Bourgeois Boheme
Rated: Great
Price: $$$
Location: UK
Quick verdict
Bourgeois Boheme was a pioneering vegan luxury shoe brand (est. 2005), artisan-made in Portugal, with innovative material use including Pinatex (pineapple leaf fibre) and celebrity fans including Emma Watson and Natalie Portman. The company was officially dissolved on 31 January 2023 per UK Companies House records. The website has been repurposed into "B_Boheme: The Art of Second Chances," a textile mending workshop business. This brand is no longer operational.
Key info
- Headquarters
- London, UK (was)
- Founded
- 2005
- Product categories
- Shoes, Vegan
- Price range
- $$$
- Key certifications
- PETA-Approved Vegan, Vegan Society Trademarked (historical; brand dissolved January 2023)
Bourgeois Boheme sustainability rating
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We Avoid) to 5 (Excellent). How we rate
Rating breakdown
Used Italian eco-friendly vegan leathers (PVC-free microfibre PU), Pinatex (pineapple leaf fibre), cork, EcoStone (natural slate), bio-polyoil seed-based linings, recycled rubber, and natural latex insoles. Innovative material choices for the era but still primarily synthetic PU-based.
Made in three hand-picked factories in Sao Joao da Madeira, Portugal. Founder personally visited factories. EU labour protections applied. However, no formal Code of Conduct, no living wage evidence, and limited supply chain tracing.
Made-to-order model reduced overproduction waste. Local EU manufacturing minimised transport emissions. Used eco-friendly materials. No water reduction, carbon reporting, or packaging minimisation programmes identified.
Named manufacturing region (Portugal) but no factory lists, no impact reports, no audit results. Limited supply chain tracing. Visited but didn't independently audit suppliers.
At £125-£285 (~$150-$340), pricing was competitive for artisan Portuguese-made vegan luxury shoes. Slightly above Will's Vegan Shoes and NAE Vegan, but justified by the craftsmanship quality and innovative materials.
What they do well
- True pioneer in vegan luxury footwear. Founded in 2005, Bourgeois Boheme was one of the earliest dedicated vegan luxury shoe brands globally, helping prove that vegan shoes could be premium, stylish, and desirable
- Innovative material adoption. Early adopter of Pinatex (pineapple leaf fibre), cork, EcoStone (natural slate for heel coverings), and bio-polyoil seed-based linings, pushing the boundaries of what vegan footwear materials could be
- Artisan Portuguese craftsmanship. Handcrafted by skilled artisans in Sao Joao da Madeira using traditional shoemaking techniques, with each style taking up to a year from design to finished product
- Celebrity endorsement and cultural impact. Worn by Emma Watson during the Beauty & the Beast press tour, Natalie Portman, and Bryan Adams on his Get Up world tour, and featured alongside Stella McCartney in British Vogue
Room for improvement
- Transparency gaps were significant. No published Code of Conduct, no factory lists, and no sustainability reports were ever established
- No living wage verification. Despite manufacturing in Portugal (an EU country with labour protections), no formal living wage assurance was in place
- Limited environmental reporting. No water reduction, carbon footprint measurement, or packaging reduction programmes were ever established
About Bourgeois Boheme
Alicia Lai, a qualified podiatrist who had been vegetarian for over a decade before going vegan in 2005, founded Bourgeois Boheme after being unable to find quality, stylish vegan footwear. She initially launched an online marketplace for vegan accessories before taking a two-year sabbatical (2012-2014) to raise her children, then relaunching exclusively as a vegan footwear brand. The name "Bourgeois Boheme" represented "unconventional sophistication," bridging the conventional middle class with the culturally avant-garde.
The brand used Italian eco-friendly vegan leathers (PVC-free, cotton-backed microfibre PU), Pinatex from Ananas Anam, natural cork, EcoStone (natural slate), bio-polyoil seed-based linings, natural latex insoles, and recycled rubber soles. Production took place in three hand-picked factories in Sao Joao da Madeira, Portugal, which Lai personally visited. Certifications included PETA-Approved Vegan and Vegan Society Trademarked (no B Corp). Shoes were priced at £125-£285 (~$150-$340).
The company was dissolved on 31 January 2023. Lai has pivoted to "B_Boheme: The Art of Second Chances," offering hands-on textile mending and Sashiko/Boro-style repair workshops, a continuation of her sustainability ethos in a different form.
Product highlights
George Oxford
Classic toe-cap Oxford with heritage detailing, wooden-look heel, Goodyear welt construction in Italian vegan leather
~£165-£195 (~$199-$240)
Burnished finish that impressively mimicked real leather; flagship men's style
William Classic Oxford
Streamlined dress shoe with asymmetrical design and decorative stitching
~£165-£195 (~$199-$240)
Bestseller; well-reviewed on Amazon for comfort straight out of the box
Matilda Black Pinatex
Women's shoe made from pineapple leaf fibre (Pinatex)
~£195 (~$230)
Showcase of innovative plant-based materials; demonstrated Pinatex could work in luxury footwear
Grace Chelsea Boot
Women's plum-coloured Chelsea boot
~£165 (~$199)
Demonstrated ability to combine classic silhouettes with bold colour choices
