Adelante Shoe Co
Adelante Shoe Co specializes in handcrafted, made-to-order leather shoes for men and women, including boots, sandals, and loafers. Each pair is meticulously crafted at their workshop in Pastores, Guatemala, with inclusive sizing options and a commitment to paying artisans more than twice the local wage.
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Adelante Shoe Co · Jun 21
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Adelante Shoe Co · Jun 17
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Adelante Shoe Co · Jun 04
Adelante Shoe Co customer service
Use any of the convenient means below to contact Adelante Shoe Co customer service.
| Phone | (716) 265-0645 |
| Web | https://adelanteshoes.com/pages/help |
Adelante Shoe Co jobs
Adelante Shoe Co. is a fast growing social impact start-up looking to redefine ethical fashion. Individuals looking to join our team should be passionate, driven, and willing to do what it takes to make a difference in the world.
View current Adelante Shoe Co jobs
Headquarters
1770 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
(716) 265-0645
Returns
Do I need a receipt to return an item?
If you'd like to start an exchange or return for store credit, please include your order number and anything we need to know about why you're exchanging. The order number serves as your receipt.
How will I receive my refund?
They offer free exchanges until they get it right, or return for store credit. Refunds appear to be primarily offered as store credit rather than refunds to original payment method.
How do I start a return online?
Fill out the form on their help page and they'll be in touch within 24 hours on business days. Remember, they offer free exchanges until they get it right.
Editor's Take
So here's the thing about Adelante Shoe Co-it's basically what happens when someone decides capitalism doesn't have to be a race to the bottom. And honestly? The concept is kind of brilliant.
They handcraft leather goods one at a time at their workshop in Pastores, Guatemala, with no factories and no mass production. But what really sets them apart is this thing called the Living Well Line. Their craftsmen earn more than twice the local wage plus benefits like healthcare and savings accounts. That's not just feel-good marketing-they've actually become the largest formal employer in town.
The made-to-order model is where things get interesting. Their inclusive size and width options mean you never have to compromise on fit or comfort. We're talking sizes up to 17 and widths to EEEEE. If you've ever struggled to find shoes that actually fit, you know how rare that is. And they don't just take your order and disappear-you receive personal updates while your artisan handcrafts your shoes, complete with videos and bios of the actual person making your footwear.
The collection covers boots, sandals, loafers, and more, all in vegetable-tanned leather. Prices range from $205 to $285, which positions them somewhere between fast fashion and luxury-basically, you're paying for quality craftsmanship and an ethical supply chain without the designer markup.
Now, there's a catch. Free shipping takes 12 weeks on made-to-order items. That's not Amazon Prime territory. But if you're the kind of person who values knowing exactly who made your shoes and that they were paid fairly for their work, that wait might feel worth it.
The founder, Peter Sacco, spent years working in Latin America-first with nonprofits, then the State Department-before deciding that for-profit business could actually create more sustainable change than traditional aid work. Adelante was born from the realization that capitalism can be both the cause of and the solution to our greatest social challenges. It's an ambitious premise, but when you look at what they've built in Pastores, it's hard to argue with the results.