Returns & Refunds

1. Two different policies

We sell in two ways, and the rules are not the same.

• Wholesale and bulk orders. Production orders from 30 pairs, sample orders and OEM orders. Cover is based on defects and shipment errors, not on changing your mind. See sections 2 to 8.
• Retail orders. Single pairs bought through our online shop by a consumer. These carry a 30-day return right. See section 9.

If you are unsure, look at your order confirmation. Any order of 30 pairs or more, or any order made to your own artwork or last, is a wholesale order.

2. Wholesale: the 14-day inspection window

You have 14 calendar days from arrival at the delivery address on your order to inspect the goods and report any problem. The arrival date is the one on the carrier’s proof of delivery.

Check the shipment as soon as it lands, even if you will not sell it immediately. Open at least one carton from each style and colour, count the pairs against the packing list and check the sizes. If the outer cartons are wet, crushed or re-taped, photograph them before opening and note the damage on the carrier’s delivery receipt. That note makes a transit claim far easier to win.

After 14 days we treat the shipment as accepted for visible defects, quantity and specification. Hidden defects that could not reasonably be found on inspection can still be raised for up to 90 days from arrival.

3. What counts as a defect

We will accept a claim where the goods show any of the following:

• Stitching failure. Broken, skipped or open seams; stitching that comes apart under normal handling.
• Sole separation. The sole lifts away from the upper, or the adhesive has failed.
• Colour deviation beyond the agreed tolerance. The production colour does not match the approved sample or swatch within the tolerance recorded in your order confirmation.
• Wrong size or style shipped. The carton contents do not match the packing list, or the size run differs from what you ordered.
• Short shipment. Fewer pairs arrived than the packing list and invoice state.
• Transit damage. Crushing, water damage or scuffing in transport, where the carton condition supports the claim.

4. Normal variation that is not a defect

Our shoes are handmade by our own craftsmen. Handmade work is not identical pair to pair, and small differences are part of the product rather than a fault. The following are not defects:

• Colour and grain variation between pairs, or against the approved sample, within the tolerance agreed for your order.
• Measurement differences of up to ±0.5 cm on any stated dimension, such as heel height, strap length or insole length.
• Natural markings in leather: growth lines, healed scars, insect marks, and differences in grain or absorption between hides.
• Normal wear, damage after use or incorrect storage, and damage caused by repackaging or re-labelling after arrival.

If a tighter tolerance matters to your market, tell us before production and we will record it in your order confirmation. We can only be held to a tolerance agreed in writing.

5. How to open a claim

Send one email to [email protected] with your order number in the subject line. A complete first email settles most claims within days; an incomplete one adds a week of back and forth.

What your email must include

• Your order number and the invoice number.
• The style code, colour and size affected.
• The quantity affected in pairs, and how many pairs you inspected.
• Photographs of the outer carton, showing the markings and any damage to the box.
• Photographs of the defect: one wide shot of the whole shoe and two close shots of the fault, in daylight and in focus.
• A photograph of the batch label inside the carton, so we can trace the production run.

What happens next

1. We confirm receipt of your claim within one business day.
2. Our quality team reviews the evidence and traces the batch, normally in 3 to 5 business days.
3. We may ask for 1 or 2 affected pairs back for inspection. If we ask, we pay the freight.
4. We give our decision in writing, with the remedy and the timing.
5. We carry out the agreed remedy. Please keep the affected goods until the claim is closed.

6. How we resolve claims

Where a claim is accepted, we offer one of three remedies:

• Replacement pairs in your next shipment. Our usual remedy: we remake the affected pairs and add them to your next order at no charge, avoiding a second freight cost.
• Credit note. The value of the affected pairs is credited against your next order. Credit notes are valid for 12 months.
• Refund. Where you do not plan to order again, or the fault affects a large part of the shipment, we refund the value of the affected pairs.

Claims are settled pair by pair. A fault in part of a shipment does not entitle you to reject the whole shipment, unless the defect rate exceeds 5 percent of the pairs in that style, in which case we will discuss a remedy for the full style.

7. Who pays return freight

We rarely ask buyers to ship cartons back to China: return freight often costs more than remaking the goods. The table shows who pays in each situation.

8. Items we cannot take back

The following are non-returnable, except where they are faulty:

• Custom and OEM production made to your own last, pattern, artwork or logo. We cannot sell these goods to anyone else.
• Goods made to a colour, material or size run you specified outside our standard range.
• Clearance and stock-lot items, sold as seen and marked final sale at the time of quotation.
• Goods worn, washed, altered, re-soled, re-labelled or re-boxed after arrival.
• Goods damaged after delivery by storage, sunlight, moisture or handling.

9. Retail returns (single pairs)

If you bought a single pair through our online shop, you may return it within 30 days of delivery for any reason.

• The shoes must be unworn, with clean soles, and in resaleable condition.
• They must be returned in the original box, with all straps, trims, dust bags and tags. Please do not use the shoe box as the shipping box.
• Email [email protected] with your order number before sending anything back, and we will confirm the return address.
• You pay the return shipping for an unwanted pair or size change. Use a tracked service; we cannot refund a parcel that never arrives.
• We pay the return shipping if the pair is faulty, damaged in transit or not what you ordered. We also refund the original shipping charge.
• Import duty you paid is a matter for your national customs office. We can supply the invoice you need to claim it back.

10. Refund method and timing

Approved refunds go back to the original payment method. A PayPal payment is refunded to the same PayPal account; a bank transfer to the account it came from. We cannot refund a different account or a third party.

We issue refunds within 5 to 10 business days of approving the claim, or of receiving returned retail goods. Your bank may take several more days to show the money. Bank charges on international transfers are deducted by the banks involved and are outside our control.

11. Cancelling an order

Production commits materials and craftsmen’s time, so the cost of a cancellation depends on how far the order has progressed.

• Before cutting starts. Full refund of your deposit. Tell us in writing as early as you can.
• After materials are cut. We deduct the cost of materials already cut and any trims bought specially for your order, and refund the balance. You receive a written breakdown first.
• After production is finished. The order cannot be cancelled. The balance remains payable and the goods ship as agreed.
• Sample fees are not refundable once the sample is made.

If a delay on our side is your reason to cancel, contact us first. We will usually agree a revised date or a partial shipment.