FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Shipping

The anticipation is half the fun! Products will be dispatched within 5-7 working days, and you can expect them to sashay their way to your doorstep within 3-5 working days after that. Patience is a virtue, and fabulousness awaits!

Absolutely Free! For Australia.

For our Kiwi friends, we have a flat rate of just $20 per order for international shipping across the Tasman. We strive to make our sustainable fashion accessible to everyone, even over the sea!

We're as eager to share our fabulous aciae collection with the whole world as you are! Unfortunately, growing in scale takes time, and for now, we're setting up aciae for success in its home country, our small team can ship within Australia and New Zealand. Stay tuned, though - world wide for greater impact is on our to-do list!

Orders

Changed your mind? No worries! Just shoot a quick email to accounts@aciae.com.au within 24 hours of placing your order, and we'll sort out the cancellation for you. No dramas, we promise - we know that sometimes, even the best-laid fashion plans can go pear-shaped!

Mistakes happen, but we're here to make it right. Just reach out to us at the first instance by emailing accounts@aciae.com.au with your order details, we'll set up a self-served return link for you to initiate the exchange.

Absolutely! We pride ourselves on our top-notch quality, but if something slips through the cracks, we've got your back. Simply log a return or exchange request through your account or shoot us an email at returns@aciae.com.au, and we'll sort it out for you.

Yes, we do! aciae offers gift cards so you can share the joy of sustainable style with your loved ones. They're available for purchase directly on our website and are a fantastic way to encourage conscious fashion choices.

Shoes

Comfortable work shoes, according to aciae, are those that blend professional style with the comfort of home. We have developed shoes like the Signature Ballet Flats and Square Toe Flats that are perfect for hybrid work models, allowing seamless transition between workspaces without sacrificing comfort or style. These shoes are designed to address common discomforts such as heels, commuting issues, and the squishing effect of pointed toes.

Feedback from customers suggests that aciae shoes are among the most comfortable women's shoes available, particularly for work. With features like knitwear design, extra cushion insoles, soft heel grip, machine washability, recyclable materials, and additional toe box that cater to wide feet, our shoes offer a blend of comfort, style, and sustainability. The versatility and durability of designs like the Harper Max Comfort Loafers and the Mia Comfort Square Toe Flats make them a favourite for women seeking comfort without compromising on professional style​.

Yes, many of aciae shoes feature heels. With the exception of the curved pointed toe designs like Charlotte and Emma, which have a 7mm flat outer sole, our Ava ballet flats, Mia Square Toe, and Harper Loafers come with a subtle 10mm heel, while the Evelyn Ankle Boots feature a chic 30mm heel. This blend of style and practicality ensures you can enjoy both elegance and comfort.

All aciae shoes are crafted with some level of arch support to maximise your comfort. We recognise that everyone's feet are unique, which is why we've designed our shoes (excluding the ankle boots) with removable insoles. This allows you to replace them with your own specially tailored insoles if needed, ensuring maximum comfort and support while maintaining our commitment to stylish and sustainable footwear.

aciae is dedicated to providing maximum comfort, including extra toe room in our designs. For those with wider feet, our Mia Square Toe and Harper Loafers are especially accommodating, offering additional space in the toe area. We understand the importance of finding the perfect fit, so we offer a free exchange policy if you are not 100% happy with your ACIAE shoes. Our goal is to ensure that every pair of aciae shoes delivers both style and comfort, tailored to your needs.

aciae products are designed for cold water machine washable. So for having your loved pairs for longer, simply place them in our wash bag for a cold water cycle in your wash machine. They can also handle direct sunlight and hanging on the clothing line too!

We've got you covered under the standard warranty provided by Australian Consumer Law. Rest assured, aciae products are made to last, but keep in mind that they do have a limited life as shoes. The good news? They're 100% recyclable at the end of their life, helping to eliminate waste and keep Mother Earth happy!

Easy-peasy, lemon squeeze! Just log in to your customer account and request a return for any particular order. Alternatively, send us an email at accounts@aciae.com.au with your order info, and we'll send you the Returns & Exchanges Policy that provides further details and steps for a hassle-free return. No sweat!

Sustainability

Sustainable shoes transcend environmental stewardship to embrace social equity and human rights within the broader ambit of sustainability. In essence, they are conceived not only with environmental integrity in mind—via the reduction of waste, the utilisation of recycled or biodegradable materials, and the minimisation of carbon footprint—but also through a lens that rigorously considers the human element of the fashion ecosystem. This holistic approach to sustainability ensures that the production process balances stylish design with ecological responsibility, and extends into the realms of fair labor practices, diversity, equality, and positive community impact.

aciae amplifies this definition by weaving circular economy principles into the very fabric of its brand ethos, ensuring that its footwear is not just environmentally sound but also champions social sustainability. By prioritising the recyclability and repurposing of their products at the end of their lifecycle, aciae reduces the demand for new, virgin materials, thereby minimising waste and environmental footprint. Beyond these environmental considerations, aciae is deeply committed to creating a positive impact within its supply chain, upholding human rights, fostering diversity, and ensuring equality. This commitment is manifested in its dedication to maintaining a transparent, ethical supply chain that respects the dignity and rights of all workers involved in the creation of aciae shoes. Further, aciae's leadership and operational practices reflect a strong commitment to diversity and equality, ensuring that its workforce and creative processes benefit from a wide range of perspectives and talents​​.

Incorporating these social factors, sustainable shoes according to aciae's philosophy, represent a comprehensive commitment to not only environmental but also social sustainability, setting a new standard for sustainable fashion.

The process involves a combination of thoughtful design, selection of sustainable materials, and ethical manufacturing practices. aciae exemplifies this by sourcing materials such as ocean-bound plastics and other recyclables, transforming them into fashionable, durable footwear. This is complemented by a design philosophy that prioritises recyclability and the shoe's entire lifecycle. Further, aciae champions an ethical supply chain, ensuring fair labor practices and striving for a low carbon footprint through innovative strategies such as investing in climate mitigation technology and certified carbon projects.​

aciae is on a mission to redefine sustainability in fashion, rooted in a vision of zero waste and zero harm to all lives. This commitment is both actionable and measurable, emphasising the integration of sustainable practices from the ground up. At its core, aciae's journey is marked by an ambitious goal to achieve Zero Emissions by 2030, underpinned by a comprehensive Climate Action Plan that includes tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across their value chain. Their initial assessment has identified an estimated 15.4 t CO2 for Scope 3 emissions, with a proactive approach to carbon neutrality achieved through offsetting initiatives in collaboration with certified carbon projects.

A cornerstone of their sustainable ethos is the innovative use of Repreve® recycled fibers, transforming over 4 ocean-bound plastic bottles per pair of shoes into high-quality, fashionable footwear. This not only significantly reduces plastic waste and the dependency on virgin materials but also champions the principles of a circular economy by ensuring the shoes are recyclable at the end of their life. aciae's efforts extend beyond environmental stewardship to include a strong commitment to social sustainability, as evidenced by their partnership with I=Change, and Reconciliation Action Plan aimed at fostering meaningful relationships and promoting inclusion within the fashion industry.

aciae is also an advocate in the Australian Fashion Council's Seamless Stewardship initiative, contributing to a collective goal of reducing clothing waste in landfills. By adhering to the 'Circle to Zero' principle, aciae designs footwear to be durable, repairable, and recyclable, embodying a commitment to sustainability that is both deep-rooted and far-reaching.

As a brand still in its early stages, aciae is transparent about its journey, acknowledging the long path ahead but also celebrating the significant strides made towards a more sustainable and inclusive fashion industry. Their story is one of humble beginnings, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to making a positive impact on both the planet and its people​.

aciae is committed to eliminating any form of modern slavery across its supply chains and operations. We strongly advocate for human rights, workplace health and safety, and fair labour practices. Our Modern Slavery Statement, available on our website, details our commitment to these principles.

aciae is committed to creating a sustainable supply chain by closely adhering to a series of globally recognised standards and principles. These include:

  1. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs): We align our practices with the 17 UN SDGs to address various sustainability challenges, including climate change, poverty, and inequality.
  2. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards: aciae uses the GRI Standards for sustainability reporting to ensure transparency and accountability in our operations.
  3. ISO 14001 Environmental Management System: We ask and audit our manufacturers and suppliers to meet this international standard helps us improve resource efficiency, reduce waste, and mitigate environmental impact.
  4. Fair Trade: We endeavour to work with suppliers who adhere to Fair Trade principles, ensuring that workers are treated fairly and paid a living wage.
  5. Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi): aciae commits to set science-based emission reduction targets to limit global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
  6. B Corp Certification: aciae is in the process of completing the rigorous B Corp Certification assessment. This certification recognises businesses that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

Through these standards and principles, aciae ensures that our supply chain practices are not only sustainable, but also ethically responsible, transparent, and accountable to our stakeholders.

Repreve® is an innovative technology developed by Unifi, that transforms post-consumer plastic waste, including plastic bottles, into high-performance fibres for textiles. aciae utilises Repreve® recycled fibers in crafting our sustainable footwear, transforming discarded plastics into high-quality, durable shoes.

aciae collaborates with Unifi, the manufacturer of Repreve® fibers, based on shared sustainability values. We work together to ensure that operations align with our environmental and ethical standards. Information about Unifi's factories and practices can be found at Discover Repreve

At aciae, we deeply recognise the urgency of marine plastic pollution and are proactively taking steps to mitigate this environmental crisis. We've teamed up with Repreve®—a brand at the forefront of using recycled materials—in their "Repreve Our Ocean®" initiative.

Repreve Our Ocean® is a unique collection of fiber products made from ocean-bound plastics—that is, plastic waste at risk of ending up in our oceans. By integrating Repreve® fibers into our footwear, we're not only giving a second life to discarded plastic but also significantly reducing the demand for new, virgin plastic.

Each pair of our sustainable shoes made with Repreve Our Ocean® signifies a direct contribution to cleaning up plastic debris from areas with a high risk of entering marine ecosystems. This initiative not only serves as our pledge to protect the oceans but also embodies our commitment to circularity, wherein waste is not seen as an end, but a new beginning.

Through such collaborations and initiatives, aciae strives to tread lightly on our planet and pave the way for a future where fashion coexists harmoniously with nature. Explore more about our sustainability journey.

We've implemented rigorous oversight mechanisms to maintain visibility throughout our supply chain. From the Repreve® technology utilised in our factories to the Ocean Bound Plastic Program, every step is tracked and evaluated for sustainability and ethical compliance. Transparency is vital to us, and we strive to share our journey openly with our customers and stakeholders.

For more detailed information, please refer to our Modern Slavery Statement and Sustainable Supply Chain Pledge at aciae.com.au.

In line with our 'Circle to Zero' principle, we've designed our footwear to have a lifecycle that doesn’t end in a landfill. We've established a valuable partnership with UPPAREL, a pioneer in textile waste management, to help us fulfill this commitment.

At the end of their lifecycle, our customers can simply send their aciae shoes to UPPAREL. As part of their comprehensive upcycle program, UPPAREL responsibly deconstructs the shoes, separating the various materials for recycling or repurposing.

This innovative partnership allows us to maintain a closed-loop lifecycle for our products, ensuring that every pair of aciae shoes contributes to the circular economy rather than becoming waste. By championing circular solutions like this, aciae demonstrates its commitment to zero waste and to a sustainable future for fashion. Explore more about our sustainability journey at aciae.com.au.

Yes, aciae is committed to ethical and sustainable practices. Our products are 100% animal-free and cruelty-free, utilising materials such as ocean-bound waste plastics and recycled natural rubber. We minimise glue use, opting for rubber-based adhesives with zero animal derivatives, ensuring our footwear is vegan-friendly. As a brand that values all life, our mission is to cause zero harm to the planet, animals, and humans alike. Our team, made up of dog and cat parents, deeply considers these principles in everything we do, making our footwear an ideal choice for those who care about the environment and animal welfare.