Terri P.

I ordered my Inkkas with the website six months ago and have been kicking myself (with my snazzy new shoes) for awhile, meaning to write up a review. It's the first time I've felt so stoked about a pair of shoes - four actually. I meant to just get slip-ons to wear when I didn't want to bother with shoelaces, but their designs were so cute and interesting (and there was a sale) I ended up getting three more - two sneakers ("FlexAires") and a low top: the Springbok Slip On (not as cute, but the cutest slip-on that was available in my size), Butterflies FlexAire, Camo Garden FlexAire, and Bald Eagle Low Top.

I found Inkkas through a list of well reviewed vegan shoes and the tidbit that they plant a tree with every purchase got me hooked. All four styles came from the vegan section they had at the time, but it looks like it's been removed now? Which is a shame but it looks like you can still search "vegan" and get relevant results, so just be sure to double check the product details. I was curious to see how they'd feel because it'd be my first time wearing non-leather shoes, and also a little apprehensive because I have big feet and they didn't offer wide sizing. I was a women's 11.5 in my old sneakers (Nikes, I think) so I sized up to a men's 10/women's 12 for my order even though I still wasn't sure. Turned out that they fit perfectly, work just as well as my old sneakers, and have the bonus of an interesting fabric texture upper. They're definitely the coolest looking designs of any shoes I've ever worn; it kind of reminds me of Kipling bags (the brand I favor for my handbags and wallets because they're so colorful), but more elegant or stylized. People like them when they look down to see them, and I've gotten a compliment from a stranger on the Butterflies FlexAire!

I placed my order back in January 2018 and it's now nearing the end of June 2018. Having worn them multiple times each week, I can say that thus far, they're holding up well and the FlexAires and slip-ons especially are extremely comfortable. The low tops are also comfortable, but I won't rank them quite as comfortable as the others because the type of shoe just seems slightly more narrow and less cushioned; it's my first pair of low tops and I think my less favorable rating of them comes mainly from an incident where I wore them out on a long walk and came home in pain. I guess low tops aren't designed for that! - or maybe I just needed a bigger size in them. On regular outings though, they've been snug but not tight for my big wide feet, and I still adore them. If Inkkas continues to make vegan shoes and especially if they continue their current environmental policies, I do believe I've found my new permanent shoe brand!

I've bought several bags, one backpack, and one wallet from Kipling, and I have to avoid looking at their website to refrain from buying any more! What I like most about Kipling is their designs. They pop with so much color and offer a bunch of really pretty prints for their bags. Two of the bags I gave to my sister-in-law-to-be and her sister, and they were wowed with the more sophisticated styles I picked out for them, though unfortunately I don't remember the names of the bags anymore.

For myself, I ordered the Clarissa Continental Zip Wallet in Garden Happy and the Seoul Large Printed Laptop Backpack in Colorburst back in May 2016, and the Art S Handbag in pink with my initials monogrammed in white in July 2016. I've used them ever since very often, especially the Art - despite the name, it's actually a very large bag I use all the time and can cram all kinds of knick-knacks in there. I temporarily stopped using the Clarissa for a few months - maybe even a year - because I decided I'd better start using a "wallet" that could block RFID and that sort of thing, for security. I didn't like it nearly as much as my Clarissa though because it was a black, simple black, stored things oddly, and didn't have the colors, the personality, or the same soft, firm feel I'd liked so much about my wallet. I eventually switched back and haven't regretted it. The Seoul I haven't used much of lately, though like the Art and Clarissa, it's very handy for storing multiple things and I've gotten several compliments on it. As they're all nylon, they're low-maintenance, easy enough to wipe clean when I need it, and light. My only complaint is the monkey keychains! I know some people like them, but they look so silly that I have to remove them as soon as I get the bags. I wish they'd replace them with a more stylish hardware piece styled after the sleek Kipling monkey in the logo, which I would really like - but I suppose the current monkeys are their signature now, for better or worse, and others like it.

The only interaction I've had with Customer Service was requesting a price adjustment to a promotion, which they readily honored because it was in their timeframe. Apart from that, they also offer a rewards program which you can use to earn points for purchases and get gift certificates for future purchases, both of which you can get online and instore. I don't have a Kipling store near me but I have enrolled and used the program online; I like reward programs but I have to take issue with the fact that for whatever reason, the gift certificates can't be applied if you're using PayPal. I hope they fix that soon.