Mountain here, the founder and designer of Carets. I wanted to dive into 2 details of the Ares Derby Dress Boot that I think you’ll appreciate: the pull tab on the heel, and Oxblood Pull-Up leather.

At first glance, the pull tab on the heel seems like such a minor detail, but there were so many design choices that went into it.

First, the material: the upper’s leather. I loved how the upward curve and taper of the heel counter draws your eyes up. It seemed most natural to simply extend it, and turn it into the heel pull tab.

Second, notice how the heel pull tab is flush against the boot. This gives you a neater appearance. Functionally, It’s easier to find the pull tab without looking, because it’s always in the same place: flush against the boot.

Third, the generous opening. From trying multiple pull tabs, I noticed that sticking a finger through a pull tab is more effective than pinching a pull tab between fingers. So I made sure the opening was large enough to stick a finger through. The leather material and flush-against-boot design also helps here.

Fourth, the attachment. Many leather pull tabs are attached to the boot with just stitches. Given the stress that a pull tab endures, I didn’t think this was a strong enough attachment. Instead, our pull tab is sandwiched between the upper and liner leather, and then all three are stitched together.

Another boot, using only stitches to affix the pull tab:

Ares in Natural Pull-Up, using the upper and liner to sandwich the pull tab:

Fifth, the height. I liked the look and function of a taller tongue, as it serves as a front pull tab, as well as a little bit more protection from the elements. Having the pull tab stick above the topline just a little bit provides an aesthetic balance to the taller tongue.

And that’s the heel pull tab for the Ares: a small feature, thoughtfully designed.

Oxblood Pull-Up Details

We recently revised the Ares in Oxblood Pull-Up to have brown details instead of black details.

Ares Oxblood Pull-Up w/ Black Details:

What do we mean by black details? Black outsole, black laces, black thread, and black eyelets. This is the same as our oxblood shoes. 

Apollo Oxblood w/ Black Details:

However, because dress boots are less formal than dress shoes, it makes more sense for an oxblood boot to have brown details (which are more casual): brown outsole, brown laces, brown thread, and brass eyelets. 

Ares Oxblood Pull-Up w/ Brown Details:

Using brown details with oxblood boots falls in line with the majority of other bootmakers. 

You might also have noticed that the leather looks a bit different, too. The new one is lighter overall, with more contrast between light and dark, and a more dramatic pull-up effect.

The Ares in Oxblood Pull-Up is the best seller out of the whole Aurelius Collection, so I want to make sure these were the right choices. Please let me know what you think, especially if you have a pre-order for it!

Thanks for tuning in to this dive into details behind the Ares design.