Carbon

I want to give a special shout out to this place for two reasons:
— a really beautiful store, a great space with lots of fantastic product
— the only DC outlet for Oliberte shoes — a Canadian brand, who manufacture their shoes in Africa as part of a sustainable /​economic development initiative — buy the shoes and you get to look good and engage in a positive act of sustainable development.
Big Sale now on ! 40% off !

I was just in DC for 9 days and everyday I tried to see this place but it was always closed. So I made it a point to walk in there earlier and wooowhooo I hit the jackpot!
Nothing like having all those choices and super kudos to the customer service! She was awesome and explained to me that almost all the stuff was made from local DC artists… double brownie points for that.
I am a firm believer of local support so I dished out the extra bucks and got a very eco friendly beautiful recycled chain and pendant. If I am ever back, I will for sure check them out again.

I visited Carbon last week for the first time, but it won’t be my last! I fell in love with the variety of (very soft) leather shoes and accessories! Shoes are perfect for DC, stylish but comfy :-) Carbon also has a nice selection of men shoes, which means the hubby is coming along for next visit. Customer service was great as well, so definitely 4.5 stars in my book!

Carbon is NOT closed. It is open and under new ownership. Just got a great pair of shoes! There is a new focus on local designers and eco materials in the jewelry and clothing. Check it out!

I was visiting DC on a conference and had no intent and no time to do any shopping on this trip. I stumbled into Carbon after a late lunch on my day of arrival and bought two pairs of shoes. The shoes are of great Italian style, design, and comfort! It is a bit pricey but if you view a good pair of shoes like high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, then it is a great investment to complete your outfit! The owner was passionate about his product and is a really nice guy. Very helpful with fitting and explaining the make of the shoes. I loved almost every pair I put on… would have bought more but at around $ 250 a pair… well… You know the rest.

Carbon is a special type of shopping experience. The owner loves his job and takes great pride in the unique handmade
Italian shoes that they sell.
Their focus is on good looking and comfortable shoes in a reasonable price range. Of course reasonable means 250 to 300 dollars but what do you expect when it takes a week to make the shoes. The quality speaks for itself. Drop in frequently as they may not have quite your fancy each time… But eventually you are sure to fall in love with the look and feel of some sweet little pair waiting there for you.

Carbon has an incredible selection of both mens and womens shoes. What I really appreciate is that they are unwilling to sacrifice either style or comfort. You won’t find any ugly «comfort» shoes here — everything is aesthetically awesome, and even the heels are styles that you can walk around in all day. Good quality and style are going to cost a little extra, but I think your feet will agree that Carbon shoes are worth it.
Another great thing about Carbon is that they carry Blackstone shoes. I don’t know if you can find these anywhere else in the U.S. It’s a Dutch brand that makes the most kick-​ass boots I’ve ever purchased. Yes they’re pricey, but they are amazingly comfortable, beautiful leather, totally unique shoes. I have two pairs and I can tell they will last for years. Feast your eyes here on the gorgeousness:
Finally, Kevin, the owner of Carbon, is totally committed to footwear and excellent customer service. I moved away from DC a few years ago and he worked with me over email to ship me a new pair of boots — and he gave me a shipping discount! Much better experience than some chain store with employees that don’t try. Carbon all the way!

Impressive selection and customer service! I was trapped in the area for business for a week, and was headed to New York City in a few days. I needed a few things I realized I had either forgot back home, or didn’t have at all. I had been meaning to check out the place after eating at the sushi resturaunt next door a few times, and finally got a break from work and made it in.
While the selection of clothes and handbags is limited, they are all unique peices. The sale items are usually pretty good finds, as I get their regular emails advertising the sale items.
It was here I learned about Tsubo shoes. I bough three pairs of shoes– one to wear out of the shop, and the other two were mailed to me. I didn’t have space in my bag to take the items on the plane with me, so the owner did not charge me for shipping, which was a nice touch. By the time I got back from New York, the shoes were here.
That was two years ago, and I am still wearing those shoes. I wore the Tsubo heels on Sunday, and the Tsubo flats to work on Friday, and the boots throughout the work week. Soon, I do need to take the boots to a shoe repair person to have the soles looked at. They are separating slightly — but this is after a lot of constant wear.
I also bought a shirt and a bracelet, which are some of my favorites to this day. I plan on buying more Tsubos when I can — the quality and comfort is like no other. I can wear those four inch heels all day and my feet feel great! Not kidding!
The service at Carbon is great. The selection is limited, but you are going for very specific items — remember that. It is a shoe store, primarily. The owner and his wife are shoe artists by trade. The clothes, handbags and jewelry are just fun, fancy little extras.
Enjoy — if you’re lucky enough to have this gem in your neighborhood, you owe it to your feet and your fashion to stop in.

Stopped by Carbon yesterday. The shoes are well-​crafted, some with comfortable padding in the bottom, but quite pricey. The signs on the walls suggest that the owner has the shoes produced in Italy by a family with a long history in shoe design and production. However, their shoes for women aren’t really that unique or daring in their design in comparison to what you might see at one of your better department stores, or in some cases, Comfort One Shoes. Yawn. I didn’t purchase anything, but there was one adorable pair of black round-​toe dress shoes with a thin bow and a kitten heel that made me take a second look. However, if I walk through a shoe store, and nothing makes me feel that flush of gotta-​have-​it style ecstasy, something’s wrong.

Simply put: Carbon rocks. Kevin, the owner, is incredibly knowledgeable and really passionate about selecting the best, highest quality shoes to offer.
I’m cursed with the world’s flattest feet, which makes just about every pair of shoes painful and exhausting after a few blocks, and I walk about 3 miles a day. I was resorting to Danskos and cute sneakers for years, until I found Carbon.
The Carbon private label shoes are stylish, gorgeous, and incredibly comfortable. They never fail to draw compliments. The other selections are just as fabulous. Carbon’s a first-​stop on any shoe search.

Carbon is added to my list of places in DC that I must pass through when looking for shoes. Cute shop and the owner is pretty nice. The prices can be up there but well worth it.

I checked out Carbon this weekend and was pretty impressed with the shoe selection. Apparently the owner and his wife help design and hand pick the leather in a small village in Italy. All the shoes are handmade and unique. He was really helpful and didn’t pressure me into the $ 250 black mary janes that I was drooling over. There isn’t much of a selection of clothing, but something tells me that this isn’t their target to get you in the store, anyway. There’s some funky sofas (benches, more like) and belts and hand bags. It’s a nice shop and the owner is cool, I just would have liked a little more variety of handbags to balance out the shoes.

So, there I was walking down U Street and hitting my typical spots and all of a sudden– shoes! In the window! I must investigate.
It was a gross day outside (in this lovely mix of weather we are having with nice and sunny days followed by cold and rainy) and this guy offered me an espresso. Free caffeine AND be able to look at and try them on? This is my type of store.
I fell in extreme like with a pair of Tsubos which are chic sneakers that you can totally wear to the office or out to dinner. There are also a few cute bags here (only from 2 different designers, though) as well as fun silver cuffs and a couple of funky belt buckles.
Check out the art on the walls here– it is by a Richmond, VA based artist.

I stopped in Carbon over the weekend and they had at least four pairs of shoes I wanted to buy. The prices weren’t too ridiculous either, but I guess it just depends on if you, like me, would spend $ 150+ on boots.
The shoes are trendy, but in a thoughtful way — definitely not just what «everyone else» is wearing. The owner was super nice and friendly, too. He just seemed like a regular dude who knew a lot about shoes and could make good recommendations. The store seems to be focused more on up-​and-​coming yet stylish brands, rather than the big names.

I’ve heard of bad dates where the girl has dismissed the potential suitor because, «He had bad shoes.» That statement is usually accompanied by a disapproving scowl. I’ve also seen women’s outfits ruined (or completed beautifully) by her choice of podiatric fashion. Shoes matter. They do.
If you want to rock a pair of hipster footwear and avoid having your pic end up in a magazine ‘don’t’ with black bars hiding your eyes, then head on over to Carbon. They JUST opened; I’m talking, the owner was still waiting on UPS to deliver his steel counter and molding. But he still let me browse. You can be one of the cool first ones in the know if you head over soon.
These shoes have an urban edge, and many can be worn BOTH for work and for play. Quite a few have durable soles which will last in your daily commute and walk. Best of all, they’re brands that won’t be found in most other stores, so you’ll be likely to be the only one wearing ‘em (but not if I buy them first)!
The sleek space has upped the hip factor of quaint Woodley Park. You can’t miss the cool blue sign next to Lebanese Taverna. I hope this is a hint of the future flava of the ‘hood.