Carel Paris
Established · $400-$700 · Paris, France
Retro-leaning Mary Janes and low-heeled pumps handcrafted in Italy, the Parisian shoe that refuses to let cobblestones win.
Think: French heritage, Mary Janes, 60s influence.
The buy: the parisian mary jane
What to buy
the parisian mary jane
Categories
Occasions
Why Carel Paris is worth it
Carel makes Mary Janes the Parisian way: strappy, low-heeled and made in Italy, shoes for walking all day that still feel playful.
The house has always favored a low, walkable heel over height, and its strappy styles fasten with adjustable buckles so they sit close on different feet. The shoes are made in Italian workshops in supple lambskin, patent and suede, often in a bright color or with a witty touch like a mouse face, which keeps a classic shape from feeling prim.
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About Carel Paris
Georges and Rosa Carel left Grenoble for Paris and, in 1952, opened a shoe shop for women on Boulevard Saint-Michel. Georges, a shoemaker's son, built comfortable, colorful shoes on a low heel for women on their feet from morning to night.
Over the decades the house added playful animal ballet flats and a strappy Mary Jane on a walkable heel, the shape that has come to define it.
- Founded
- 1952
- Founded by
- Georges Carel and Rosa Carel
- Based in
- Paris, France
- Made in
- Italy
- Made of
- Mostly leather, from patent and suede to soft lambskin, with leather linings
- Shipping
- Free shipping to the US by DHL in 3 to 10 business days, with shipping, taxes and customs duties included in the checkout price, so nothing is due on delivery.
- Where to buy
- Carel Paris's own site
What shoppers say
From reviews and try-on videos, in our words.
- Fit
Product pages mark most styles true to size, in US sizes 4 to 10. Some wearers find the three-strap Kina runs large and take a size down, and finding the right size can take a try or two, so check the size guide.
- Comfort
The low heels are the point: a reviewer found the Kina supportive enough for cobbled streets, and the flat styles use a soft sacchetto build that bends with the foot.
- Signature
The Kina, a three-strap Mary Jane on a 4 cm heel, is the house icon, and the Ariana is its flat version in soft lambskin. Low-heeled Mary Janes are its best sellers.
- Shipping
US orders ship free by DHL in 3 to 10 business days, with taxes and customs duties already in the price, so nothing is due on delivery.
- Returns
You have 14 days to send a pair back. From the US, an exchange or store credit is free, while a refund costs a fee of 4% of the items' value; anything bought during a sale or promotion can only be returned for credit.
What Carel Paris is made of
- Natural
- 98%
- Plant-based
- 0%
- Synthetic
- 2%
Works most in: leather
From the material listed on 231 pieces · 96% of the range lists it · Checked October 2026
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Carel Paris, answered
- What is Carel Paris?
- Carel Paris is a Parisian shoe house founded in 1952, known for strappy Mary Janes on low heels, ballet flats and slingbacks made in Italy, plus leather bags.
- Is Carel Paris a good brand?
- Yes. We like it for shoes you can walk in all day: low heels, adjustable straps and supple Italian-made leather with a playful streak, from a house that has made women's shoes since 1952.
- Who founded Carel Paris?
- Georges and Rosa Carel, a husband and wife from Grenoble, who opened their first Paris shoe boutique in 1952.
- Where is Carel Paris from?
- Carel Paris is from Paris, France, where it opened its first boutique in 1952.
- Where are Carel Paris shoes made?
- In Italy, in workshops in the Marche and Campania regions.
- Does Carel Paris run true to size?
- Its product pages mark most styles true to size. Some wearers find the three-strap Kina runs large and take a size down, so check the size guide first.
- Does Carel Paris ship to the US?
- Yes, free by DHL, with taxes and customs duties included in the price, so nothing is due on delivery. Refunds from the US carry a return fee of 4% of the items' value.
- Where can I buy Carel Paris?
- On Carel Paris's own site, which ships free to the US with duties included.
- What is Carel Paris made of?
- Across the 231 pieces we could read in October 2026, the material is about 98% natural and 2% synthetic. The most common materials are leather.
- Which brands are like Carel Paris?
- If you like Carel Paris, look at Dear Frances, Black Suede Studio, Paris Texas and Nora Lozza.