How to get the correct fit with VIBAe shoes
What a daunting task it can be to order shoes online!
“I love returning or exchanging stuff I bought online!” said NO ONE EVER.
It's our hope you´ll get the perfect fit!
“I love returning or exchanging stuff I bought online!” said NO ONE EVER.
It's our hope you´ll get the perfect fit!
First off, let us brag a little. Our return rate is only 12%. That is incredibly low, considering the return rate for online shoe retailers typically ranges from 20% to 35%.
We’ve done our best to help you choose the correct size when ordering, and we believe the comfort level of our shoes also plays a significant role in our low return rate.
Our shoes have a wide fit, designed to give your feet plenty of space. We like to think of the narrow-fit shoes out there as being comparable to wearing a pair of tight jeans, whereas stepping into our shoes is like trading those jeans for a pair of loose sweatpants and breathing a sigh of relief. That´s how your feet will feel, we promise!
So how do you get the size right, and when you receive your shoes, how do you know if they’ll be just right for your feet?
Our hand made leather shoes are crafted from vegetable-tanned, chromium-free leather.
Chromium-tanned leather, the most commonly used type, is produced in just one day. It offers durability and water resistance but poses environmental risks due to chromium pollution.
In contrast, producing chromium-free leather requires eight days. This meticulous process uses 100% vegetable tanning agents such as oak bark and chestnut, ensuring exceptional durability and quality without the use of harmful chemicals.
What does this mean for the look and fit of the shoes?
The leather is remarkably soft and will only get softer with wear. Our shoes won’t have that hard, sleek, and shiny appearance—quite the opposite. In fact, we've had instances where customers have returned shoes, mistaking the natural "wrinkled" look of chromium-free leather for signs of wear. This reflects how uncommon chromium-free leather still is. Most leather products are still made of chromium tanned leather due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, making this distinction noteworthy.
Shoes with character – uniquely yours!
Our soft leather develops character and moulds to your feet, offering space where needed and stretching as required to accommodate the contours of your feet. Also, especially in our popular Cognac Brown colour, the leather develops a unique patina over time, enhancing the shoes appearance.
As the leather will stretch up to a half a size, we do recommend a snug fit to start with. You might wonder about leaving extra room for your toes, a practice common with harder, less stretchable chromium tanned leather, but there´s no need.
To get the BEST VIBES from VIBAe shoes, the snug fit works best, since it will allow the Carbon Step™️ footbed and the chrome-free leather to work their magic with your feet.Choosing a larger size can prevent the footbed from properly supporting your feet and hinder the leather's ability to mould perfectly to your feet's contours.
Like all our leather models, the ZUMA Linen and ROMA Wool shoes will also stretch and soften with wear. If the ZUMA Linen or ROMA Wool stretch too much, you can always wash them in a gentle cycle in 30 degrees to get them back into their original shape.
One customer shared that she initially didn't grasp the concept of "moulding to your feet" until accidentally trying on a friend's identical pair of VIBAe shoes. The shoes just felt... WRONG! After putting on her own pair, she realized how perfectly her own pair conformed to every curve of her feet.
So, when trying on your shoes for the first time, it´s ok for your foot to fill the footbed completely, from heel to toe. You can test this out by taking the insole out and stepping on it. Does your foot fit nicely within the insole? Then you have the right size. The material on top will stretch where and if needed.
An example of this comes from a customer owning two pairs of HELSINKI boots, both in the same size. The other boots she wears with normal socks, the other with thick SAANA woollen socks. The woollen sock shoes are way too big with normal socks, since the leather has stretched to give room for the woollen socks.
TOP TIP for a High Foot Arch:
If you have a high arch, and the shoes feel tight at first, wear the shoes with thick woollen socks for a while. You can use the Zuma’s with their heel down to accommodate the sock. Watch the leather stretch!
VIBAe sizing:
We don´t have half sizes unfortunately. You might want to take one size bigger from your normal size, if you feel like A. your perfect size is half a size up, B. you want to wear your shoes with thicker socks or C. you prefer a looser feel on your shoes.
Remember, exchanging the shoe size is always an option, even though it's not ideal for anyone—neither us (considering the environmental impact and shipping costs) nor you (due to the time it takes).
People often say that the hardest part of life is making constant choices. We hope these tips make the decision-making process easier for you.
Please use the size chart we have provided and trust yourself—you know what's best for your feet!
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