Loving These New Vegan Boots!

I have had a lovely opportunity to try out these vegan boots by a wonderful company called Arcopedico. And I must admit, I hadn't heard of this Portugal-based company, available in the USA, prior to them approaching me to try their vegan footwear line...but I'm so happy I know about them now!

At first, I was impressed by their selection of styles, color choices, and the ethics that their brand stands by (we will get into that more in a bit). I tried the L8 style, which is a perfect bootie for versatility, with a PU outsole, and built-in arch support for all day long comfort. These are also a boot that can pair well with many different outfits, dressed up or down, and worn comfortably in various weather conditions...which is great for a New Englander who has to be prepared for all four seasons!

I was originally planning on doing a first impression type of post, since I tried them out and really fell in love with them off the bat. But then it occurred to me that these are a good quality pair of boots, that are also, while not the most expensive shoe, they are not inexpensive either. For what quality you get, the price is well worth it, but these aren't a cheap shoe you can grab on discount at Target. For that reason, I wanted to really test these out for an extended period of time, and really wear them, prior to posting this piece. Basically, I didn't want to just recommend something on the pricier side without fully testing it out so that I can give my honest opinion. Here is some awesome information about the brand and their vegan shoe directly from Arcopedico, then we will get into my thoughts and findings:

"The hallmark of all Arcopédico shoes can be seen in two fundamental design principles: the “barefoot” upper, a soft, non-binding design that conforms to the top of the foot to allow circulation and all-day comfort, and the patented, metal-free twin arch-support soles (made from molded polyurethane), which protect the foot arch and allow the distribution of body weight through the entire plantar surface.

In 1966 Arcopédico’s founder Elio Parodi, invented the original knit shoe. To this day, the knit LS walking shoes are Arcopédico’s top-selling style. Arcopédico’s knit shoes feature a blend of techno elastic upper technology with the use of a special knitted nylon fibers that provides a controlled freedom of your foot shape. Lined with a soft interior for barefoot wear and built-in SanSmell™ technology to promote an anti-bacterial environment for overall foot health. Arcopédico’s Classic Knit Line are machine washable, air-dry, and feature a sporty grip sole. Nicknamed, “Shocks” for their shoe-like durability with a sock-like feel. Arcopédico’s LytechⓇ Line of shoes are made with a flexible, breathable, and naturally conforming material which is machine washable and water resistant.

Introduced in 2011, Arcopédico’s patented Lytech material is an ultra-light lend of polyurethane and LycraⓇ, which allows the shoes to be easily packed for traveling (shoe pairs weigh as little as 10.9 oz.).The Lytech Line of shoes are BioCalce Certified, eco-friendly, vegan, water-resistant and biodegradable."

Their vegan shoes are made with Lytech, a blend of Lycra and Polyurethane, is a bio-degradable, vegan material unique to Arcopedico. It is water resistant, machine-washable, lightweight and breathable. It is soft and conforms to the foot for extreme comfort.

My first impressions were: these are a quality shoe. They are stylish. I can see myself wearing these with leggings, jeans, jeggings, joggers, and different types of trousers. And I certainly did. Here are my findings...

In the time that I tested out my Arcopedico boots, in all sorts of weather conditions and with lots of different outfit choices, I loved them for so many reasons. First, I tested them in dry weather with somewhat "dressed up" sort of casual attire. I wanted to test them for comfort.

It literally feels like I am wearing sock, slippers, or nothing on my feet, but with support!

Next, I wore them in snowy, icy weather. I thought for sure, judging by the bottoms of the soles, that these would be slippery. I was wrong. Not slippery at all. Not only that, because of the sturdy design of the soles, these still looked brand new even after wearing them in wintery conditions. Which makes sense since they are washable and built for this type of performance.

Then, I wore them in rainy weather. They stood up to the water and kept their promise of being a water-resistant boot. I was shocked. These feel like such a comfortable, fabric boot, yet they acted better than other thicker boots that I own, in that they kept my feet and socks dry underneath them. Again, in mud and puddles and walking, they held up well and still look new!

I continued wearing my Arcopedico boots with sweater dresses and tights, leggings, over my pants, with my pants tucked into them, with all sorts of styles of denim, you name it, and they looked good, held up, and impressed the heck out of me!

What pleased me the most was the fact that they didn't get dirty or gross in New England winter weather, and they felt like I was wearing the comfort of slippers, yet with the protection of a light boot. Also, my main love for these shoes are that they are vegan-friendly and the company is so responsible with their ethics to providing a vegan-friendly product that is environmentally responsible and their quality standards. That means a lot to me in a brand.

My feet did not hurt while wearing these shoes, even after walking, and felt more comfortable than a lot of sneakers that I own. So big thank you to Arcopedico for sending me your brand to try and for introducing your product to me. I will definitely be buying another pair, if these happen to wear out, which I doubt they will any time soon! Check out the Arcopedico website.

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - go have fun and splash in some puddles today!

*please note that while this was a paid sponsored post, my views and opinions are entirely my own*

And... If you would like some vegan food and recipes, just a reminder to please check out my latest title, if you haven't already, The Complete Hummus Cookbook, available everywhere books are sold, featuring fun hummus history, teaching you how to make hummus, and including over 100 recipes for hummus and meals you can use hummus in!