So cute. I usually wear a 39, I ordered up to a 9.5 figuring I could just wear them with socks, unfortunately they were so tight I couldn’t even get my foot into them. As I ordered them on the clearance sale, they are nonrefundable. $160 down the drain. Will not be ordering from this company again.
We're sorry these didn't work out for you! While our extensive data shows the Anne fits most folks true to size, it is a pointy toed style, and some folks with broader or very squared off toes may find that that the size they wear in most round or square toed dress shoes or heels is a different size from what they need in pointy toed dress shoes or heels. It's also important to keep in mind that our shoes are close fitting like most heels and dress shoes - we don't recommend going off of the size you wear in athletics, sneakers, clogs, sandals, stompy boots, or other styles that tend to have a lot of excess space.
We're always happy to assist with fitting questions, both before and after a purchase - simply email us at info@americanduchess.com.
I bought these shoes because I wanted good solid leather boots which I could wear every day and would last a long time. These are not those boots. I walk less than a mile to my classes every day and after 1 trip the soles of these shoes were absolutely destroyed from just walking on the sidewalk. They certainly don't seem like they will withstand daily wear. This is incredibly frustrating especially since they do not accept returns if shoes show signs of wear. The reason why I would like to return these is because they became incredibly damaged from walking only about a mile total on regular sidewalks. Apparently these shoes are meant for someone who only intends to wear them inside and never step foot on a sidewalk. If they were not intended to be worn outside and were only for theater use or the like, that should clearly have been stated in the product description, rather than stating that they will "give you style for miles". They will not. They did not last a single mile much less multiple miles. I feel ripped off and extremely dissapointed, especially considering I purchased a pair of the Alpen boots and they have good solid rubber soles and have not been damaged in over 2 years of use. So clearly this company is capable of making soles that last but chose not to put them on most of their boots for some reason that beats me. I guess you aren't supposed to walk anywhere in most of these shoes. The Alpen boots had good soles but are heels and I cannot wear them daily to walk to my classes. I had hoped this flat pair of boots was the solution but unfortunately the soles are badly made and not designed to actually be walked in. These boots held up worse than the $10 pleather flats I bought from Walmart 3 years ago. I bought these shoes so I wouldn’t have to buy pleather walmart shoes every 5 years anymore but Walmart quality has outlasted $200 boots it seems. Extremely dissapointed, especially considering the price.
We're happy to set your mind at ease! These are indeed intended for outdoor wear, and the soles you've pictured are in good shape and not at all destroyed. Our soles are high quality leather with a veeeeery thin layer of water resistant sealing applied. What you're seeing is the sealant wearing away on the pavement, which shows the lighter color of the leather underneath; the leather sole itself is not impacted in the least. If they were unsealed, you wouldn't even notice this at all, but given that the sealant is slightly orange, it looks a bit startling due to the high contrast!
As the sealant naturally wears off, you'll want to apply mink oil or neatsfoot oil to the leather as needed to keep it hydrated and water resistant. If the soles were unsealed, you'd have to do this over the entire sole prior to wearing them. For both types of soles, you'll repeat this as necessary; it's a typical part of leather sole maintenance.
Both sealed and unsealed leather sole types have pros and cons; at this time we've found that the sealed variation are more accessible to customers who are unfamiliar with how much an unsealed leather sole can soak up water (especially around the edges). We find that the sealed variation lasts longer for most folks, as the rest of the sole that's not in contact with the ground stays sealed and protected and thus doesn't require nearly as much maintenance and diligence in getting into all the nooks and crannies with mink oil as an unsealed sole does. The sealed sole also doesn't require maintenance quite as often, as the sealant that remains helps keep the leather from drying out as fast.
If you're unfamiliar, we have an entire page on leather sole care here - https://www.americanduchess.com/pages/how-to-care-for-leather-soles
I've long wanted a pair of American Duchess shoes. When a number of styles went on sale after Thanksgiving, I knew it was my chance. The Anne boots in oxblood are amazing. The color is deep and rich. The look is, in my opinion, as sexy as boots can be. The fit is perfect. This a pair of shoes for the ages.
I have to throw in big props to AD's customer service: even during the busy holiday season, they responded quickly to a number of questions.
The only thing I would change: I'd buy them sooner!
They work exceptionally well with contemporary attire. I find that they wear wonderfully with my holiday sweaters and black slacks.
Had to order a half size up as my usual size was sold out during the sale, I've only been able to wear them out once so far since receiving but I wore them all day and it was hot out and they fit and felt great the whole time. No issue with the half size up, it would have probably been fine in my normal size but with the pointiness of the toe I'm glad for the extra leeway. My biggest problem with leather boots is the creasing at the ankle always always always ends up chafing. But since these have fabric sides there is zero discomfort! Gorgeous shoes. Looking forward to a long time with them.
I bought these a size smaller than I usually do because they were on sale and I needed them quickly for a historical costume. I used a boot stretcher to slowly stretch the leather over a week, and mink oil to keep them flexible. I was able to get them comfortable enough to start breaking them in for our community theatre's production of Fiddler on the Roof, I wore them every day for 2 months straight for rehearsals and performances, they are beautiful and worked great. And now that the show is done, I have a well fitting and comfortable pair of boots
Nowhere in the description does it say the black shoes are patent leather, but the plasticky feel -and shine- of it was unmistakable when I took them out of their box. I decided to keep them instead of going through the hassle of returning them, but boy am I bummed. At least I ordered a size up, because patent leather SUCKS to stretch.
Rest assured, the Anne boots are not patent leather! They're a high shine leather and can be cared for and stretched exactly like our other regular leather shoes. High shine leathers can be created many ways, including oil rubbed finishes and other methods. At the time of this writing, the ONLY patent leather shoes we have are the Pattie in white and in black. When we use patent leather we're careful to disclose it in the description, as it requires different care!
these are perfect. arrived exactly as pictures and I am so so happy with them. I'm sad that they are being discontinued in the oxblood color, I think it is beautiful. BUT without the discontinuation sale i probably wouldn't have bought them! I'm so happy with these <3
These boots are awesome. They are very comfortable although I must say that for me, I had a hard time getting them on and off. But, once on, they were very comfortable. I am hoping that the ankle part softens up a bit over time to make them easier to get on and off, but they are so cute so I really don't want to knock them down a star. I would say they are true to size once you get them on.
These shoes look so good (the oxblood color is stunning), well-made, and incredibly comfortable. I’ve walked miles in them without an issue! They fit true to size for me and were easily broken in. As others have mentioned, these are laced boots, so they definitely take a few minutes to put on and take off.
I really appreciate the quality of these boots. The oxblood is deep and rich and the boot itself is comfortable. I wore them all day, giving tours in a historical home and did not have any issues. I did order a half size up just because I knew I’d be wearing thick wool stockings and that my feet swell. As others have mentioned, allow extra time to put them on as you will have to unlace and then lace back up again.
I’m very pleased with my purchase.
I purchased the Anne boots in olive & brown. I love the colors, the contrast, the historic aspect. I bought them in a 10 as other A.D. boots have fit me in that size, they fit great from the very start. They are comfortable all day. It does take an extra few minutes to put them on and take them off, as that involves unlacing and lacing them back up, so plan ahead if you typically run late. With the laces you can adjust the fit a little. Thanks again American Duchess for another great pair of boots!
The boots are absolutely beautiful, and I can honestly say I have never had a more comfortable pair of shoes!
Really wonderful shoes!! They were sized perfectly, and both look and feel spectacular!
Fits perfectly, with support at the arch and room for the toes.
Very comfortable!
