How to Find Your Size in Vegan Shoes (and Avoid Returns)

How to Find Your Size in Vegan Shoes (and Avoid Returns)

Getting your size right is the single most important thing you can do before ordering vegan shoes online. Not because returns are difficult — we make them as easy as possible — but because getting it right the first time saves you time, saves us time, and honestly saves a little bit of the planet too.

After 18 years of making vegan shoes in Portugal, we have learned a few things about how sizing works — and where people go wrong. Here is everything you need to know.

Start with the Size Note on the Product Page

Every NAE shoe has a size note on its product page. This is not a generic disclaimer — it is specific guidance written for that exact style, based on how it fits in real life.

Some shoes run true to size. Some run slightly narrow. Some have a roomier toe box. Some are designed to be worn with or without socks. We tell you all of this on the product page because we want you to order the right size the first time.

If the size note says “runs small — order one size up”, believe it. This note exists because we have seen the returns data. We know which styles run true and which do not.

Measure Your Foot — the Right Way

Your shoe size is not the same in every brand or every style. The only reliable reference point is the length of your actual foot in centimetres or inches.

Here is how to measure it: stand on a piece of paper with your heel against a wall, mark the tip of your longest toe, measure the distance from the wall to the mark. That is your foot length.

Once you have your measurement in centimetres or inches, use the NAE size guide to find your correct size. You will find it on every product page and in our size guide section.

Vegan Materials and Fit — What You Need to Know

One question we hear often: do vegan shoes stretch like leather shoes?

The honest answer is — it depends on the material. Some of our materials have a small amount of natural give. Others are more structured and will not stretch significantly over time. This is why the size note matters so much — we factor in the behaviour of each specific material when we write it.

Our cork styles — like LILOU, ZURIE and EDU Cork — have a particularly beautiful characteristic: the cork insole moulds gently to the shape of your foot over time. This means they get more comfortable with wear, not less.

Our recycled microfibre styles — like KARIO and BERLIN — are more structured. They fit well from the first wear and maintain their shape over time.

Our OnMicro Suede styles — like SUVA and SIDNEY — are soft and forgiving. They have a small amount of natural give and generally feel comfortable from day one.

Still Not Sure? Ask Us.

If you have read the size note, checked your foot measurement and you are still not certain — please ask us before you order. We would genuinely rather help you get it right the first time than process a return.

Tell us your foot length in centimetres or inches, which style you are considering, and what width your foot is — narrow, regular or wide. We will give you an honest recommendation.

A Word on Returns — Honest and Brief

We offer free returns and exchanges. We mean it and we make it easy. If something does not fit, we will sort it out.

But we want to be transparent about something. Every return has a cost — not just financially, but environmentally. A shoe that travels back and forth uses packaging, transport and processing. It is not a disaster, but it is something worth thinking about.

This is not said to make you feel guilty if you need to return something. Sometimes you do everything right and the fit still is not quite what you expected — and that is okay. We are here for that.

Quick Summary — How to Get Your Size Right

Getting the right size is the beginning of a good relationship with a shoe. We want you to love yours from the first wear. That is why we are honest about fit — and why we are always happy to help.