot of research and development for innovative designs to incorporate such an approach to be fashionable.
Image Source: Hoslster Fashion
Ben Nothling and Natalie Miller were keenly aware of the environmental impact and wasteful nature of the fashion industry on future generations, so they became intentional about creating a fashion line, Holster Fashion that nurtures the earth rather than destroy it.
In 2001, Ben Nothling whose great-great-great-grandfather is the renowned David Jones, founder of namesake luxury department store, teamed up with his wife Natalie, an authentic beach girl born and bred in Noosa, Australia to craft a range of jelly sandals and espadrilles. The brand is now based in Noosa Beach, Queensland and has evolved into a fully fledged line of vegan, trans-seasonal footwear for women and children.
According to the founders, their passion for animals led them to produce a vegan footwear brand. In their own words, “Our mission is to prevent animal cruelty and embrace ethical processes by producing shoes that do not contain animal products. Veganism is a way of living that excludes, as far as possible and practicable, all exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, fashion or any other purposes.
The collection of vegan footwear at Holster Fashion is diverse, from sneakers made of recycled ocean plastics, certified by the Global Recycled Standard, to 10 x 600-ml plastic bottles that produce one pair of sneaker uppers. Over 400,000+ plastic bottles sourced from waterways have been recycled in the production of Holster’s recycled sneakers to date.
Holster Fashion crafts wedges out of rubber and canvas; their espadrilles are made using non-animal-derived materials like metals and cotton; and jelly sandals that are REACH certified.
Image Source: Holster Fashion
Their range of Eva slides is designed to address the unique needs of Podiatry patients; thus, each pair features advanced arch support, cushioning, and stability to alleviate common foot problems like plantar fasciitis, flat feet and diabetic foot complications.
They collect bottles from oceans around the world, transforming them into PET filaments and then yarn to make knitted sneaker uppers. The founders say that “When you wear Holster footwear, you’re taking a positive step for the planet.”
As such, one of their key principles is to be a sustainable company by reducing Holster’s ecological footprint, including utilizing recycled materials for packaging.
The brand supports several vegan organizations and initiatives that are in line with their mission in a number of different ways by donating shoes or a percentage of our profits. They support Soles4Souls, an organization that provides shoes to Third World countries by sending them shipments of free shoes.
Image Source: Holster Fashion
They also support The Australian Koala Foundation and World Animal Protection, organizations dedicated to protecting and helping animals.
The brand’s commitment to embracing an ethical philosophy has led it to create a hundred percent vegan footwear that is registered with the Vegan Society UK.
In 2023, the brand won an award for Best Children’s and Women’s Trans- seasonal Vegan Footwear Brand 2023 in Australia.
Holster fashion has shown that sustainability and ethics are core values that have come to stay, and we hope it stays that way.