I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write a feature on Collection & Co, I talk about them all the time but never done an official blog post about them! This is a brand that I have been in love with since I first discovered them in 2016 – which was actually the year they were established. C&C are primarily a vegan shoe company but also make gorgeous clothes too, as well as accessories like bags, belts and hats.

Felesha, the founder and owner of C&C, launched the company with the aim of designing beautiful shoes that didn’t come at the expense of an animals life or suffering. They have received the PETA approval and have a page on their website explaining the materials they use and where the shoes are made.

The range of shoes is what I particularly love about this brand, there are sneakers, boots, high heels, stilettos, sandals and brogues, and all are so modern and sleek in their design. It’s a refreshing change from the usual vegan shoes I come across that can often look too girly and fussy, but that’s just my personal style preference. All of their shoes are made with vegan leather alternatives and the glue used contains no animal ingredients - something we often forget about but is still common practice in the shoe industry.

When buying a new pair of shoes, the quality of the product is the second thing I notice, first being the style. I like to hold them and look at every element of the shoe, from the heel, the sole, the lining, the outer textile, the zip or fastening and even the parts where each element meets, just to check there isn’t that gross glue splurge. C&C’s quality is second to none; I should know, I now own three pairs of shoes from them. 

All of their products are made in a family-owned factory in Greece and they only produce small runs of limited stock to avoid end-of-season waste. You can see who makes the shoes and what the factory looks like in this short video here. I love how transparent they are as a brand and that the shoes aren’t made in an undisclosed sweatshop somewhere.

Instead of using cow leather, which we now know is the worst material to use in terms of environmental damage (source: 2017 Pulse Report), C&C opt for more sustainable alternatives such as Piñatex®, an amazing leather alternative made from pineapple leaves that are the by-product of existing agriculture. They also use recycled plastics to make the outer textiles, as well as organic cotton and hemp. Collection & Co are committed to making their brand more sustainable and have begun using leftover materials that have been discarded or leftover from previous collections to create clothes and accessories.

The prices currently range from £44 to £165 and I would class these products as small investment pieces, meaning they are not a ‘buy every month’ type of shoe (which you really shouldn’t be doing anyway) and are shoes that will last you a long time and work across several seasons. 

Collection & Co were very kind to gift me a pair of the Pelion boots and I just had to share with you all how in love with them I am! These are the kind of boots that can bring your confidence up to Captain Marvel level and when I wear them I really do feel invincible. For a 9cm heel they are surprisingly easy to walk in (for me anyway) and comfortable, largely due to the padded insoles that add extra comfort. The faux leather is so soft, it really adds an element of luxury to the shoe, as does the wooden effect block heel. I’ve worn them with skinny jeans and skirts so far and I’m finding them to be quite versatile, perhaps not a boot I will wear during the summer months but they’ve been perfect for this transitional season we’re in currently. 

If you’re as into these boots as I am, they are still available on the website and they advise you to order a size up if you have wide feet, as the style is quite narrow. They also have their spring/summer collection on their website and in store, so go check it out!