When Heather Whittle co-founded British shoe company Beyond Skin she marketed the designer vegan shoes at, well, vegans. However, she soon realised that the shoes’ unique designs sold themselves. The fact that they were ethically made simply added a feel-good element.

“People used to say, ‘Oh, they’re vegetarian shoes. Can you eat them?’ … Now they’re not fazed at all,” says Whittle, whose products are hand-made in Spain from pleather and a faux suede called Dinamica, made from recycled plastic bottle tops.