Frequently Asked Questions

Orders

After placing your order, a confirmation page will appear and you will be sent an email receipt. Better yet, if you sign up for an account, it will be shown in your purchase history.

Yes, you can make changes to your order until you get the shipping confirmation by email. Please email us at info@alterreny.com.

You will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking number once your shoes are shipped. If for any reason you are concerned about your package, send us an email and weʻll get back to you as soon as we can.

We place some of our styles on sale seasonally and put the ones that are soon to be discontinued in clearance. We calculate our sale prices by discounting from the original price of a base or strap.

All of our shoe combinations are the prices of both the strap and shoe base combined. Sometimes a shoe combination can have a strap that's in clearance, but not the base shoe. Meaning the price reflected accounts for just the strap being 65% off. 

Please note that all of our sale items are also final sale. If it is your first purchase, we're happy to exchange it for a different size or a different style that is equal to or lesser than the value of the shoe you purchased.

Yes! If you bought an item that went on sale or a further reduction within 7 days of your order, we're happy to refund you the difference in price. Just email us at info@alterreny.com.

Our online inventory is being continuously updated, but on rare occasions we may run out of something before our system is updated.  If that happens, we will gladly reimburse you or work with you to find a comparable item.

When an item is on pre order it means that our wonderful team in Brazil is still working hard to manufacture our products and send it to us.  Weʻll put the items online because we want you to get first dibs on our product, and we will prioritize youʻre shipment to get it to you as soon we do.

We process our orders through Shopify by default and Paypal, Google or Amazon Pay if you choose it at checkout. We process international orders through Stripe. Each company individually encrypts the credit card information so that we don’t ever have your full details. If your credit card company sends a notification that someone in Nebraska is purchasing furniture with your Amex, don’t worry, it’s not us.

We do! If you are looking for shoes for runway shoes, photoshoots, or bridal parties, please contact us at info@alterreny.com. We offer a sliding scale discount based on how many shoes you are ordering, starting at 20% off.

Shipping

Domestic

We offer FREE shipping to all US states through UPS Ground. Orders ship from our warehouse partner in Jacksonville, FL. Please allow 1-2 business days for your order to be processed. Orders ship out at 5pm ET every weekday, so please contact us to make any changes to your order before that time. Most orders will arrive within 2 - 3 business days. We will provide a tracking number via email so you can keep tabs on your order once it's shipped.

 

US Territories

We ship to the following US territories and military bases through UPS or USPS, shipping charges apply:

  • American Samoa
  • Guam
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Puerto Rico
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Micronesia
  • Marshall Islands
  • Palau
  • Armed Forces Pacific
  • Armed Forces Europe
  • Armed Forces Americas

  

UK, Canada, Australia

We offer FREE shipping to the UK, Canada and Australia via UPS. You can also pay for expedited shipping through DHL. Please note that the customs and duty fees are charged at checkout.

Orders ship from our warehouse partner in Jacksonville, FL in 1-2 business days. Please contact us before 5pm ET to make any changes to your order before it ships out. We will provide a tracking number via email so you can stay up to date on your order once it's shipped.

If you are mistakenly charged duties or customs when your package arrives please contact us so we can refund you the amount that was double charged.

 

All Other Countries

We offer shipping through DHL or UPS to most countries (list of exclusions) and make international shipping easier by charging the customs and duty fees at checkout.

Orders ship from our warehouse partner in Jacksonville, FL in 1-2 business days. Please contact us before 5pm ET to make any changes to your order before it ships out. We will provide a tracking number via email so you can stay up to date on your order once it's shipped.

If you are mistakenly charged duties or customs when your package arrives please contact us so we can refund you the amount that was double charged.

With the exception of pre-orders, your order will ship in 1-2 business days of it being placed. If there are any delays in shipping we will contact you.

Yes, as long as it is in the United States.

Unfortunately we cannot offer shipments to multiple addresses at this time.

Returns/Exchanges

Having second thoughts about your purchase? It’s OK – we are here to help!

If for any reason you are not satisfied with your order, please visit our returns center to start a return. Please do not return any orders without using the returns center first.

We will accept any unworn items fully packaged within 30 days of your order date unless it is a sale item. All "sale" and "clearance" items are final sale. We do not offer returns on gift cards.

We cover return shipping on first orders and all exchanges made within the US. We do not offer free returns for all other countries at this time and you will have to return your purchase with your own shipping label. Please note that customs and duty fees are not refundable at this time.

We understand that you will be trying on the shoes to see if they fit, but if you decide to return them, they need to return in the same condition they were received. That means products must be returned in the original packaging. Any products returned that cannot be restocked because of light wear will be recycled and a $75 recycling fee will be deducted from your return. This fee helps us cover some of our processing costs in donating shoes we cannot sell to women in need via Soles 4 Souls.

To avoid this charge, we suggest you try the shoes on a carpeted area and wipe the bottoms of the shoes with a damp paper towel afterwards if they look a little scuffed. We do not refund shoes that have been worn outside or show extensive wear. If you have any doubts please feel free to send us a picture, we don't want you to have any surprises about your return!

Please note it can take 3 - 5 business days to process your return after your package has been received at our warehouse partner. You will be notified by email once your refund has been applied.

No, we currently are only available online. Our items will need to be shipped back to us in order for us to reimburse you.

The refund will be applied to the credit card or other method of payment initially used to make the purchase. Please note that depending on your financial institution, it may take an additional 2-10 business days after your credit is applied for it to be reflected on your statement if you used a credit card (up to 30 days for internationally-issued cards). 

We understand that you will be trying on the shoes to see if they fit, but if you decide to return them, they need to return in the same condition they were received. That means products must be returned in the original packaging. Any products returned that cannot be restocked because of light wear will be recycled and a $75 recycling fee will be deducted from your return. To avoid this, we suggest you try the shoes on a carpeted area and wipe the bottoms of the shoes with a damp paper towel afterwards if they look a little scuffed. We do not refund shoes that have been worn outside or show extensive wear. If you have any doubts please feel free to send us a picture, we don't want you to have any surprises about your return!

We are happy to exchange your order within 30 days of the original order date. The return shipping will be free on all exchanges.

If your original order was made with a promotion that is no longer running, please contact us so we can manually process it.

 

Exchanging for a New Size:

If you are exchanging for a different size please request it through our returns center.

 

Exchanging for a New Style:

If you want to exchange for a different style, please request a return through our returns center and place a new order the new style.

 

Exchanges on Final Sale Items:

If you bought your first pair on sale, we understand the sizing may not have worked out. We offer exchanges based on availability and will cover shipping back to you once you return them. Please email us at info@alterreny.com so we can process your exchange.

If you need help with returning or exchanging your order, please feel free to email us at info@alterreny.com. We will get back to you within 24 hours.

Our Shoes

Alterre is the only customizable shoe brand which allows you to change the straps between different heel heights, instead of with only the same type of shoe. Our straps are interchangeable between high heels, sandals, flats, boots and mid heels.

We name each style of strap after a woman we are inspired by. Click on their names to learn more about them.

Check out our awesome how-to video.

Yes! We've designed our looks to work on all of our heel heights. The only exception are our boots, pumps, and ballet flats, where only certain straps will fit.

Of course! As long as they are also using an Alterre base and share the same shoe size.

We carry US women's shoe sizes 5 - 11, with select half sizes. Our shoes generally run a little small, as most dress shoes do. Especially if you are used to wearing sneakers or being barefoot most of the time. That's why we recommend sizing up if you are a half or wide size.

We recommend checking out our handy size guide for more details.

Shopping internationally? Please see our international size chart.

We are former high heel wearers ourselves, but know they aren't good for your feet. That's why we design mostly mid-heel heights.

  • 3/4" : ballet flats, chelsea boots
  • 1.5" : slides, loafers, sandals
  • 2.5" : mules
  • 3" : v mules, open toe heels, stilettos, boots, twist sandals
  • 3.5" : lo platforms, 1/2" platform

The outside of most of our shoes are made of genuine calf skin or kid suede, with a synthetic leather lining. Most of our soles are synthetic, but some are made of leather like the loafers, stilettos, twist sandals, and boots.

We are currently transitioning all of our non-vegan shoes to have leather lining and a composite leather sole.

Our non-leather shoes are made of fabric with synthetic leather lining and soles. Many are vegan and/or made with recycled or reclaimed materials.

The inside of the heel is a recycled plastic composite, but the outside of the heel is covered in real leather or fabric depending on the shoe.

Yes! Our team at Alterre cares about the safety and comfort of our shoes, especially because it has an detachable component.

We've tested with women of different sizes and background to make sure our product is something we can be proud of. We would love to hear your opinion if you think there is anything we can do to improve.

If for any reason the stud on the bottom of your heels fall off, contact us at info@alterreny.com and weʻll send you a handy dandy stud repair kit.

If you need any other repair we suggest sending your shoes to The Cobblers if you don't have a local shoe repair shop. Please note they do not repair our shoe studs.

Our shoes last approximately 1-2 years with moderate use. The rubber soles never wear out but after repeated use the leather may begin to look worn. If you have one of our leather sole stilettos or boots we recommend getting a sole guard placed on the outsole to extend its lifespan, which most shoe repair stores can do for you. Please feel free to contact us at info@alterreny.com with any specific shoe care questions!

Yes! We will replace your shoes within 90 days if there is a factory defect, ie. the heels breaking off, constant squeaking etc. Please email us at info@alterreny.com with any issues you are having with your shoes and we can determine if it's within our warranty.

In the event the metal stud on the outsole comes off, just order one of our free repair kits anytime.

We suggest wiping them with a damp cloth for any minor dirt or residue.

Our suede holds up pretty well (we have even worn them in the rain) and is better for hiding scuffs than our regular leather, however you can spray them with a shoe protector spray like this one to keep your shoes looking newer longer. This spray is for both leather and suede, however keep in mind the spray may make your shoes slightly darker.

Ethics

After reaching out to several factories across the world and multiple factors ended up leading us towards Brazil. We found that the factory we chose was extremely professional, transparent in regards to contributing information as to how they treat their employees and how they produce their products, and respected us as women with a serious vision. We also loved that everyone working at the factory was happy and willing and enthusiastic to contribute to our ideas.

Sustainability is one of our core values, if you would like to check out all of the details please visit our Social Responsibility page.

Fair labor means that the factory where our products are produced pay their workers fair wages, and we pay a little more money to make sure our shoes aren’t making women bleed.

To the best of our knowledge, the factory is working in accordance to Brazilian laws and health codes. When we visited, everyone was smiling and happy, and there were even plants hanging in the windows! They have also signed our Supplier Code of Conduct. 

We currently do not have a take back program, but can suggest a few options. For lightly worn pairs we suggest sending them to Soles 4 Souls. Zappos even provides a free shipping label. For pairs that are too worn to be donated, we suggest sending them to ForDays for recycling. They have a Take Back Bag you can buy and transform into shopping credit when you send your shoes in. Now that's what we call circular fashion!

We actually use recycled plastic in all of our heels and lasts! But yes it is still plastic. Wooden heels are heavier and more expensive than plastic, and it would make it harder for us to insure that we are giving you consistent quality if we were to use them. Not using handmade wooden heels maintains a more affordable price point for you as well.

Of course we do! You can check out our company's Code of Ethics, Employee Code of Conduct, and Retaliation in the Workplace Policy if you're interested.

Other Programs

We want to make it as simple as possible for you to buy a pair of Alterres. That's why we've partnered with Sezzle so you can buy our shoes in 4 easy payments with 0% interest. Find out more on our Sezzle Layaway Program page.

Share Alterre with your friends and earn $35 towards new shoes when your friend places their first order. The best part is that they get $35 off too! There isn't a limit on how many friends you refer, so start earning your new pair by making your first referral. The referral program is currently only available to customers in the US.