Frequently Asked Questions

Boot Tongue Sliding to Side?

Shipping, Returns, Exchanges

365-day "Test Drive" We give you 365 days (one whole year!) to decide whether Carets are your new favorite shoes. Unlike other shoe companies, we're okay with you wearing your...

Return for Reasons Other than Sizing?

We’d be happy to help you with a return! Please reply to any of your order emails, or use the chatbox on the bottom-right of this website. We'll ask you...

Determination Outsole Exposed Stitches?

It makes sense to be concerned about these stitches being exposed to the ground, where they can be worn away with friction. However, we feel like this is the better...

No Elastic Boot Laces?

Elastic laces are awesome, but if you want to have the "slip on" function, it will only work with fewer eyelets. Elastic laces work really well with styles like chukkas, which only...

Why is DETERMINATION Not a Farm Boot?

You might have noticed in various reviews that people are using the Determination in soft ground with no issues. The reason why we don't promote them as field-friendly is because we...

Nubuck Care?

Nubuck is a very low maintenance leather. In general, smooth grain leather uses different products from hairy nappy leather (e.g. nubuck, suede, roughout). Nubuck is smooth grain leather that is...

Green Insole Cushioning?

  Translated to English: Comfort technology in every step!5 to 10% recycled rubberAntifungalWear resistantLight and Breathable

Pre-Order Status / ETA?

Shoes have arrived at our 3PL warehouse! Here’s our estimated remaining timeline: Sep 21: 3PL warehouse receives shoes Once your shoes have been received by our 3PL warehouse, we will email...

Shoes Too Big? (Carets.com)

"Exchange" for smaller size. Sorry for the fit issues! No worries, we're here to help with all the guidance and solutions we offer you. How Should My Shoes Fit? The...

Toe Cleavage?

“Toe Cleavage” refers to the gaps between your toes, made visible in shoes with a low-cut vamp. When it comes to pumps, this is probably the most polarizing feature. Some...

Removing / Replacing Insole?

Do you want to remove and replace our insoles with your own? I'll give you the best of my knowledge here. However, please proceed with caution, as this modification voids...

Dress Boots Waterproof?

Our Ares Dress Boots will hold up as well as similarly styled leather boots, such as Red Wing Iron Rangers, Wolverine 1000 Mile, Thursday Boots, Viberg Service Boots, etc. Actually,...

Ethical Manufacturer?

Our shoe manufacturer pays above market wages and factory workers have a good working environment. As a bonus, they’re in the midst of getting certified for being a corporation that...

How to Use Shoe Trees?

Here are 4 tips on how to use shoe trees, with more explanation below. The left shoe tree goes in the left shoe, and the right shoe tree goes in the right shoe....

Glue for Outsole Repair?

We recommend Aquaseal+SR (Shoe Repair) by Gear Aid brand. It is easier to work with, doesn't have a strong chemical smell, and has the strongest bond. We do NOT recommend...

Which Style?

Falcon Wingtip is the best for showing off a little. The intricate detailing also makes it more aesthetically resilient. Fer Cap-Toe is the best-seller. Some prefer it over the Zetone...

Shoes Too Small? (Carets.com)

"Exchange" for bigger size. Sorry for the fit issues! No worries, we're here to help with all the guidance and solutions we offer you. Did you try without the insole? All...

Construction Method?

Carets oxfords are made with Board-Lasted Cement construction, which sets them apart from most dress shoes and barefoot shoes. Anglo-American style dress shoes are usually Goodyear Welt. Italian style dress shoes are...

Leather Care?

Do Not Condition Brand-New Shoes It's unnecessary and can actually damage the finish. More details here: Do Not Condition Brand New Shoes - The Shoe Snob   Hybrid Approach: Professional +...

Topline Hitting Ankles?

Sorry to hear about the topline bothering your ankles! We know that the topline will break-in to a softness that is comfortable for you. However, we don’t want you to...

What Size?

Here's a couple things you can provide me to better help you choose a size. It really helps us to get answers to all 3 questions. This way, you'll have...

Sizing Across Versions?

Do you have an older version, and want to know how the newer versions fit? Every version we have between v1 and v4 are made on the same "last", which...

Wide Widths?

The W stands for Wide. All of our shoes are Wide width. Most of our customers already have wide feet, or their feet are going to get wider as they...

Half Sizes?

We don’t offer half sizes at the moment, and there are a couple reasons why.Since our shoes were first released in 2013, only a few customers have tried 2 sizes...

Larger Sizes than Available?

We don’t currently have plans to make bigger sizes than US Men's 14 Wide. Our end sizes such as 7, 13, and 14 are already very slow sellers. With our...

Smaller Sizes than Available?

We are planning to make US Men's 6 Wide, but don’t currently have plans to make men's shoes smaller than that. Our end sizes such as 7, 13, and 14...

Accessories to Optimize Fit?

Why do we sell accessories to optimize fit? Shouldn't they just fit perfectly out the box, with no modifications? Dress shoes are technically dress clothes, and share similar characteristics. Unlike puffy skate...

Index of Frequently Asked Questions

Size & Fit - Let's get you into the size of Carets that will fit you best.   Shipping & Returns - All about shipping, returns, exchanges, and refunds.  Use & Care...

No Complimentary Shoe Trees?

Carets no longer includes complimentary shoe trees. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. We sell shoe trees on our site. You can also purchase them elsewhere, as most...

No Pre-orders for the Outlet Store?

Pre-orders are not available for the Outlet Store. If the item you select says “OUT OF STOCK | PRE ORDER FOR NO PREORDERS ($n/a OFF)”, it's really out of stock. Please don't...

Wearing Without Socks?

Are these "barefoot" dress shoes meant to be worn without socks? No! When we say "barefoot", it has nothing to do with wearing socks, or not. "Barefoot" refers to the essential features...

Outlet Store Launch

We are currently processing shoes and organizing our Outlet Store for launch. My apologies, we are no longer accepting one-off requests for shoes from the Outlet Store prior to launch. One-off...

Men's Oxfords Versions 3.2, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2 C...

Version 4.0 marked a massive upgrade for Carets men's oxford dress shoes. The upgrade began when we found a new factory in Leon, Mexico, that specializes in stylish dress shoes. They immediately offered...

Color Rubbing Off Leather?

Why is the color rubbing off the leather of my shoes? Sorry if this took you by surprise! When we first got news about this, we were surprised too. But after getting our...

Are Carets Worth the Price?

Price is the most common hesitation people have before buying our shoes. There’s no getting around that - Carets are expensive. Our customers think they’re worth the price. Here’s why.They...

Pre-Conditioning Leather?

Our finishing department applies a light coat of cream to your shoes, so you do not need to condition your shoes before first wear. You can apply cream or polish for additional shine...

Matching Shoe Color with Your Pants, Suit, and ...

Here’s a great infographic that shows you which color shoes generally match with which color clothing.  For more detail, here is the full article. Now, think about what you'd like...

Why are all the women wearing heels in your video?

In our Indiegogo video, every single person that our main actor interacts with is wearing a traditional style shoe, women and men. The purpose of our shoe is to allow a...

Pre-orders / Crowdfunding

Our company was born through a crowdfunding campaign, where customers pledged money first. We're very supportive of this business model, both as makers and customers, because it helps small businesses...

Which Price?

Thanks for reaching out! I'm sorry about the confusion with pricing. The Main Store page shows the lowest priced variant of that product, and some of the sizes are on...

Swell Rewards Program?

We've decided to discontinue the Swell Rewards Program. If you'd like to redeem points you've earned while we had the program, please email care@carets.com for assistance. Thank you!  

QuadPay

Frequently Asked Questions about QuadPay Can you split the payments between different credit cards? Yes, you can do that on QuadPay, but you'll have to switch it over manually between...

Loafers? Chelsea Boots? Booties?

We've looked into developing loafers, chelsea boots, and booties. But we always hit a wall with them, because they lack fit adjustment, such as laces or straps. In conventional shoes,...

Matching Belts?

Here at Carets, we love items that look like just like the classic, but with improved functionality. We've just begun exploring the possibility of producing our own matching belts, but...

Vegan Option?

We are looking into this for 2026! Materials science is fascinating... In addition to traditional plastic-based vegan leather, scientists are developing leathers made of mushrooms, pineapples, and "real" leather grown in a lab (like...

Shoes for Women?

I’d like to invite you to subscribe to our special email newsletter, dedicated exclusively to the development of our new women’s shoes. We're not just relabeling our men's shoes with women's sizing,...

When will X be Available?

For every new product, we have to finish development with a final approved sample first. Only then can we take photos, list them for pre-order, and provide a realistic delivery...

Leather Outsole?

Why don't we use leather outsoles? First, leather is a very fickle material.  It's quite stiff at first and has a long break-in period. It's slippery to the point of...

Boots?

We're pretty much done with the upper design on our derby dress boots. They're being built on our next generation of shoes, with a completely new last and outsole, which...