Finding your next pair of sneakers
DiVERGE lets you choose your colours and materials. VAER makes sneakers using discarded textiles, and Goral offers a service to replace worn soles. These are a few of the details you can explore here as you look for a pair that suits you.
I have focused on brands with sneakers at the heart of their collections, all based in Europe and making their footwear here. They are grouped by the country where each business is based, with manufacturing locations listed separately. Each entry includes a guide price range and a link to the full profile, where you can read more about the materials and the people behind the shoes.
Links marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links. Read the disclosure.
Sneaker brands from
Portugal
These Portuguese brands make their footwear close to home, with options ranging from understated everyday sneakers to pairs you can customise.
JAK
For women & men Made in Portugal up to 200€
Lisbon footwear brand making minimalist sneakers in family-owned Portuguese factories, with leather, suede and vegan styles.
Hirundo
Unisex Made in Portugal up to 200€
Portuguese footwear brand founded by two brothers, making sneakers, chukka boots and mules by hand in Portugal with locally sourced materials.
Wayz
Unisex Made in Portugal up to 200€
Portuguese sneaker brand founded in Porto in 2019, with leather shoes made by Cunha Brothers in Felgueiras and soles containing recycled rubber.
DiVERGE
For women & men Made in Portugal 200€ to 400€
Portuguese sneaker brand offering customisable designs handcrafted to order in family-owned workshops in Portugal, using leather, suede and canvas.
Zouri
For women, men & children Made in Portugal up to 200€
Vegan sneakers, sandals and espadrilles made in Portugal, with soles incorporating plastic collected from Portuguese beaches.
Sneaker brands from
Germany
The German brands below all make their sneakers in Portugal, offering leather, suede and vegan options.
ATHEIST Shoes
Unisex Made in Portugal 200€ to 400€
Berlin footwear brand with unisex leather shoes, sneakers and boots inspired by Bauhaus design, handmade in small batches in Porto, Portugal.
PAUL EYS
For women & men Made in Portugal up to 200€
German sneaker brand founded in 2019, making minimalist shoes in northern Portugal, including suede sneakers and vegan styles using a leather alternative made with wine-production waste.
VOR
Unisex Made in Portugal 200€ to 400€
Munich sneaker brand making minimalist leather designs in Portugal, with clean shapes, understated branding and signature soft calfskin.
Ella & Witt
Unisex Made in Portugal up to 200€
German vegan footwear brand making sneakers, Chelsea boots and slides in Portugal, with corn-based leather alternatives and components made in Europe.
Sneaker brands from
Italy
Italian production features throughout this selection, with Womsh also making part of its collection in Portugal.
Womsh
For women & men Made in Italy and Portugal up to 200€
Italian sneaker brand making its shoes in Italy and Portugal, with leather styles and vegan designs using Uppeal, a leather alternative made with apple-processing waste.
Acquasparta
For women & men Made in Italy 200€ to 400€
Italian sneaker brand reviving the historic D’Acquasparta name, with leather and suede styles handcrafted in the Marche region.
Valsport
For women & men Made in Italy 200€ to 400€
Italian brand founded in Padova in 1920, offering sneakers inspired by its sporting heritage and leather travel bags, both handmade in Italy.
Levius
Unisex Made in Italy up to 200€
Venice-born sneaker brand founded in 2015, with leather shoes handmade by a family-run manufacturer in Veneto and a signature orange heel detail.
Sneaker brands from
Spain
Explore Spanish sneaker brands with production in Spain and Portugal, from MaTeS’ sporting designs to the material choices of Flamingos’ Life and Wasted Shoes.
Flamingos’ Life
Unisex Made in Portugal and Spain up to 200€
Elche sneaker brand making retro and barefoot styles in Portugal and Spain, using plant-based materials, recycled polyester and recovered leather.
Wasted Shoes
Unisex Made in Portugal and Spain up to 200€
Vegan sneaker brand from Galicia, with shoes handcrafted in Spain and Portugal using hemp, organic cotton and recycled materials.
MaTeS
Unisex Made in Spain up to 200€
Barcelona shoemaker founded in 1947, handcrafting classic sneakers in its own historic workshop from designs originally developed for athletes.
Sneaker brands from
France
COG’s vegan footwear and CAVAL’s deliberately mismatched pairs offer two different starting points, both from French brands making their sneakers in Portugal.
COG
For women & men Made in Portugal up to 200€
French vegan footwear brand making sneakers, boots and Oxfords in family-run workshops in Portugal, with materials sourced from European suppliers.
CAVAL
Unisex Made in Portugal up to 200€
French sneaker brand making deliberately mismatched pairs near Porto, Portugal, using full-grain Italian leather and stitched soles.
Sneaker brands from
Croatia
Earthbound
Unisex Made in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia up to 200€
Croatian brand making unisex sneakers in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, using wool, hemp, cork and natural rubber, with removable insoles.
Sneaker brands from
the Czech Republic
Kave Footwear
Unisex Made in the Czech Republic and Slovakia up to 200€
Czech sneaker brand making limited collections in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, using leftover materials, recycled rubber and coffee grounds.
Sneaker brands from
Denmark
VAER
Unisex Made in Portugal up to 200€
Danish upcycling brand turning discarded jeans, workwear and tablecloths into unisex sneakers, made by a family-owned factory near Porto and taken back at end of life to become soles for the next pair.
Sneaker brands from
Hungary
GT Cipő
For women & men Made in Hungary up to 200€
Hungarian footwear brand making leather sneakers to order in Hungary, with Italian nappa and nubuck uppers, full leather linings and custom colour options.
Sneaker brands from
Norway
New Movements
Unisex Made in Portugal 200€ to 400€
Oslo footwear brand making sneakers, boots and loafers by hand in Portugal, with a recycling programme for worn-out pairs.
Sneaker brands from
Slovakia
Novesta
For women, men & children Made in Slovakia up to 200€
Slovak sneaker brand producing in Partizánske, known for its Star Master canvas shoes with vulcanised natural rubber soles.
Sneaker brands from
Sweden
Sweyd
Unisex Made in Italy 200€ to 400€
Stockholm sneaker brand making unisex leather and suede styles in Italy’s Marche region, with small, family-owned workshop partners.
Sneaker brands from
the United Kingdom
Goral
For men Made in the United Kingdom 200€ to 400€
Resoleable footwear crafted at the Goral & Son family workshop in Sheffield, England, for Goral's own line and for other British fashion brands.
Found a brand you like? Check the individual product page for its materials, sizing and production country, especially if the brand works across several locations. You can narrow your search further in the brand directory or explore other types of footwear in the European shoe guide.
