This project will be funded on .
About this project
The Italian craftsmen at Ace Marks are the same men and women who work for some of the most renowned luxury brands in the world. Their craftsmanship is deeply rooted in tradition and they have been thriving for four generations. Together, we created an attainable, handcrafted, ultra-luxury dress shoe that comes packed with features and is designed for comfort. Their traditional construction is combined with our innovative design and bold attitude. Ace Marks shoes are built for the modern gentleman. Help us make our first production!
Whether you’re heading a startup or running a Fortune 500 company, Ace Marks shoes make a bold, powerful statement.
Ace Marks is the first and only luxury brand that will buy back its shoes. Kickstarter supporters will be able to send back their old Ace Marks for a $60 credit towards a new pair. We partnered with Career Gear, a leading national organization helping men in need, to donate your old shoes and help men get back on their feet and re-enter the work force.
The Vincent is a versatile dress shoe that can be worn for your Monday morning meeting or a casual night out and anything in-between. Decorative perforation and broguing details preserve tradition, while contrasting leathers stake new style ground. These wingtips strike the perfect balance between traditional and modern.
The Griffin can adapt to your mood and will never let you down. The usually reserved cap-toe oxford takes a bold step forward with understated color blocking and polished pairings of leather and suede.
The Brody goes just great with a suit or paired with khakis or jeans. Rendered in richly oiled leathers and furnished with a traditional apron toe, the Brody fuses a classic preppy style with modern elegance.
The Logan’s contrast of materials and tones gives these lace-ups a powerful, authoritative look, but it's the broguing that sets this stylish boot apart. The rubber outsole adds a level of toughness, to a very commanding appearance.
Each pair of Ace Marks dress shoes is made with full grain leather and is crafted, dyed, and burnished by hand. The manual process gives each pair its unique characteristics. Each pair goes through a rigorous inspection to ensure that every shoe is of the highest quality.
Our manufacturing process is done completely in-house. Each shoe takes great precision and skill to ensure the outcome is impeccable.
Becoming one of our backers means much more than just buying a world class shoe at an amazing price. Each backer at any pledge level:
- Will be Added to our Ace Marks Elite to get exclusive access to limited run shoes and colors.
- Will be able to sell their old Ace Marks Italian Luxury Statement shoes back to us for $60.
No middlemen. No crazy markup. Just magnificent shoes at a magnificent price that we will buy back when your ready for a new pair.
Our disruptive business model goes beyond cutting out the middle man to give our supporters direct to consumer pricing.
We created the Leave Your Marks program to activate the Ace Marks family and incentivize giving back. By sending back your worn Ace Marks Luxury Statement shoes every time you buy a new pair, you, our Kickstarter supporters, not only get a $60 credit and a great reason to keep your shoe game fresh, you also participate in changing someone's life.
To make sure that our shoe donations are put to good use, we partnered with Career Gear to donate them to help men in need enter the workforce, stay employed and become role models and mentors to their families and communities.
Ace Marks is the first and only luxury shoe company to do this!
In fact, with your support, once we go live, we will buy any men's dress shoe for $50 towards a new pair of Ace Marks Italian Luxury Statement shoes. That's what our family is about. We're excited to see how many men we can help get back on their feet!
When it comes to luxury, no matter how good your shoe looks, comfort is just as important. Ace Marks shoes are bold, flexible, and light.
We spent 3 years in development to make sure that we get it right, and we spared no expense. Each pair is superbly handcrafted, hand burnished, and packed with features.
That's why Ace Marks shoes:
- Are made from hand-selected full-grain leather.
- Use a lightweight Blake Flex construction and leather outsole that allows for easy, effortless movement.
- Reduce common pressure points around the heel and mid-foot with a carefully constructed last (a.k.a. forma).
- Relieve stress as you walk with a cushioned leather insole, which molds to your foot over time for added comfort.
- Are lined with supple calfskin to keep your feet dry and cool.
Ace Marks was designed for the modern gentleman looking to step up his style and add a bit of swagger. The Ace Marks man is not afraid to be bold in his success.
Our shoes go well beyond comfort and style. By cutting out the middlemen, we’re able to deliver the highest quality product at a market disruptive price. Luxury doesn't have to cost a small fortune.
Ace Marks shoes are statement shoes. They are well-made, attractive and eye-catching shoes that reflects your personality
Our designs are modern classics in unique color and material combinations, and packed with features
Ace Marks is for the modern gentleman that appreciates craftsmanship and style.
Ace Marks Shoes are available from size 5 to 14, including half sizes. They are a "D", medium/standard width. We cut them generously around the midfoot and heel to prevent unnecessary pressure on the foot.
We recommend that you buy one size smaller than you usually do. So if you're a size 10, buy a size 9. Once the campaign has ended, we will send you a survey to choose your style. It will include instructions on how to measure your foot to assure the best fit. If the size you order happens to not be the best fit, we will exchange it for you (please see DELIVERY section below for shipping charges).
We look forward to adding widths as we meet our stretch goals. If there is a demand for larger sizes, we can add them as well. Let us know in the comments sections. We are here for YOU!
Our team is ambitious. We know that we made a world class luxury dress shoe, full of features you will love. As we reach our funding goals, we want to give you more products and more choices.
We have more styles and even a collection of casual driving moccasins waiting to be unlocked.Our mocs are true single leather piece moccasin construction that fit like a glove. They are gorgeous! Samples are on our desk already....
Our stretch goals are the beginnings of more luxury footwear choices for you. Help us reach our stretch goals so that we can show you how much more there is to Ace Marks!
Once the campaign is funded, we expect that it will take 2 weeks for us to receive back the style, color, and size surveys from all backers.
Production typically takes 8 weeks, and shipping approximately 3 weeks.
By the end of July 2016, or sooner, we expect to be shipping to you from our facility in Miami, FL.
We are very experienced in delivering shoes on time! We will do everything in our power to make sure we meet the timeline.
We will make sure that you get what you ordered and on time.
Shipping is included for all shipments in the continental United States.
However, if the need for an exchange arises, we will need to charge for the exchange shipping both ways as we are a startup and work with very small margins on Kickstarter. This is true for domestic & international orders.
The cost of international duties and shipping will depend on the destination.
Continental US & Canadian orders will ship from our facility in Miami, FL.
All other orders will ship from our fulfillment center in the EU. Orders shipped within the EU will not incur customs duty charges, but will be subject to VAT.
Expected international shipping rates, including Canada, can be found here (for each belt shipping to Canada, please add $3). The cost of international shipping & VAT (if applicable) will be charged at the time of the survey once the campaign is over.
If applicable, duties and local taxes will be charged by the appropriate authority at the destination country. Please determine these charges locally.
Ace Marks wasn't created on a whim. It is the product of a lifetime of research and experience in the luxury footwear business.
Our founder, Paul, grew up traveling with his parents to Italy & Spain's shoe factories. Formally educated in International Finance & Marketing at the University of Miami, he and his brother Daniel, as their parents before them, have dedicated their lives to designing and producing luxury footwear of the highest quality. Their footwear experience ranges from designing & manufacturing to marketing, warehousing and logistics. They have done it all.
To assure that our supporters receive top notch service, we put together a team with extensive experience in footwear logistics and distribution. For three years, our team has prepared for the launch of Ace Marks, and we are excited to share our product and vision with the world!
Quality. We spent a lot of time finding the best artisans in Italy that have the materials, the facilities, the pedigree and, most importantly, the experience to create a world-class luxury shoe. We spared no expense to make sure that you will get only the best.
Affordability. By implementing a disruptive business model that delivers your shoes straight from the artisan's hands to your doorsteps, we eliminate the need for retailers, wholesalers, and other middlemen. The workmanship and luxury you will experience with our shoes is incomparable, at a price that is unparalleled. Less than $200 for a $600-$1,000+ shoe. We did it for YOU.
Communication. Your commitment to us is the start of a long, beautiful relationship. We are committed to you. We will keep our relationship strong by delivering amazing products and communicate with you every step of the way. You will get regular updates as we fund, produce, and ship out your one-of-a-kind shoes. If you have an itch to talk to us, just get in touch any time!
Consistency. Every Ace Marks shoe is hand crafted and hand dyed, meaning that no two pairs are identical. However, each pair goes through a thorough inspection process to assure the quality you expect from a world-class luxury brand.
Experience & Reliability. Ace Marks was founded by a team with a lifetime of experience in the luxury footwear industry. We don't make commitments that we can't honor. We have the infrastructure to assure a smooth process from taking your order thru delivery. We want to be your go-to brand for all things men's luxury, and we will earn your confidence.
We are building more than a shoe, we are building a family. The Ace Marks Family!
Dear Supporters,
Over the last 3 years, we have poured our heart and soul into bringing Ace Marks to life. We have traveled over 35,000 miles by plane, train, and automobile and spent thousands of hours in factories, designing, developing prototypes, and generally planning how to make a luxury dress shoe that will make you look good and feel powerful every time you put them on. When you receive your first pair of Ace Marks shoes, it will be clear to you that we accomplished our goal. Now we just need you to help us get to the finish.
From the start, it was also very important to us that Ace Marks makes a strong impact on our community. With so many men and women struggling to support their families, we want to do our part to help them overcome at least one of the obstacles that they are facing, which is to find meaningful employment. That is why we partnered with Career Gear and implemented our buy back program. We hope that our shoe donations will help thousands of men take their first steps into a brighter future.
With your help, we will grow Ace Marks into a luxury lifestyle brand driven by a commitment to fine craftsmanship, beautiful aesthetics, and your happiness. It is for you, that we will continue to innovate and create.
Through our journey, we have learned that Ace Marks is ultimately about empowerment. We are empowering you with confidence and direct access to luxury statement shoes, and we are empowering men across the country to get back on their feet.
Thank you for allowing us to do what we love and for spreading the word. Share our campaign with the world.
YOU are key to the success of our campaign, and ultimately our company. Without you, we don't have a reason to exist. We need your support to get us off the ground and to assure that modern gentleman everywhere have access to luxury Italian statement shoes!
As you become part of our inner circle, help us by sharing our campaign with YOUR inner circle. Thank you!
Risks and challenges
We have a lifetime of experience in luxury footwear manufacturing and logistics. We are well organized and prepared to confront any situation that may arise. We have seen it all.
The most common risk in manufacturing is production delays. The manufacturing process relies on multiple components coming together at the same time. While we are very well versed in managing production and delivering on-time, there is always the possibility of a slight delay. However, we will be providing updates every step of the way to keep you fully informed.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
-
It depends on the country or territory. International shipping is not included at any pledge level. The cost of international shipping varies by country and number of pairs, although after 1 pair, additional pairs do not usually add much to the cost of shipping. Generally, international shipments will go collect, which means that shipping costs will be paid by the backer to the shipping company. Duties will also have to be paid by the backer to the relevant authorities in their country. Once the campaign ends, we will see what the shipping quantities is to each country and if possible, try to work with a small package forwarder to get reduced bulk rates, but that will be on a country by country basis, and shipping will be paid by the backer to the forwarder. If a backer has a forwarder in the USA, we are happy to ship to their USA office for free. We will do everything that we can to reduce the international shipping costs. We hope that this clarifies the international shipping situation. Message us if needed. Thank you!
-
Our shoes are a "D" (medium) width. As of now, we will likely not be able to accommodate other widths and meet the July delivery date.
However, we are working with our last maker to see how long it would take to make additional widths.
-
It would depend on how thick the insert is. Usually orthopedic inserts require a removable insole (which we don't have) or for the last to be made a bit higher/thicker than normal to provide extra room for the insert. While our shoes may accommodate a thinner insert, we did not give it sufficient space to accommodate some of the thicker ones out there for highly specialized medical conditions.
-
Maybe. We were able to add a size 13 & 14 last week, and we are now speaking with our last maker to see if we can add a size 4. We will update this when we get a final response either way. Please keep in mind that we run 1 size big, so if you are a size 10, you would buy a size 9, etc. With our survey you will receive detailed instructions on how to measure your foot and which would be the optimal size for you.
-
Yes. We will post it soon.
-
Yes it does. It will be an available option. We did not include the image in the stretch goal graphic because at such a small size, it was hard to differentiate the bordo and the brown.
-
They are all 100% made in Italy.
-
At the moment we only use the more flexible Blake flex construction.