FAQ

SHOE SIZING

Q: How do Highland Dance Shoe sizes compare to street shoe sizes? Are your shoe sizes in US or UK sizes?

A: Highland shoe sizing varies a great deal by manufacturer, so there is no exact formula. Most brands are closer to UK than US sizes, and a good starting point is your Highland shoe will usually be about 1.5 – 2 sizes smaller than your street shoe.

Q: How do I know which size shoes to order?

A: There are several things you can do to try to determine the correct size:

1. See if there is another dancer in your studio whose shoes are the same brand and a good fit for you, and hope they know what size they are or that the information hasn’t worn off the shoe.

2. Measure the larger foot from heel to toe and across the widest point while standing up. You can email or call us with the measurements or just include them in the comments field of your online order. We’ll double check these measurements against our sizing template and send you the size or sizes that should be the closest fit.

3. In the comment field, you can request that we “send extra pair on spec for sizing”. This way, we’ll send you an extra pair or two so you have a few sizes to compare. As long as you return the extra shoes within 14 days and with no visible signs of wear, there will be no additional charge – you will be responsible for return postage, however.

4. If you ordered your previous pair of dance shoes from Highland Island and don’t remember the size, just give us a call – we keep a detailed record of all our customers’ shoe purchases for this very reason.

Q. How do I know if the shoes I just received fit correctly?

A. The best advice we can give you is to bring the shoes with you to dance class and show them to your teacher. If you’re not sure of the fit, be sure to only wear them on clean surfaces (bring a towel with you to put down on the floor), so you can return them if needed. Most teachers – and judges – like to see a very snug fitting shoe. The shoes should fit like a leather glove and mold to the foot. The shoes will also stretch – some brands more than others, so if the shoe slides on easily at first, it’s probably too big.

CLOTHING SIZING:

Q. How do I know if I am ordering clothing in the correct size?

A. When in doubt, call or email us. Just like in the large retail stores, not all small, medium or larges are the same. Sizing changes from manufacturer to manufacturer. When we notice clothing that runs very much on the small or tight fitting side or on the large side, we will note that in the description of that particular item. Otherwise, consider that the sizing is consistent with sizing you would normally see. If you are not sure, we will always be glad to get measurements to you if you call or email us.

PRICING

Q. What currency are your prices listed in?

A. All prices are listed in US$. For the latest international currency exchange information, go to www.xe.com.

Q. I noticed that prices online are different than in your catalog, why?

A. We publish our catalog only once per year, and do our best to keep prices level throughout the year. However, because so much of our merchandise is imported from other countries, changes in the value of the US$ can dramatically affect our cost for shoes, CD’s, and many other items. We do our best to keep our prices as low as possible, but we do occasionally have to raise them during the year meaning the price you see online will be higher than the catalog. When there is a difference in price, the on-line price will always be the accurate and prevailing price.

Q. Do you offer wholesale or bulk pricing?

A. In most cases we do not offer wholesale or bulk pricing, as we are mainly a retailer. There are some products which we do import and distribute to other retailers (Dougies Dance Shoes for instance), so if there are particular products you are interested in carrying for re-sale, please feel free to inquire.

ORDERING

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?

A. We accept American Express, Discover, Master Card, Visa, PayPal, Google Payments, Check or Money Order. All checks and money orders must be in US$. If you are ordering online and wish to pay by check or money order, simply print out your completed shopping cart page and mail to us at 88 Glocker Way #272, Pottstown,PA 19465. Please note, payments by personal check must clear our bank before order will ship.

Q. Is your shopping cart secure?

A. Our shopping cart utilizes the latest version of ShopSite shopping cart software to ensure the most up to date security features available. ShopSite’s technology and safety features are approved by VeriSign and are compliant with Visa’s stringent CISP/PABP requirements.

Q. What if an item I order is not available?

A. If an item you order is not currently in stock, we’ll notify you and give you an estimated delivery time. If you choose, we’ll ship the rest of your order right away, and not charge you for the back-ordered item until it is ready to ship.

Q. Do I have to register on your web site to order?

A. No, the registration option is available so you can choose to have your delivery and payment options saved and not have to re-type them for future orders, but you do not have to register to order. To order without registering, simply proceed through the checkout process without logging in.

Q. Do you ship to customers in my home country?

A. We will ship to customers in any country. Our shopping cart includes the countries from which we will accept credit card orders, including USA, Canada, UK, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and many others. Payment for orders from certain countries must be made by US$ money order or cashier’s check. If your country is not listed in the shopping cart, please contact us by email for ordering instructions.

SHIPPING

Q. Where do you ship from?

A. We ship daily to customers all over the world from Pottstown, PA USA. Most of our products, with the exception of our portable dance barres and practice floors, and a few other products ship directly from Highland Island. The dance barres ship directly from the manufacturer in British Columbia, Canada and the flooring usually drop ships from the manufacturer in Utah, USA. Occasionally, when certain other items are back-ordered, we will have them shipped to customers directly from the manufacturer in order to get the item to the customer quicker – in these cases we will let you know to expect a package from someone other than Highland Island.

Q. How will my order be shipped?

A. For standard shipping within the USA we prefer to use the US Postal Service as we have found they offer both the best rates and most reliable delivery times for domestic shipments. We offer a choice of First Class or Priority Mail. Priority Mail offers insurance and tracking information while First Class mail offers only shipping confirmation.

We offer Expedited and Overnight Shipping by either Express Mail or FedEx for domestic orders.

For international shipments, we prefer to ship by USPS Global Priority or Express Mail which have proven to be the quickest, most reliable and cost effective. Global Priority or Express Mail also offers tracking information, delivery confirmation and insurance. We also offer lower rates via Global First Class Mail. Please note, delivery times for Global 1st Class may be slower, there is no tracking information and there is no insurance or delivery guarantee. When shipping by US Mail, our customers can often avoid the automatic customs brokerage fees often charged by UPS, FedEx and other couriers.

Q. The shipping charges calculated by your shopping cart seem high for my order, do you mark them up?

A. While some merchants mark up shipping & handling charges significantly, our philosophy is that we would rather let you spend your money on our products rather than on shipping – therefore, we do everything possible to keep our shipping costs as low as possible. Sometimes our shopping cart calculates shipping charges higher than they need to be. This often happens if you are ordering multiples of particular items as the shopping cart software calculates by weight. We are often able to lower the actual shipping cost by using flat rate packaging. In both these cases we will always adjust the shipping charge down prior to charging your card. Your final shipping charge from Highland Island will reflect only our costs in processing the order (postage, labels, packaging, processing fees, etc) and there are never any exorbitant handling fees. By using re-cycled packaging materials and packaging provided by the US Post Office instead of fancy and costly packaging, we save you money. If you ever see a shipping charge in your shopping cart that seems too high, just email us with your delivery address and items you are planning to order and we can give you an actual shipping quote.

Q. Do you charge tax or customs fees on my order?

A. We only collect tax on non-clothing items shipped to customers in the State of Pennsylvania, USA. If you are ordering from outside the US, you may be required to pay customs or duty fees upon delivery. While a majority of our customers report receiving their orders without having to pay these fees, this is completely beyond our control. Regulations differ from country to country regarding the value of a shipment that you can receive without paying duty. Also, we have found that by using the postal service, many of our shipments pass through customs without accumulating charges.

Q. How long should my package take to arrive? Can I track my package?

A. We try to process and ship all orders within 1 business day of receipt (for example, if you place on order on Monday it should go out by Tuesday, if you place an order Friday and Monday is a postal holiday it will not ship out until Tuesday). Shipments to US addresses should arrive within 3-10 business days of ordering. Shipments to international addresses should arrive within 4-10 business days of ordering for Priority Mail and within 3 weeks for Global 1st Class. Our shipping software automatically emails tracking information to the email address provided when ordering. Tracking information on the US Post Office web site, however, is often not updated until the package arrives at the delivery address. If your package has not arrived within the above mentioned time frames, please email us.

RETURNS/EXCHANGES

Q. How do I return an item for exchange or credit?

A. For exchanges, please include a note including the size, color, etc. you need, or measurements if you are unsure. We will bill the credit card from your original order for applicable shipping fees on the exchanged item. For returns, you must include a copy of your invoice. Please refer to the back of your sales receipt or click here for additional terms and conditions. The address for returns and exchanges is:

Highland Island

88 Glocker Way #272

Gt. Pottstown, PA 19465

If you are in the USA and would prefer to use UPS, FedEx, etc. for your return or exchange, please email us for street address. Please note, when returning items from outside the US we strongly suggest using the postal service, as we are often charged “Customs Brokerage Fees” by UPS and FedEx even on returned and non-dutiable items. These fees will be the customer’s responsibility. Also, we would suggest you consider insuring your package for return or exchange as any item damaged or lost in transit can not be accepted for credit.