Customer Reviews Born Arletta

I got these shoes in marrone (antique light brown), and they convey the feel of menswear but are still feminine and not so clunky as some oxfords I've looked at. I tried them in size 8.5 and 9 and kept the 8.5. Since I normally wear a 9, I'll say that they run a bit large. The look is really nice, and the sneaker sole (as one reviewer commented) looks like a leather sole unless you turn the shoe upside down, plus it's more comfortable than leather and will probably last longer. Although you can't re-sole it (if anyone still does that...there are a few shoes I like well enough to do it). The velvet laces are cute but difficult to lace and tie so that the plush side shows. Also, they come untied. The other laces are just plain laces, maybe better for work or whatever. I have big-time problem feet, and these shoes were comfortable immediately, the only complaint being that the heel is loose. That's not a big deal to me because all heels are too loose for me. They don't rub or cause a problem, so why worry? This shoe can be dressy or casual, and I hope it wears well and lasts long. It's not as sturdy (or clunky) as some of the other oxfords I tried, but it is cute and comfortable. I highly recommend this shoe.

Zappos is the star in terms of delightful people; customer service; stunningly fast delivery; brands; styles and sizes. I've never met a Born shoe I didn't love, and this is as supportive and comfortable as any. The color threw me, though: I ordered Red Burnished Leather,but the shoes are clearly black, with hints of red where stitching is, making them look as if someone made a mistake. I wanted the spectator look, and these have it, but I'm deciding what to do about the color problem. Zappos returns take 2-3 minutes, for which I'm grateful. The site's 'Red' looks black, but I assumed it was a glitch and ordered; because of color alone I can't give it five stars. What to do?

Zappos is the star in terms of delightful people; customer service; stunningly fast delivery; brands; styles and sizes. I've never met a Born shoe I didn't love, and this is as supportive and comfortable as any. The color threw me, though: I ordered Red Burnished Leather, but the shoes are clearly black, with hints of red where stitching is, making them look as if someone made a mistake. I wanted the spectator look, and these have it, but I'm deciding what to do about the color problem. Zappos returns take 2-3 minutes, for which I'm grateful. The site's 'Red' looks black, but I assumed it was a glitch and ordered; because of color alone I can't give it five stars. What to do?

These shoes are amazing! They are super comfortable and the rubber soles have great traction.

Love! They are a hair bit on the narrower side, but fit my foot fantastic. My normal Born shoe size is a 7. In other brands it is a 7.5. I took the 7.5 in these. The day after I got them I put in 7 miles in them without an issue.

The style is retro-cool. Love the reddish color as it goes with everything. Super comfortable for walking while traveling.

These shoes are a perfect true to size fit. Very comfortable. I wore them all day, at work, on my feet for 8 hours without a problem. I also get lots of compliments.

Love these shoes! So comfortable and classic looking. Also purchased them in burnished brown. Zappos service is the best!

Wore this pair for the first time to a special occasion before I had a chance to break them in. Walked a few city blocks, they were comfortable enough to not to spoil the night. And they got many appreciative aah's and ooh's at the event. (Haven't worn them more to assess long-term comfort, so 4 stars for now.)

Nice leather, flexible but not flimsy. I plan to wear these with brown slacks to work this winter. I was surprised at the pretty velvet laces, but glad they also included regular laces. I haven't worn them for a whole day yet, so not sure how they do "in the field."

I have been looking for this type of shoe for a while. Very comfortable and not too narrow or stiff. Also comes with a more traditional string lace. Will be great with khakis and jeans.

I could not be happier with this shoe. I purchased it just before a trip to Paris and was able to walk all over the city for three straight days with no blisters or issues. I originally ordered the pewter in a half size larger than normal, but it was too small and though the pewter looked really cool, I thought the dark brown might be more useful in my wardrobe. So, dark brown (they come with regular shoelaces and these cool velvet ribbon laces) and an entire size larger (with socks) worked well for me. They did contour to fit somewhat better as I wore them in, like past Born shoes that I've had.

Love this shoe! My feet are easy to fit but very sensitive to rubbing, pressure, etc. No pressure points at all, no break-in required.

Bought these for my daugher after looking high and low for a comfy oxford for her. She loves them! A little snug at first but half size up was a little too sloppy! Will be ordering her a pair in a nother color for sure!

These shoes met my high expectations: they look just like they do in the photo, with a subtle red undertone to the leather (they earn the lovely adjective burnished) and an elegant menswear-inspired profile. The opening to the shoe is a little small relative to its size, as another reviewer remarked -- so the shoe does not exactly slip on, especially if you do not take the time to loosen the laces -- however, once in the shoes, my feet found all the space they needed and remained comfortable throughout the day, even when I walked a lot. The soles seem kind of out of keeping with the rest of the shoe -- they are not leather but some sort of synthetic, and they have treads. Since you cannot really tell that this is so unless you are looking directly at the underside of the shoe, it does not really detract from the looks of the shoe, and I have found the treads a blessing in practical terms. I would definitely buy these again and I recommend them freely. They are a good value for the price.

These shoes are attractive, but the workmanship seems flimsier than what I'm used to from previous Born shoes. I bought them in the smoke color, which is on sale-- this finish seems to scuff very easily. My shoes have a deep scuff after one evening of normal wear. But, they are comfortable and soft, with decent support. Good for comfort, and pretty-- just not very durable or well-made for the price.

Really enjoying these shoes! Love the gray color and the velvet laces. Very comfortable. Goes well with dresses, leggings, and cuffed skinny jeans (show some ankle!).

I really like these shoes-they look great and the sizing is perfect. The heel is comfortable and I don't slip around in the shoes. The one drawback is that they're tight across my instep, where the shoe bends. Hopefully they'll break in.

These are gorgeous, and were pretty comfortable. They were a little loose in the heel, though.

I really like the look, feel and comfort of this shoe. The leather is soft and comfortable, the sole has good traction on a variety of surfaces, and the padding is better than average. I agree with a previous reviewer that the sizing feels off. I am typically a solid Size 10 in Born shoes (which run slightly large), but I needed to size up. Size no size 10.5 is sold, I chose Size 11. It's about a 1/2 size large, but otherwise comfortable, because I can adjust the lacing.

Wasn't the most comfortable shoe for the price. Could feel the stitching and no arch support.

Disappointed, but I expected it from an online commodity. Color is not "red burnished leather" (or even black as in the picture above), but an indistinguishable shade (brown?) due to the poor quality of the leather (soft, supple, gleamy and shiny? no, although they are comfortable). I don't think I could even polish the shoe to the color I want due to the kind of dull 'material' used - and who puts tennis shoe soles on a man-style shoe? This for the price? (I'm not forgetting the free postage, however). I had a pair of beautiful genuine leather shoes in this style (purchased back in the '60's), but there's obviously no hope of ever finding anything like them again.

I agree with the other review remarking on how narrow these shoes are. My foot is pretty small and I had trouble getting it into these shoes. I think I have to go a half-size up. Assuming the next pair fits, I think I'll be pretty happy with these shoes. They seem of good quality and look great!

Not the quality I expect from Born. My foot fits inside the shoe but the mouth of it was almost impossibly small, even with the laces out.

I tend toward fit-like-a-glove Me Too ballet flats, but really did need something else for cold fall and winter days, so I snagged these in gray - and I'm so glad I did! They're gorgeous! Soft, supple and fits beautifully. I usually wear an 8.5 and these ran true to size. I have just enough room for funky trouser (super cute with rolled up jeans - so you're showing just a hint for sock). I love them - and wish Zappos had the Arletta in a full rainbow of colors. Can't recommend these highly enough.