Zou Xou
Emerging · $200-$400 · New York, United States
Minimalist flats, mules and mary janes handcrafted in Argentina, made to order or in small batches.
Think: Handcrafted Argentine shoes, slow fashion, minimal.
The buy: the handcrafted mary jane
What to buy
the handcrafted mary jane
Categories
Occasions
Sustainability
Why Zou Xou is worth it
Zou Xou makes sensible flats and mules with real character, cut and stitched by hand in Buenos Aires from good leather, in small runs.
The shapes are classics with a twist: a square-toe mary jane with an angular topline, a cut-out mule modeled on the babouche slipper, loafers and boots on chunky lug soles. Uppers are kidskin or cow leather, mostly from certified Argentine tanneries, over vegetable-tanned linings and low stacked leather heels, and owners describe them as comfortable from the first wear and worth resoling.
No Zou Xou picks right now
Nothing from Zou Xou is on the site at the moment. We watch their sales and new collections — when one lands it shows up in Drops.
Is now a good time?
The sale pattern
From 7 months of sale tracking.
Zou Xou discounts about every 7 weeks, and it's been 7 weeks.
- Runs a sale
- about every 2 months
- Last sale
- 7 weeks ago
- Typical markdown
- 50% off
- Deepest we’ve seen
- 65% off
About Zou Xou
Katherine Theobalds started Zou Xou in New York City in 2015. She had moved there to work as a fashion designer, lost faith in the industry, and turned a handful of shoe samples and maker contacts from years of trips to Buenos Aires into a first collection.
The shoes are made in Buenos Aires by a small team of artisans, on demand or in small batches so nothing is overproduced. The name is said zu-zu.
- Founded
- 2015
- Founded by
- Katherine Theobalds
- Based in
- New York, United States
- Made in
- Handmade in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Made of
- Kidskin and cow leather, vegetable-tanned linings, leather and rubber soles
- Shipping
- Ships across the US from Buenos Aires through its US warehouse, duties covered on standard delivery, free on select styles and orders over $400; abroad, express by DHL is $29.95 to Canada and $39.95 elsewhere, with duties paid on delivery.
- Where to buy
- Zou Xou's own site
What shoppers say
From reviews and try-on videos, in our words.
- Fit
Sold in whole European sizes, 35 to 42 in core styles, medium width only. Some styles run small, the cut-out mule included, and US half sizes are best served by a half insole in closed styles.
- Comfort
The handful of owner reviews on its site are all five stars: the Eugenia flat fits true to size, the Mule is wearable out of the box, and one owner resoled hers before buying a second pair.
- Made to order
New designs and colors are made once you order, which takes about 2 to 3 weeks and longer at busy times. Core styles keep a few pairs in common sizes, but sizes 35, 36 and 42 are rarely in stock.
- Shipping
Standard US delivery comes from Buenos Aires through its US warehouse with duties covered, and US shipping is free on select styles and orders over $400. Express straight from Argentina means paying DHL about $28 in duties.
- Returns
Unworn full-price pairs can come back within 14 days, but US refunds lose $31.90 for shipping and the label. Sample sale and final pairs are final, and archive styles get store credit only.
What Zou Xou is made of
- Natural
- 100%
- Plant-based
- 0%
- Synthetic
- 0%
Works most in: leather
From the material listed on 30 pieces · 88% of the range lists it · Checked October 2026
Zou Xou in our edits
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Zou Xou, answered
- What is Zou Xou?
- Zou Xou is a shoe label founded in New York that makes women's flats, mary janes, mules, loafers and sandals by hand in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in small batches.
- How do you pronounce Zou Xou?
- Zu-zu. It also gets searched as Zou Zou or ZouXou.
- Is Zou Xou a good brand?
- Yes. We like it for comfortable, well-made flats: handmade in Buenos Aires from mostly certified Argentine leather, made to order or in small batches, with owners wearing pairs for years and having them resoled.
- Who founded Zou Xou?
- Katherine Theobalds, a designer who started it in New York City in 2015.
- Where is Zou Xou from?
- It was founded in New York City, and the shoes are handmade in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- What are Zou Xou shoes made of?
- Kidskin or cow leather uppers, mostly from Leather Working Group certified tanneries in Argentina, with vegetable-tanned leather linings and leather or rubber soles.
- Do Zou Xou shoes run true to size?
- Mostly, but some styles run small, including the Mule. Sizes are whole European sizes in medium width, and a half insole helps if you wear a US half size.
- Does Zou Xou ship internationally?
- Yes. Express orders ship from Buenos Aires by DHL for $29.95 to Canada and $39.95 elsewhere, with duties paid on delivery. US standard orders arrive with duties covered.
- Where can I buy Zou Xou?
- On the brand's own site, the only place it sells.
- When does Zou Xou go on sale?
- Across the 5 sales we have tracked, Zou Xou has run one about every 2 months. The last one was about 7 weeks ago.
- How much does Zou Xou discount?
- Their sales usually reach about 50% off, and the deepest we have seen was 65% off.
- What is Zou Xou made of?
- Across the 30 pieces we could read in October 2026, the material is about 100% natural and 0% synthetic. The most common materials are leather.
- Which brands are like Zou Xou?
- If you like Zou Xou, look at Poeve, Anonymous Copenhagen, Flattered and Dear Frances.