FAQ

Sparrods & Co is an Australian men's footwear brand with ABN 2461812160.

At Sparrods & Co, we are passionate about creating leather shoes you can wear with pride and in comfort. We know how hard it is to find shoes that are durable, built to last the test of time and can match any outfit and occasion. This is why we started Sparrods & Co, to produce handcrafted leather shoes, made by highly skilled Portuguese artisans, with finest materials sourced from Europe's best tanneries.

Our shoes are not just products, they are pieces of art that reflect excellent craftmanship and quality. We want you to enjoy them for years to come, and we guarantee you will love them. Our shoes are timeless designs and easily recrafted.

At Sparrods, we believe in

• products which are built to last the test of time
• accessible prices without compromising on quality and craftmanship
• providing excellent customer services to all irrespective of geographical location
• limited edition products, instead of mass production
• ethical manufacturing in a healthy and safe working environment
• no sweatshops or forced labor
• preserving the environment for the next generation

In every country where our products are made, we ensure all our workshops foster great working conditions for all stakeholders across the supply chain.

Our shoes are beautifully designed and handcrafted in Portugal by artisans with many years of experience in shoe making. We use traditional shoe making processes and technology to ensure excellent quality, fit, and craftsmanship.

The materials for our products are sourced from certified European tanneries in Germany, Italy, and France); then they are handcrafted, and hand burnished in Porto, Portugal. We are always available to answer questions about our shoe manufacturing processes. Please email us info@sparrods.com.

Our shoes are produced by a small, family-run workshop in Porto, Portugal that has been making top-quality shoes for decades. The factory is well known for producing for some of the biggest brands in the world.  Portugal is known to be at the forefront of the luxury shoe market, with decades of experience in the craft. 

We work closely with our shoemakers to design and develop our shoe models, using their expertise and feedback to refine our product offerings. We are constantly sampling multiple shoe styles using different materials.

Our shoemakers are passionate about their craft and take pride in their work. They use traditional techniques and tools to create each pair of shoes by hand, paying attention to every detail and stitch. They also inspect each pair of shoes before sending them to us, ensuring that they meet our high standards of quality and craftsmanship. 

No, we operate a lean, direct-to-consumer business model by selling products directly to customers worldwide without retail mark-up. Our products are sold at a significant discount without compromising on premium leather, craftsmanship, or quality.

In a world dominated by fast fashion, we take pride in crafting leather shoes that transcend trends. Our products are more than just footwear; they are a testament to the impeccable craftsmanship of our highly skilled Portuguese artisans, using only the finest materials sourced from Europe's premier tanneries.

Our Portuguese workshop source our leather materials from Tannery Du Puy (France), Weinheimer Tannery (Germany)

Leather is sourced from many animals, from cow, calf, buffalo, sheep, goat, and pig to deer, cordovan (horse), camel, kangaroo, crocodile, alligator, snake, and many others. All these leathers have different compositions and are used for different purposes. We use full-grain, calfskin leather (box calf) for our products because of its suppleness, softness, and finer grain, as well as durability and the ability to age beautifully with time (patina).

Box calfskin leather is the leather used by most luxury brands for high-end leather shoes and accessories.Box calfskin leather ages beautifully with time and develops a patina.

Calfskin leather is made from the hide of a baby cow. Full grain calfskin leather is the most durable and strongest part of the hide and has not been sanded or buffed, displaying its natural characteristics. One of the unique characteristics of full grain calfskin leather is its ability to age beautifully with time. The leather comes in different grades and thickness; we use premium calfskin leather for all our products. Full grain calfskin leather is used by luxury brands for very high quality shoes and accessories.

Crust leather is a natural leather from the calf that has undergone light processing in the tannery but not dyed with any chemicals. Shoe brands are opting for crust calfskin leather because it can be hand-burnished to create beautiful patinas, which are sought after by the tasteful buyer. When crust calfskin leather is used in shoes, considerable time is required to ensure uniformity of colour on the shoes. Crust calfskin leather creases easily, and the leather loses its beauty over time.

Top-grain calfskin leather has been thoroughly processed in the tannery through sanding, buffing, and eliminating blemishes. Top-grain calfskin leather is distinguished from box calfskin leather through an appearance so smooth it approximates plastic. 

Genuine leather, also known as bonded leather, is processed from small pieces of leather that have been glued and bonded together. Genuine leather is very cheap to produce and used by the majority of brands in producing mid- to low-quality leather shoes and accessories.

Suede leather is a split leather which is produced from the underside of the calfskin. Suede is more supple than box calf leather. Waterproof suede is resilient and soft with a luxurious feeling, and it has been conditioned and treated to withstand weather conditions and oil. The conditioning ensures the colour and smoothness of the leather is maintained throughout the shoe’s life if properly cared for.  Suede requires regular brushing with a Ralyn brass suede brush.

We use vegetable tanned leather sole for our men dress shoes and mens leather boots due its abrasion resistant, strength, resilience and lasting for years with proper care.

Studded rubber soles are a popular choice for men's leather shoes, offering a good balance of style and practicality. They are popular due to their comfortability and durability. They provide maximum traction. The studs provide better grip on wet and slippery surfaces compared to smooth leather soles.

We use studded rubber sole for our Mens Chelsea Boots and Brogue Boots.

We use vulcanised rubber sole for our mens leather sneakers due to its elasticity, flexibility, comfortability, excellent abrasion resistant and waterproof properties.

Crepe rubber soles are known for their soft and cushioned feel, providing excellent comfort for all-day wear. The sole moulds to the contours of the foot providing personalised fit.

We use crepe rubber sole for our suede sneakers due to its shock absorption capabilities, sturdy and flexibility.

We use proven and tested traditional shoemaking methods, to ensure excellent quality, fit, and craftsmanship. Our shoes go through an iterative process from design and development through pattern cutting and clicking to lasting, closing and finishing. Every process is completed by hand.

We use both Blake rapid stitched and Goodyear welted construction methods, which enable our shoes to be resoled (repaired) several times by any experienced cobbler, giving you value for money.

Cemented construction is the cheapest and fastest method to attach the upper to the sole.  Used by most brands,the upper leather is glued to the out sole. Shoes produced using cemented construction cannot be re-soled or repaired.

All products are priced in Australian Dollar (AUD); however, processing of international orders will be in USD by taking into consideration the current exchange rate. Please be aware of exchange rate fluctuations since we can’t control it.

We offer flexible payment options. Customers can make purchases with Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Afterpay and ZIP Money.

To update your payment details, log in into your account with your username and password and select My Account. Once you have updated your details, we will send you a confirmation email.

Yes, we do. For more information https://zip.co/how-zip-works

Yes, we do. With Afterpay you can purchase online or in-store and split your payment into four instalments. For more information https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/how-it-works

Sorry to hear you want to cancel your order. Unfortunately, we process orders immediately payment has been completed. Please email us as quickly as possible or send us a direct message on our social media channels. If product has been shipped, it is impossible for orders to be cancelled.

Yes, you will be refunded fully.

We warrant all products to be free from manufacturing defects and exhibiting excellent craftmanship and high quality to the satisfaction of our customers. We are bound in accordance with the Australian Consumer Law.

We are here because of our customers and our main goal is to ensure their ultimate satisfaction when they purchase our products. We offer 30-day returns upon receipt of your product. Please note, returns will be accepted only:

• if the product has not been worn and is in its original packaging with all associated labels, dust bag and tissue paper. Since we use leather soles in most of our shoes, returns will not be accepted if the soles have been worn and used on hard surfaces.
• if the product has factory manufacturing defect or fault.

To return a product, kindly send us an email at info@sparrods.com with your receipt number to discuss your returns. You will be issued with a case number to be used for all correspondence. We endeavor to respond to emails within 3 hours. Alternatively, you can reach us on our social media handles.

• Promo codes are intended for single use only
• Only one promotional code may be redeemed per user account and per promotion
• Promo codes are redeemable only online through our store and not on any marketplace where our products are sold
• Promo codes may require a minimum dollar value purchase on selected products from our store
• Promo codes must be re-entered at checkout in order to be applied to your order
• Promo codes cannot be applied after order is submitted

Please note

• Each coupon is valid for a limited time only and expires on the date specified in the offer. Codes cannot be re-used when expired
• Promo codes are strictly free promotional voucher codes with no monetary value.

You can easily pay for gift cards using any of the payment methods specified at the checkout such including Afterpay and Zip Money.

In the event you are experiencing any challenges in redeeming the value of the gift card, kindly reach out to us on any of our social media handles or via info@sparrods.com

e-gift cards are valid for 36 months from date of receipt; however, we encourage customers to utilise the amount on the card as quickly as possible. Also note, once e-gift card has been issued, it cannot be cancelled unless the value of the e-gift cards has been used.