- 5 stars: 10 (59%)
- 4 stars: 5 (29%)
- 3 stars: 1 (6%)
- 2 stars: 0 (0%)
- 1 star: 1 (6%)
These shoes are unique and cute. They pair well with dresses and slacks alike. Also very comfortable and sturdy.
I read reviews that said they were difficult to break in so I wore them with damp socks one afternoon. I don't know if they needed this, but they are more comfortable than my older shoes that I have worn reenacting for years and they are very cute! I was impressed by the quality of the leather and the workmanship. I treated them with a water proofing spray because I cannot go easy on them when I am working. I want more.
We're glad you like them and they're comfy! We'd suggest shoe stretch spray over damp socks for future break ins; it's better for both the shoes and your feet. Damp socks are often a recipe for chafing, and no one wants that!
American Duchess is known for making such beautiful shoes but their photos don’t do them justice…these are so much more beautiful in person.
Unfortunately mine were too tight but a shoe tree did the trick! So I suggest maybe size a half down. This is my suggestion.
They are very hard to break in because of the leather so just be aware of that! I still get sores on my feet from wearing them.
Hi Autumn,
If you're having trouble with the fit of your Berties, we recommend sending an email to our customer service team at info@americanduchess.com, they're happy to offer advice on how to improve the fit.
I received these for Christmas and have been wearing them around the house to break them in... and I thought perhaps I've just not broken them in enough, but from other reviews I see I'm not the only one who has been struggling with these shoes! I tend to walk out of them, but at the same time anything more would be too tight? Either way, I'm amending *how* I walk as to keep them on my feet. I'm not a person who likes to suffer for looks, so not sure how much use these will actually get (comfort is paramount, looks are bonus). Pretty sure I couldn't manage much actual walking in them, so overall I'm a bit bummed! They're still lovely to look at, but just not the most comfortable thing to wear. But you know what that means - I'm just going to have to buy some Regency boots!
If you're walking out of them, you either have the wrong size or the wrong width for your particular foot shape. We're always happy to assist with fitting questions, both before and after a purchase - just reach out to us at info@americanduchess.com and we can chat about where the shoes fit and where they don't, and possible solutions!
As these are not available in wide, I ordered half a size up. They were a bit stiff when I first tried them on (much stiffer than my old Kensingtons), but they seemed to fit me, and I assumed it was just a question of breaking them in. After wearing them on several occasions, though, I'm sorry to say that they're still killing my oh so wide feet. I can't help but hope that some leather stretch spray could solve the problem, but alas, I'm not expecting it to.
Oh no, that doesn't sound great! If you have a wide foot, sometimes sizing up in a regular width works, and sometimes not.
If you reach out to us at info@americanduchess.com and let us know a bit more about where the shoe is fitting and where it isn't, we can advise if there's ways to adapt them to be more comfy!
Love these
I love my shoes. I am going to break them in before going to an event in May. I would definitely order again. The person who reached out to me was fantastic. She answered all my questions. The shoes came in a timely manner.
Bertie is versatile and beautiful from dresses to jean skirts to jeans. It's darling on me even though bow-details don't usually work for me. These flats with bow details do look good on me.
I have purchased and worn two other styles of American Duchess shoes before in size 8, and they were perfect fits. Unfortunately the size 8 for Bertie is slightly loose, which I only noticed once I took them on an outdoor stroll. I will try sizer inserts and hidden thick socks, because their design is too elegant and cutesy to give up.
lovely shoes
Love this company
I am, unfortunately, in between sizes with this style. The 7 fits like a glove, but once I start walking in them they get too tight. The 7.5, on the other hand is quite a bit too big in both length and width. I will have to wear thick socks just to keep my feet from slipping around inside them. The real problem though is that the heels slip completely off and just flap around when I walk, even when I tried wearing thicker socks and putting in insoles to help fill in the space. I will try heel grips next but I am not sure it will be enough. It is a shame because they are very cute shoes and would be great for historical AND everyday wear if they fit better.
(I usually wear 9W/9.5/9.5W.) Initially, they were snug enough I couldn't wear socks, so I stretched them using a shoe-stretcher and stretching spray, now they are a much better fit. They are comfy and great overall flat.
The only downside is that the heel blisters are probably the worst I've ever gotten. I went for a walk with a friend thinking, "I've been wearing them at work for a few months, and their so comfy, so it's probably fine." I now have open-wound joker smiles across the backs of my ankles (and the inner leather is soaked). The heel leather just isn't softening much, even after like a 100+ hours of wear at work, shopping, around the house, etc.
To be fair, I've purchased 3 pairs of American Duchess Shoes, and the leather is super hard on all of them. I've had no problems with the Claire shoes, since they lace-up and hug the foot. The Hazel shoes have the same problem as the Bertie shoes. (But I apparently forgot how to walk in heels during the pandemic, so I rarely wear them.)
I'm waiting on purchased products to cushion the heels, so IDK if that will be helpful or not.
So, here's the thing about wide feet, I've never had much luck with these types of shoes. They usually hurt my heels or my toes. With the Berties, I realized what it truly means to have wide feet. It means you wear bigger shoes to accommodate your wider girth, but you sacrifice a snug fit in the heel. My heel slipped off completely, so I went down a half size (8.5 to 8). They fit snug enough, but now I sacrifice wiggle room in the toes because the shoes are officially too small. On top of that, my heels still hurt anyways because I'm sure my heels were meant for an even smaller size. There is no happy medium for low vamp shoes and wide feet; you either get good fit in the toes, but walk duck footed to keep them on, or keep them on but have your toes squished. Without heel cushions, these caused blisters after just walking a block. With them, they are not painful, but not fully comfortable either. I own 8, and soon to be 9, pairs of AD shoes. Despite the Berties being the lowest heeled shoes in my collection, I can wear these for the shortest period of time. I call these my "Problem Child" shoes. If ever wide sizes become an option, I highly recommend starting with the Berties, other low vamp shoes, and point-toed shoes. As these would be the styles needed the most. Aside from the obvious fit issues, these are gorgeous shoes, have accurate colors and reenforced seams. Ultimately, the production quality is high and more refined from previous shoes that I have in my collection.
These shoes fit perfectly for me (9.5). They're a great addition to my wardrobe that I will love for years and year to come. I'm so excited to have a high quality pair of classic black flats and to graduate from cheap shoes that wear out after only a season.
I love my Berties so much! I really love all my AD shoes, but these might be my favorite purchase so far, because I've been using them as an every day shoe. Essentially I started wearing them the day I opened the box and wore them all summer long, most of the autumn, and even a few days during the winter. My other AD shoes I use mainly for historical costuming or history bounding, but these Berties are so practical in their style that I can use them with my modern clothes, as well. Another thing; because of the soft leather linings, one really doesn't need to fret about foot odor. (Which is more likely to happen when shoes are lined in plastic.) Oh, and they are very comfortable! I really love them. Bravo to American Duchess!
These shoes fit perfectly for me (9.5). They're a great addition to my wardrobe that I will love for years and year to come. I'm so excited to have a high quality pair of classic black flats and to graduate from cheap shoes that wear out after only a season.
Perfect fit for my size 8.5 feet. Will make a lovely dress flat for modern wear as well as period dress. The cushy innersole is a great addition.
