Frequently Asked Questions
Check most frequently asked questions here, if you still need help then please contact us at help@athleticpropulsionlabs.com.
Returns
We design Athletic Propulsion Labs® products to bring quality, innovation and performance to your active life. We feel the same way about customer service. If you feel the need to arrange an exchange or return an item based on the guidelines below, we will gladly make it happen.
We offer free exchanges and returns for domestic orders. For exchanges or return shipments within the USA, visit our returns portal to request and print a prepaid return shipping label. All APL items can be exchanged or returned within 10 days of receiving them if they are in new, unworn condition and in their original packaging along with any promotional gifts.
- For returns, please complete the form and indicate the return reason.
- All items must be returned to us in their original, unworn, intact, unwashed, and smoke-free condition with their original packaging, tags, accessories, and extra laces (if included) to receive a refund.
- Shoes must be returned with their original shoebox. Please pack the shoebox inside another box as the original shoebox must be returned undamaged and postage-free.
- Worn shoes or shoes that do not come with original packaging, tags and accessories are not eligible for a refund.
- Final Sale items cannot be returned or exchanged.
When packing up your return, remove any old addresses or bar codes, and only include items from the same order. Bring your return to a USPS location, not a drop box. If you printed your return shipping label, you can drop off your return at any US Post Office or dropbox.
Returns are eligible for a refund if they are made within 10 days of delivery. Returned items must be presented in the same condition as when they were received: unworn, undamaged, unaltered, and with the original tags, packaging (if applicable) and proof of purchase. Returns that do not meet these criteria will not be accepted and will be sent back to you with an explanation. Shipping fees cannot be refunded.
Your return will be processed within 10 to 15 business days of being received at our warehouse. Please allow 1-2 billing cycles for the refund credit to appear on your statement. Refunds will be issued to the original method of payment. If you return a product purchased with multiple methods of payment, the balance will be applied to the credit card up to the original amount charged. Refunds will include product and tax amount only. In the event that an incorrect item was shipped, or if products were damaged in transit, we will also include shipping charges in your refund. We inspect all returns and reserve the right to deny or refuse a full refund based on the returned condition and/or beyond the communicated return period limit.
If your order was sent to an address in the United States or Canada, all customs/duties and sales tax will be refunded. Outside the United States and Canada, customs/duties and sales tax are non-refundable through APL. However, you may be able to recover these by contacting your local customs bureau or by hiring a customs broker.
If you have any questions about returning items you have purchased on AthleticPropulsionLabs.com, please contact us at help@athleticpropulsionlabs.com or (866) 672-8630.
Kindly allow up to 10-15 business days of processing time from the date your return was delivered at our warehouse for your refund to be initiated.
APL
APL stands for Athletic Propulsion Labs. APL sits at the intersection of luxury and performance, creating the world's finest footwear for optimum comfort for all aspects of your lifestyle from training to travel and everything in between.
Our flagship store is in Los Angeles at The Grove and our New York flagship is on 75 Prince Street in SoHo. APL is also carried at select retailers across the world, you can search for your closest store on our retailers page.
There is a very short window right after an order is placed where we may make adjustments, however we cannot guarantee any updates or cancellations after an order has been placed. Please reach out to our customer care team with any requests and we will try our best to accommodate.
APL does not price match third-party retailers. We offer discounts for military service, healthcare employees, first responders, teachers, students, and first time customers. For more details, click on the individual links at the site footer.
APL’s are designed for a sleek silhouette so your laces are meant to be easily tucked under the tongue of the shoe. If you prefer, you can also tie your laces over the tongue of the shoe.
We accept the following methods of payment: ShopPay, Afterpay, Amazon Pay, American Express, Apple Pay, Discover, MasterCard, and PayPal. For international orders, we offer additional payment options including by currency.
Most APL shoes are machine washable For sneaker buffs, we have a few hints on how to clean your APL’s from throwing them in the washing machine on select styles to simple cleaning techniques. The TechLoom Tracer, TechLoom Pro, TechLoom Phantom, TechLoom Bliss, TechLoom Breeze, TechLoom Wave. TechLoom Dream, TechLoomTraveler and TechLoom Zipline and Big Logo TechLoom Slides can all go into the washing machine with the exception of any APLs that are metallic, contain crystals, calf hair, leather, wool or our sweater slides. We recommend using Dreft laundry detergent, but cleaning results may vary and are not guaranteed.For detailed instructions on how to clean your APLs, see further information on our care and cleaning page.
Athletic Propulsion Labs is committed to giving back. We focus our efforts on women’s health issues, in particular the fight against Breast Cancer, assisting children in need, scholarship programs, and solving the homelessness issue in our hometown of Los Angeles and efforts to offset the global carbon footprint via carbon neutral online shopping. Our mission is to find new and innovative ways of making a difference that can deliver real change within our global and local community. Kindly see our giving back page for more details about some of the key causes we currently support.
Yes you can. Our insoles are lightly glued to the shoe, however they are designed to be replaced by custom orthotics.
Occasionally select APL products are available for pre-order due to limited production. If you place a product in your shopping cart that is available for pre-order, we will indicate the expected “ship to” date and you will not be charged until the order is shipped or add you to our waitlist and you will be notified when the item is available. If an item is no longer available from our inventory, a message will alert you that the requested item is not in stock. If your order is approved and inventory is out of stock, you will receive an email notifying you of this.
Yes, we offer virtual gift cards on our website in various denominations and physical gift cards in our Flagship stores in Los Angeles and New York.
We launch four seasonal collections a year along with weekly exclusives and our always-available core collection.
All APLs are vegan with a few exceptions including our Lusso Slides, Shearling Slides, and the TechLoom Chelsea. All vegan silhouettes are noted by a symbol so they are easily identifiable. For more details about the materials APL uses, please reach out to our customer care team.
For pronation, we recommend our styles with a thicker upper; for training, we recommend the TechLoom Tracer; for running and walking, we recommend the TechLoom Dream and Streamline.
We do. Starting in late April 2024, we will be releasing the Nostalgia 87 silhouette that is designed as a court shoe. APL does not recommend or warranty any of our other athletic footwear for tennis or pickleball. Running and tennis are both sports that depend heavily on use of the feet, but the way the feet are used in each sport is significantly different. Having appropriate footwear specific to each sport is critical and none of our products are designed for tennis/pickleball play. As a result, for these activities, we recommend footwear designed solely for that sport.
If you are interested in collaborating at an affiliate level, kindly email affiliates@athleticpropulsionlabs.com. If you are interested in collaborating at a wholesale level, kindly email jumphigher@AthleticPropulsionLabs.com.
Shipping
Thank you for your recent order with APL. Tracking details are emailed to the email address used to place your order once your order has shipped from our warehouse facility. For more detailed tracking details or inquiries, our customer care team is available to help.
Yes, we do. We have received requests for our products from around the world and we are happy to be able to provide an international shipping solution. At checkout, choose your international destination from the country drop down menu. Once you select your country, you will be provided with international shipping costs as well as duties and taxes for your shipment.
Upon completion of your order, APL will charge your credit card for the entire purchase. You will be issued a confirmation and order tracking number upon your order being approved. All orders are subject to credit authorization and approval before being accepted as a completed purchase in our system.
Most orders placed before 12 PM PST are shipped the same business day. If an order is placed after 12 PM PST, it ships the next business day. Orders placed Friday after 12 PM PST through Sunday ship out Monday. Processing time is in addition to transit/delivery time. Kindly note during promotional periods with increased volume, processing time and delivery dates even for expedited orders may not be guaranteed.
Yes, we do. We offer third business day, second business day, and next business day shipping. All international shipments are via DHL Express. Kindly note domestic expedited shipping is an additional cost.
Kindly note during promotional periods with increased volume, processing time and delivery dates even for expedited orders may not be guaranteed.
For Ground orders, the average transit time is 5-7 business days. For expedited orders, the transit time will be 1, 2, or 3 business days depending on the service selected.
Kindly note during promotional periods with increased volume, processing time and delivery dates even for expedited orders may not be guaranteed.
For international orders, we will calculate and guarantee the lowest possible order total in your preferred currency, including any applicable duties and taxes, as determined by the destination's customs authority. These charges are provided at checkout for review.
Basketball
The APL Concept 1 shoes have been banned by the NBA for the 2010-2011 season because of the competitive advantage our Load ‘N Launch Technology provides. As of February 3, 2011, the NFHS lifted its ban on the APL basketball shoes. In a memorandum to its Basketball Administrators, the NFHS stated "Based on discussions with Athletic Propulsion Labs, Inc., and on an examination of pertinent research, we have concluded that Concept 1 shoes do not violate Rule 3-5-4 and thus that the ban under NFHS Basketball Rule 3-5-4 should be immediately lifted." The Concept 1 shoes may or may not be allowed for competitive play in your league at the college, professional, or recreational level.
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The patented Load ‘N Launch® device is a very sophisticated feat of engineering located in the forefoot of the basketball shoe just in front of the flex zone and the ball of the foot. The device features unique compression properties designed to provide an instant rebound effect that is transferred up through the foot to enhance vertical leap (or what we call vertical propulsion).
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“Load ‘N Launch®” technology works in concert with the rest of the shoe so that there is uniformity in the compression or the pressure that the athlete exerts down onto the device itself and through the midsole of the shoe, which is the “load” cycle. After all the compression elements are fully flexed, there is an explosive “launch” cycle that results when all of that compression is released. The result is an instant increase in vertical leap.
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The APL's Load ‘N Launch® technology has been extensively tested in a leading West Coast University Biomechanical Lab under the supervision of two highly respected PhDs using sophisticated Kistler Force Plates in conjunction with a Vertec vertical leap measurement unit. The results are clear and show that at a statistically significant level the Athletic Propulsion Labs® basketball shoes provide an instant INCREASE in vertical leap for the majority of people from the very first time they use the product.
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The result in most cases is an instant increase in vertical leap, depending upon the height, weight, athletic ability, technique and physical condition of the individual.
No training program is required as part of the Athletic Propulsion Labs® basketball product with the “Load ‘N Launch®” technology. The minute you start playing in our athletic footwear you will notice the engagement of the Load ‘N Launch® device and the resulting increase in your vertical leap. Another major benefit of our basketball shoes is the player’s ability to lift off the floor much more quickly, whether rebounding, jump shooting or shot blocking.
Let us be clear about this…the increase in your vertical leap happens INSTANTLY when you wear Athletic Propulsion Labs® basketball shoes. No more struggling with training regimens. These are basketball playing shoes, not training shoes. You are ready to step on the basketball court and jump higher instantly.
Rewards
We are not able to stack discounts, including redeemed rewards points, however your rewards points do not expire.
You can sign into your account by clicking on the person icon in the top right corner of the screen. Once you are signed in, click the Rewards tab at the top of the page and you will be able to view your points balance along with ways to earn more points.
Yes, once you open an account with your email address, all previous purchases placed with that email address will already be in your account.
There are two ways to redeem your points on a purchase. If you are logged in to your account and go to checkout with items in your cart, you will see a slider bar showing your available points. Slide the bar to represent the amount of points you would like to use and you will see that represented in your total. The second way to redeem your points is to sign in to our site and visit the rewards tab then click the “redeem” button to receive a code for all of your available points that you can use at checkout.
Sign into your account on our site and visit the rewards tab. There is a form you can enter your friend’s email address or receive links to share your reference link across social media.
Cyber Week 2025
During our Cyber Event, the TechLoom Zipline is excluded from promotional pricing. The complimentary APL Lux Logo Socks are the exclusive offer available with this style during the event, and we’re not able to substitute the gift for the 30% discount.
If you’d prefer to take advantage of the event savings, we’d be happy to help you find a similar style that is included in the promotion. Our team is here to assist with recommendations or any additional questions.
Cyber Event pricing is only valid during the active promotion and cannot be applied retroactively to previous purchases. We appreciate your understanding.
The Cyber Event discount can only be used on items available during the promotional period and cannot be extended to future restocks. We recommend signing up for restock notifications, and our team is happy to help recommend similar styles currently in stock.
