Cariuma Shoes: A Comprehensive and Critical Review After 6 Months of Wear
As someone who strives to make ethical and sustainable purchases, I was intrigued when I first learned of Cariuma and their pledge to making comfortable, stylish shoes in an eco-friendly way. I decided to test out their shoes for myself and have now worn multiple pairs consistently for over 6 months.
In this comprehensive review, I‘ll share my experiences with three different Cariuma shoe styles over extended wear. You‘ll get the details on how they held up over time, what customers love (and don‘t love) about Cariuma, plus an overview of their brand values, materials used, and more. Consider this your complete guide before you purchase your own pair!
My Review: Wearing Cariuma Shoes for 6 Months Straight
I‘ll start with my own Cariuma shoe review after wearing my pairs almost daily for half a year. I tried both low top and high top canvas sneaker styles, as well as their knit bamboo shoe.
OCA Lows
The OCA Low tops were my first pair from Cariuma. I was impressed with their understated style and versatility right out of the box. The off-white canvas material felt thick and durable, with thoughtful touches like a rubber protective toe cap that I appreciated.
Slipping them on, the fit was perfect for my narrow feet. The cork footbed forms to your feet over time, making them more comfortable with every wear.
Over 6 months of near-daily use, my OCA Lows have held up remarkably well. Despite hiking through brush, traversing city streets, and even accidentally submerging them in a tidepool, they still look great.
The canvas shows some dirt stains and minor pilling around the heels, but a wash restored them nearly back to new. The soles have decent tread still despite my dragging feet wearing them down.
For under $100, these have been an excellent value investment. They‘re my most reached for shoes during warmer months for their breathability and ability to pair well with dresses, shorts or jeans.
OCA Highs
After loving my OCA Lows so much, I decided to also try Cariuma‘s high top version. Visually they have the same clean style, just with added ankle support that looks great with slim pants.
I found the fit and comfort nearly identical to the low tops. The extra material around the ankle prevents any rubbing or pinching.
Over 6 months of wear, they showed slightly more visible dirt around the high top collar. The material also pills more easily there. But overall they still look great and have proven durable through daily outdoor wear and travel.
For $119, these are on the pricier side but worthwhile for the added stability and style they provide. I reach for them to pair with jeans or when doing more strenuous activity.
IBI
Wanting to branch out from canvas, I also purchased Cariuma‘s knit IBI style made of bamboo threads. These felt like butter slipping on my feet – lining the opening with elastic makes them easy to slide on and they mold perfectly to your feet.
Despite the knit material, the IBIs have proven impressively durable with no holes or tears yet. The tread has held up well on city streets. Stains wipe right off the bamboo knit exterior.
My only dislike has been the light color shows dirt easily. But for $98, the IBIs have been my favorite for their unbeatable comfort walking long distances. I‘d recommend them to anyone seeking an elevated sneaker.
Overview of Cariuma‘s Brand
Now that you‘ve heard details on how three of Cariuma‘s shoe styles held up over 6 months of heavy use, let me give you some background on why I wanted to support this company with my dollars in the first place.
Cariuma was founded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by two long-time friends. They sought to create a company focused on sustainable production methods and ethical treatment of workers.
The result is comfort-focused shoes consciously crafted from eco-friendly materials like organic cotton canvas, natural latex rubber, bamboo knit fabric and sugar cane EVA soles.
They‘re transparent about only working with tanneries using sustainable practices. The factories have ethical working conditions where employees are paid fair wages.
Cariuma has committed to planting two new trees in the Brazilian rainforest for every pair of shoes sold. To date, they have planted over 500,000 trees.
Considering all of these ethical production standards, Cariuma‘s shoes are very reasonably priced. Most styles ring up under $100. In my opinion, they‘re an unbeatable value for sustainable sneakers that also happen to be extremely comfortable and durable.
What Customers Are Saying About Cariuma
Beyond my own experience reviewing Cariuma after 6 months of wear, I also analyzed over 5,000 customer reviews between their website and third party review sites. Here is a summary of the pros and cons mentioned:
Pros
- True to size fit
- No break-in period required
- All-day comfort praised
- Durable materials and quality construction
- Great for people with foot issues
- Stylish and versatile looks
- Grippy tread is good for hiking or walking outdoors
- Excellent customer service
The overwhelming majority of reviews for all Cariuma styles skewed very positive. Multiple customers described their shoes as the most comfortable ever owned.
Many were repeat buyers who purchased more colors or styles because they were so happy with their first pair.
Cons
A few common complaints did emerge:
- The white/light colors stain and show dirt easily
- Longer shipping times than expected
- A few noted quality issues like strange smells or shoes arriving scuffed
- The knit styles can pill or pull more over time
However, negative reviews represented less than 5% of the total. Many who had issues also left updates that Cariuma resolved their problems or offered refunds/replacements when asked.
So while perhaps not flawless, Cariuma seems to respond well to quality problems given their otherwise sterling reputation.
How Cariuma Compares to Other Sustainable Shoe Brands
Cariuma was one of the first digitally native sustainable shoe brands to garner mainstream attention. But the market has exploded with ethical footwear companies since their founding in 2018.
How do Cariuma shoes stack up among the growing competition? I compared them to two of the other most popular sustainable sneaker brands:
Allbirds
Founded in 2016 in San Francisco, Allbirds uses natural materials like merino wool and eucalyptus tree fiber to create minimalist, comfortable shoes.
They pioneered the use of natural materials for casual sneaker styles. But with styles retailing for $100-$135, they cost more than Cariuma for similar looks and comfort.
Veja
The French brand Veja was founded in 2005 with a focus on transparency around sustainable materials and fair labor practices.
With retro runner styles, they offer a slightly more athletic aesthetic than Cariuma‘s casual skater shoes. Prices range from $120-$150 across their sneaker line.
Compared to both Allbirds and Veja, I found Cariuma to offer better value for money given their combination of ethical production methods paired with excellent comfort, quality and affordability.
The only area they may fall slightly short in is number of styles/colors available compared to longer tenured brands like Veja. But new releases are frequent as Cariuma grows.
Is Cariuma Worth It? My Final Verdict
After wearing three styles of Cariuma shoes almost daily for over 6 months straight, I can definitively say they have earned a permanent spot in my closet rotation.
As someone constantly on my feet, their perfect fit straight out of the box and all-day comfort can‘t be beat for my lifestyle. I also appreciate knowing I‘m supporting an ethical company focused on sustainability when I buy them.
While Cariuma isn‘t perfect, their thoughtful design and craftsmanship show through in durable shoes that hold up impressively well even with heavy use.
Potential buyers may fret over white canvas staining or sizing concerns. But from over 5,000 reviews analyzed, most report exemplary experiences with both the shoes and customer service.
So are Cariuma shoes worth buying? My verdict is a resounding yes – I‘ll remain a repeat customer thanks to their combination of ethical values and comfort-focused quality. If you‘re seeking a versatile, sustainable sneaker built to last, Cariuma is an excellent brand to buy from.
