About

 

We believe the clothes and shoes you wear can impact the way you feel, and while we love the timeless elegance of vintage footwear, most of what we found available were heels or low quality, unflattering and uncomfortably flat flats. We found that prolonged wear of these kinds of shoes on a day to day basis can lead to discomfort, inconvenience and in some cases, bunions and pain!

Our mission is to make elegance effortless, every single day. At Charlie Stone shoes, we aspire to empower women with the right balance of vintage class and modern practicality so they can conquer the world in their own signature style. 

 

THE ORIGINAL CHARLIE STONE BLUEPRINT

    Charlie Stone Shoes vintage retro 1920-50's flats with hidden wedge great for heel pain and tendonitis

    The concept is simple - "like vintage heels... without the heel". Our mission is to give you both maximum elegance and comfort so you never have to compromise.

    How we do this:

    1. Elegant uppers inspired by 1920-50's
    2. Our unique midsole with hidden wedge elevates the heel gently on a cushioned footbed to alleviate heel pain and tendonitis
    3. Chaff-free low ankle straps
    4. Wide and roomy toebox

     

    OUR NEW BIOMECHANICAL INSOLE

    Charlie Stone Shoes biomechanical supportive insole for better foot health
    In an effort to continue improving the comfort of our shoes, we also introduced a new biomechanical insole in some new styles in 2024, with plans to continue creating more styles that can use this support insole. What does this insole have that others don't?
    • Midfoot arch support to help balance the body's weight and pressure across the foot in a better way
    • Metatarsal pad/dome that helps to reduce too much pressure falling at the ball of foot
    • Cuboid notch to help provide more overall stability
    • Heel cup that supports, cushions and absorbs shock at the heel to help prevent heel pain 

      Where it all began

      Started by Sydney local Samantha Capello and originally created to accommodate her own busy feet and sore knees, the Charlie Stone concept was born when Samantha struggled to find a comfortable alternative to vintage heels outside of paper thin ballet flats, brogues and chunky sandals - shoes that looked like what we all perceive as flats, and all of which were not designed to capture the same elegance that we find in vintage heels. After a fruitless search, she decided to take matters into her own hands and design her perfect shoe.

      As for the name, Charlie Stone was created accidentally when Samantha heard her husband say 'charlie stone' when pronouncing 'charleston' in his heavy italian accent!

      Where we are based

      Charlie Stone used to be based in Australia with Samantha when she resided there, but then was moved to Singapore when she relocated there and decided to move the business with her. Since Charlie Stones are shipped to many different corners of the world, she also relocated the warehouse from Australia to China to close the distance between the warehouse and our delivery destinations and provide more efficient shipping times.

      Manufacturing ethically

      We manufacture our shoes with the same boutique factory in China that works predominantly with vintage reproduction brands and prides themselves in small volume high quality productions. We love working with them because of their commitment to maintaining excellence in their work environment, worker conditions and wages, focus on quality and 'slow manufacturing' (rather than fast mass productions that create a lot of waste), and consistent updating of equipment and manufacturing techniques to minimise impact on the environment. 

      Doing our best to minimise our footprint

      If you've ever bought from us, you'll know that the way we package our shoes is a little different from others. We've reduced 48% of paper packaging versus the traditional way of packing shoes, only using recycled tissue paper where absolutely necessary to protect the shoes. 

      We are now transitioning to new shoeboxes which are made with recycled cardboard and act as both the shoebox AND the shipping carton, reducing the need for extra packaging waste!

      What we do with discontinued, returns or defective goods

      The fashion industry is notorious for throwing away goods that have slight defects, are returned or are simply too old in their sale rack. We HATE this and will NEVER trash any shoes that are still able to be repaired (in fact, we've yet to trash any shoes since we started the business). Here's how we avoid throwing anything away:

      • Any discontinued pairs remain on sale until they are sold, no matter what year or collection they came from
      • Any returned items are checked then repackaged and sold at a discount under our Returns Warehouse section
      • Any pairs with a slight defect are repaired (if you receive a defective pair, we will cover the cost of repair)
      • Any pairs with a slight defect that a customer prefers to replace is donated to a local charity shop