Help at the Lace Bench: the right door for each shoe problem, a shoe glossary, brief replies
Three parts: who can actually help with each kind of problem, the words that turn up in shoe listings and agent dashboards, and short answers to things shoe buyers often run into.
Each shoe problem and the right person to ask
- Wrong size or colour arrived at the warehouse: your agent. Raise it from the warehouse photos before shipping; the agent deals with the seller.
- A listing has vanished or changed price: nobody can restore it. Look for the same item from another seller, or pick another card.
- Parcel delayed or damaged in transit: your agent first, who will deal with the carrier under its own terms.
- A charge you do not recognise: the agent's billing page, then your bank or payment service if that does not explain it.
- An old AllChinaBuy order: the contact routes on its maintenance notice. We have no access to its systems.
- A mistake on this site: us, at the address on the about page.
This site does not sell anything, hold any money or see any order. It can correct its own pages and nothing else.
Shoe and agent words in plain English
This glossary covers the words that turn up in shoe listings, catalogue cards and agent dashboards. Chinese terms are given where sellers commonly use them.
- Spreadsheet
- Here, a catalogue site that shows Chinese marketplace goods card by card, each card linking to its listing.
- Shopping agent
- A company that orders from a Chinese seller for you, receives the parcel at its own depot and forwards the goods overseas.
- Option
- One choice on a listing, usually a size, a colour or both. Sellers call it different things; the option name is what goes in your order note.
- Colourway
- A colour version of the same shoe. Grid covers show many colourways at once.
- Order note
- Free text sent with an agent order. The place to restate size, colour option and anything the agent should check.
- QC photos
- Quality-check photos the agent's warehouse takes once your item arrives, so you can confirm it before shipping.
- Approving photos
- Telling the agent the item is fine to keep and ship. Some buyers call it giving a green light; asking for an exchange instead is a red light.
- Domestic shipping
- Postage from the seller to the agent's warehouse inside China, usually paid with the item.
- International shipping
- Postage from the warehouse to you, paid when you send a parcel, often by weight or box size.
- Upper
- Everything on a shoe above the sole: leather, knit, suede or canvas.
- Outsole
- The bottom layer that touches the ground. Lug soles have deep, chunky tread.
- Toe box
- The front of the shoe around the toes. Its width matters more for comfort than its look.
- Low-top, mid-top, high-top
- Where the collar finishes relative to the ankle bone. 低帮, 中帮 and 高帮 in Chinese titles.
- Slingback
- A shoe with an open back held by a strap behind the heel.
- Mary Jane
- A low shoe with a strap across the instep.
- Slide
- An open, backless sandal with one strap or band across the foot.
- Clog
- A backless shoe with a covered toe, often moulded in one piece.
- Shearling
- Sheepskin with the wool left on, used as a warm lining. Listings also use the word loosely for fleece linings.
- Nap
- The raised surface of suede, which looks lighter or darker depending on the direction of the light.
- Patent
- Leather with a glossy coated finish that reflects its surroundings in photos.
- 色 (sè)
- Colour. Most Chinese colour names on seller photos end in it: 米色 beige, 栗色 chestnut, 藏蓝色 navy.
Short answers for shoe orders
Each answer is short on purpose. Where a longer explanation exists on this site, the answer points to it.
Ordering two colours from one listing
Add each option to the order separately and say in the note which photo each one matches. A single line asking for "both colours" invites mistakes.
A seller lists only Chinese sizes
Most shoe listings use European-style numbers, often with a foot-length chart in the photos. Match your foot length in centimetres to the chart.
The price on a card differs from the listing
Card prices were read on 20 October 2026. Sellers change prices often; the listing price on the day you order is the one that counts.
A card ranks high for a colour the shoe does not have
The sorter measures the whole cover photo. Boxes, mats and shelves in the frame count too; the card description says when a setting is busy.
The warehouse photo shows a different shade
Warehouse lamps change how colour looks. Compare the shoe with something white in the same photo, and ask for a retake if the photo is poor.
Boxes and parcel size
Shoeboxes add size and therefore postage. Many agents will remove them before packing on request; keep them if you want them.
Old AllChinaBuy orders
Its maintenance notice points to its online customer service and [email protected]. We cannot help with orders placed there.
Shoes as gifts and duty
Duty rules belong to your own country and turn on the contents. Declare the contents and value truthfully; any duty or penalty is the buyer's to pay.
Checking that a pair is genuine
Neither this site nor a warehouse photo check can authenticate an item. This site does not list goods sold as copies of another company's trade mark.
Spotting a children's listing
Look for a size range such as 26-37 printed on the photos, or a shoe held in an adult hand. Card descriptions on this site say when a listing is for children.
Send the evidence that lets somebody answer
A useful support request identifies the order, the exact option and the decision you need. Sending only “wrong shoes” makes the support desk reconstruct all three.
The warehouse size does not match my order
Attach the saved option, the order number and a clear image of the received size label. Ask whether the wrong option was ordered or the seller supplied a different one. Keep the parcel unsubmitted while the issue is reviewed.
The right label arrived, but I am unsure about fit
Request a clearly specified measurement if the agent offers it. An outsole length is not an insole length. Explain which you need and how the seller measured it; compare the result with a shoe that fits rather than relying on a size-conversion chart.
The colour looks different in the warehouse
Compare the selected option, lighting and camera angle first. Ask for a neutral-light view if the distinction changes your decision. A measured colour on our sorter describes a listing photo, not a guaranteed material colour.
For a return, ask for the eligible deadline, the seller’s approval requirement, domestic return postage and any handling cost before agreeing. An unanswered question is a reason to follow up promptly, not evidence that the return has been accepted.