1. Handmade
Shoe adhesives can be toxic brews, so the Timberland Greenscapes Mountain Cruiser ($95; www.timberland.com) is hand-sewn. The street-trail hybrid's Vibram EcoStep outsole is 30 percent recycled, too.
2. Waste-Free
Nike has concocted the optimal trail runner from minimal ingredients. The Nike Wild Edge ($85; www.nike.com) has a gasket instead of tongue (eliminating overlapping fabric), flat seams that require less material, and a recycled heel counter and toe box.
3. Fauna-Friendly
No animal by-products or petrochemicals in this street sneaker—the Keen Vegan Ventura ($65; www.keenfootwear.com) has a plant-based canvas upper and rubber sole, plus recycled eyelets.
4. Bio-Bred
The leather in every El Naturalista N243 ($175; www.elnaturalista.com) is tanned with veggie extracts, then softened with stones. And that's just the ecostart: The street shoe also has an all-natural rubber outsole and recycled insole.
5. Recast
The Patagonia Ranger Smith ($140; www.patagonia.com) is the rare high-performance hiker with green roots: 15 percent recycled EVA in the midsole, 30 percent recycled rubber in the outsole, and 70 percent recycled foam in the footbed.
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