This review is for the Carets FER 4.1 Cap-Toe, produced and sold by Carets.com
When I was asked to review a pair of Carets dress shoes, I was excited to put all of my transferable knowledge of designing and reviewing running shoes to the test on a shoe that has little to do with running… except maybe running to catch the last train out of the City.
It’s rare when I put on a new pair of dress shoes and they feel more like bedroom slippers than some sort of a jail cell for my feet. From the minute I put on my Carets, they were like putting on my favorite running shoes… the ones I could run a marathon in, without any soreness, blisters or hot spots.
As a running coach, I always recommend shoes that are zero-drop or close to it. With dress shoes that rule is even more important, whether I’m standing in line at airports, catching a subway, or doing anything that involves lots of standing, these shoes, with their low profile and comfortable fit, met all my needs from the first step… and I’m ridiculously picky about my shoes.
Since Carets boasts a zero-drop, I was immediately interested in how they felt, and they didn’t disappoint. For a full-grain leather dress shoe, there was almost no break-in period. That’s pretty radical for a dress shoe. The toe box was wide enough to fit my 4E foot with no tightness or slippage. I don’t know how they did it, but they designed the shoe with a tapered, yet wide forefoot, so on the outside it doesn’t look I have the genetics of a Hobbit, even if I do.
The finish work is the highest quality and they’re elegant and stylish without being showy. I love these shoes enough to start looking for reasons for this die-hard runner to dress up.
Here are some of the noteworthy points of Carets’ dress shoe:
- Durable Polyurethane Soles
- Flexible
- Full Grain Leather
- Hollow Heel
- Intricate Detailing
- Lightweight
- Non-Slip
- Zero-Drop Design
Thank you Carets, for building an awesome shoe. I’m sold!
Reviewed and written by Danny Dreyer, Founder of ChiRunning & ChiWalking
