Charmoné is one of those great shoe revelations that can really make your day.

Even though they’ve only been around for 4 years, Charmoné has already landed at the forefront of the eco-luxury shoe niche. And luxurious their shoes are: Made of gorgeous materials, and richly detailed with colorful fabric lining, delicate knots, and sophisticated ruffles, these shoes are perfect whether you’re going to a late-summer beach party or an evening gala. Prices range from $129 to $249.

The biggest revelation, though - once you’ve seen the shoes - is just how eco-friendly they are. In fact, Charmoné focuses on making the shoes ethical on a number of levels. They are cruelty-free - no animal products are used; eco-friendly - the materials and factories that they work with use sustainable manufacturing practices; and sweatshop-free - their shoes are made in Italy, Brazil, and Los Angeles.

Compassion for animals, the planet, and people: Hard to argue with that, especially since the shoes are so fantastic!  

Fantastic Toe recently sat down for a Q&A with Lauren Carroll, the co-founder of Charmoné, to learn a bit more about the company:

Fantastic Toe: You used to work in Silicon Valley. How did you decide to start a shoe company?

Lauren Carroll: For a number of years, I had talked to many friends who were vegan and vegetarian and I sometimes made snarky comments to them like “You don’t eat hamburgers but you wear leather shoes.” An old friend’s response to me was interesting: She said there really were no good non-leather options for a fashion-conscious person.  I thought that sounded like an interesting concept and opportunity. After some light research, I brought my friend and partner Jodi Koskella into the idea. Jodi and I had worked together in Silicon Valley a few years earlier, and she and I shared a love of design and fashion and an entrepreneurial spirit. We developed a business plan and Charmoné was born. 

FT: What are your inspirations for the designs/fabrics of your shoes?

LC: We take inspiration from many avenues. When we started, Art Deco and Beaux Arts were strong influences. As we developed, we were very inspired by traveling in Europe and by the Italian artisans we work with. Also, our ability to digitally print on organic cotton has allowed us to add more intense color and organic-inspired design.

FT: I think most people who didn’t know it would be surprised to learn that your shoes are made of vegan materials. Are you reaching a broader audience than you originally envisioned?

LC: When we launched Charmoné, our primary goal was that people love the shoes. We envisioned that they would be drawn to the styling and design and we tried to put a unique element into every design.

When we are in stores that do not have a vegan or eco orientation, I believe that design is the driving factor for the customer. What we found from our online business is that most of our customers are passionate about animal rights and/or the environment.

FT: How about the materials? It’s great that your shoes are somewhat water-resistant - are they also easier to care for/clean? Are any new processes or materials rocking the vegan shoe market?

LC: It’s true our shoes are not as susceptible to stains and water damage as suede or leather. The materials are strong, colorfast, beautiful, and rich-looking. Our newest development was finding a vendor here in the US who was able to digitally print color patterns on organic cotton. This was a huge breakthrough for us. The colors and patterns are bold and lovely. And the digital printing process is colorfast and more environmentally sound than using traditional practices to dye materials. We are always looking to push the envelope in terms of making our materials more fun and eco-friendly.

FT: Which of your shoes are popular this fall? 

LC: It’s a little early to tell for fall but the Cezanne seems to be very hot, along with our boots Darjeeling and Dragonwell. One of our hottest shoes of all time is our signature Cinnamon shoe.

FT: Are you a shoe lover? Can you tell us a bit about your approach to your personal shoe collection?  

LC: I definitely am a shoe lover. I don’t have a great shoe philosophy other than I always look for shoes that are unique in terms of their materials or adornments.  And now I’m always looking at interesting construction methods and really funky styling. I never go get a “black pump” - not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, I just have always liked more interesting shoes.

FT: Anything else you’d like to tell us about? Perhaps new styles, red-carpet sightings, new retailers, etc.?

LC: Actress Alex Meneses recently wore our Cinnamon model in the Be Ecochic Fashion Show Review, a fashion week event here in NYC.

Our shoes have been worn by a number of actresses and celebrities like Alicia Silverstone, Jessica Alba, Natalie Portman (prior to developing her own vegan line), and Leona Lewis.

As far as new styles, we’re always working on new styles and designs to add to our signature collections. We’re also looking at developing some licensing deals.