FAQs
How long will it take to get my shoes?
We typically ship within 1 business day. Most orders are delivered within 3-5 business days, depending on where you live.
We ship from South Carolina, so if you're close, you might get your order in 2 days. If you live on the West Coast, it may take 5 days, but we'll get them to you fast and free no matter what.
How much is shipping?
Shipping is on us! So the price you see in your cart is the price you'll pay -- there are no hidden fees or shipping charges. If you need to exchange an item for a different size, we'll pay for shipping both ways on the exchange, too, so you can order today with confidence.
How do I make sure I'm getting the right size?
Belts: To get the perfect fit, grab a tape measure and a belt from your closet. Measure from the end of the leather (at the end with the buckle) to the hole you normally use. That number, in inches, should be the belt size you order. As a rule of thumb, your belt size will be 4-6" bigger than your normal pants size. (e.g., I wear a size 30 in jeans, but wear a 34" or 36” belt).
Shoes: We use European sizing. If you normally wear a half size, consider going down a size, since natural leather will stretch slightly. If the shoe has laces (most of ours do), you can open up the shoe slightly to accommodate a wider foot as well. But the best way to know for sure is to get a ruler or a measuring tape.
You'll need:
- a sheet of paper
- a pencil
- a ruler
- a friend (optional, but helpful)
Wear the kind of sock you normally wear with this type of shoe, and step on the paper. Draw the outline, taking care not to angle your pencil in or out—try to get the actual shape and size of your foot transferred to the paper.
Then, measure the longest part of your foot using a ruler. If you have a ruler with centimeters on it, that might be easier!
Finally, check this chart to see what size you need:
| INCHES | 10" | 10.25" | 10.5" | 10.75" | 11.25" | 11.5" | 11.75" |
| US SIZE | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| EU SIZE | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| CM | 25.5 cm | 26 cm | 27 cm | 27.5 cm | 28.5 cm | 29.5 cm | 30 cm |
What if I need a different size?
Exchanges are easy and free. Here's the fastest way to make an exchange:
- Order the new shoes in the size you want. Don't worry if the price is different -- we'll refund it to you once we get the first pair back.
- Send an e-mail to returns@polished.shoes. Please include:
- Your order number.
- Which pair(s) you need to exchange.
- The reason for the exchange (e.g., you need a bigger size.)
- We will send you a pre-paid return label which you can use to return the original pair(s).
- As soon as we receive the return in original condition, we'll issue a refund to your card for the full amount. We'll pay shipping both ways.
If you don't want to buy another pair and get a refund for the first pair, just let us know that in your email, and tell us what you want in exchange. We'll send you the replacement pair as soon as we get the first pair back. This takes longer but it means you don't have to pay for the second pair and then get a refund later.
Where are your shoes made?
Our shoes are made in the south of Brazil, in a region known for its generations of artisan leatherworkers.
Who makes your shoes?
Our workshops employ skilled craftsmen, working for fair wages, under good working conditions. We (Tim & Niko, the owners) think it's important for people to earn a living wage and have a good quality of life, both inside and outside of work, and we do what we can to ensure that. The stuff you hear about in other countries—child labor, forced labor, subsistence wages... we don't want anything to do with that. Our shoemakers are good, honest people, making a living doing what they love and know best: making the finest leather goods in the region.
What makes your shoes different?
All of our shoes are made with 100% real leather (see below for the benefits). In most cases, even the linings and insoles are leather—something you don't see with most other shoe brands. Our shoes are unique. All of our shoes are small-batch original designs. Typically we're making only a few hundred of a particular shoe, so you shouldn't expect to see a duplicate showing up on your neighbor.
Why real leather? (What are the advantages of real leather vs. synthetic materials?)
Real leather. Bonded leather. Synthetic (PU) leather. Fabric. Other man-made materials. You have lots of choices when it comes to what your shoes might be made of.
Our shoes are made of hand-selected, high-quality full-grain leather.
Bonded leather is basically scraps that are glued together with a binder. Most bonded leathers contain only 10-20% real leather. Bonded leather tends to get hard and crack after time. So you don't want shoes made with bonded leather.
PU (faux, or synthetic) leather doesn't breathe, making it hotter in summer and colder in winter, since your foot can't regulate its temperature naturally inside what is essentially a plastic bag. You don't want PU (synthetic, or faux) leather.
There's a whole range of fabrics, some of which can be ok, but they will never match the durability, flexibility, or style of genuine leather. If the whole upper (including lining and insole) is made of leather, it will be more comfortable in all seasons, since your foot breathes and regulates temperature more easily. The shoe will stretch and shrink slightly, even changing with your foot throughout the day. (Most people's feet swell over the course of the day, meaning the synthetic-made shoe that was comfortable in the morning is no longer comfortable in the afternoon or evening! But a high quality leather shoe will adapt with your foot all day long, giving you support without constraining you.)
Real leather shoes feel like an extension of your body, keeping your feet dry and comfortable in ways synthetic materials can't match. For proof, try wearing our shoes without socks. You might never go back!