These were super comfortable right out of the box. I have wide feet but narrow heels and very small ankles. I usually wear a size 7 but size up to 7.5 in AD boots in the regular width since the wides are always too big around my legs. I have these in both the black and the ivory. They are STUNNING. I wear 1900-1930's style clothes every day and these are dream come true shoes for me. This review is for the ivory and do want to mention that they are not really ivory, they are off white. I wear a lot of cream/ecru/light beige and not a lot of white so I dyed mine to look 'tea stained' so they match my wardrobe better. Thank you American Duchess once again for bringing these beautiful reproduction shoes to life.
I had been dreaming of owning a pair of American Duchess boots and finally decided to get a pair for my whimsical fall wedding at a beautiful historic state park.
They looked amazing with my dress, I got so many compliments! Plus, they were comfortable right out of the box. Seriously, I wore them for 10 hours straight through a rainy day and only had a minor blister with no concerns of slipping. I typically wear a wide size as I have wide feet and large calves, but they fit perfectly.
I definitely recommend the button hook. It takes a little practice, but it is beautiful, saves time and your fingers! I can’t wait to get another pair someday and continue wearing this pair well in the future with other outfits. Worth every penny!
Congrats! You look lovely!
I got these in ivory for my springtime wedding to go with the Edwardian lingerie dress I made for the occasion (or maybe I made the dress to go with the boots..? ;). They were absolutely perfect and added so much character to my outfit without being super noticeable. They were a fun surprise whenever I chanced to lift my skirts a little.
I was nervous about the fit because I have rather small ankles and calves, but was determined to make them work. I moved all the buttons over as much as possible without obscuring the eyelet design and then I ended up removing the top three straps of each boot, trimming the inside end about an inch and restitching them in place. Very nerve-wracking! But it turned out great, I got a perfect fit and no one would ever know the difference. I moved across the country after the wedding so my Colettes have been packed away for over a year but I can’t wait to pull them out again soon and start working them into my everyday wardrobe. I might even consider dyeing them at some point to make them a little more practical..we’ll see!
I've wanted a pair of these shoes for ten years and bought the pink ones when they were on sale. My ankles are so thin that I ended up cutting the straps(!) and cutting new buttonholes rather than moving the buttons on the top straps so that the straps wouldn't cover the design. This worked just fine and the shoes are such high quality that I had no problem. I walked a ton around a theme park in these and my feet did not hurt one bit during or after. I could not be happier with this purchase. I typically where a 9.5, but a 9 in most American Duchess shoes and I got the 9. They fit as I expect.
Gosh these are so lovely and well worth the cost. They fit perfectly and there was no need to adjust the buttons. I’ve always loved the historical pair and when I saw these I knew I had to have them! They live up to the glory of their historical counterpart and beyond.
They are beautiful and very comfortable, I highly recommend them. Excellent quality. Thank you.
the fit is fantastic! they’re soft and lovely and I love wearing them.
Great fit, comfortable, and amazingly stylish!
Please continue with the BEAUTIFUL STYLES especially the cute little spool heels. I have MUCH LOVE for these styles of shoes
Got these on the Silver Bells sale as a birthday present for myself. I read all the reviews beforehand and so far I've experienced all the positives. My Colettes fit perfectly in my normal shoe size (9.5). I had to move all the buttons over to fit more snugly (I think my ankle/calf size is somewhat average?) but it was very easy with the blog tutorial and some basic sewing skills. My advice for refitting them is to listen to the blog when it says to puncture the new holes a little further than where you marked; mine could be a little bit snugger but they're still comfy. I thought the pointed cut out leather would poke my leg at the top but the boots are super soft. The heel is the perfect height for a comfortable foot angle. Overall I'm super happy with my purchase!
These are so cute, comfortable, and sturdy! Serious quality! .I have little ankles and calfs so I took them to my nearby shoe store to have each strap shortened by 1/2'. These are perfect for me now. I usually wear a size 7 1/2 but I ordered an 8 and am happy i did.
Really nice
I am so in love with my Colette shoes, the straps were a little loose for my ankles, I took them to the cobbler and he suggested instead of moving the buttons cut off a little of the straps fixed them in less than 10 minutes and perfect I wanted the right ankle a little loser than the left for driving and I'm super happy great quality shoes.
These shoes are gorgeous. Keep in mind that if you are like me, with a rather large size (11) but without much size increase in leg width, you’ll have to adjust all of the buttons quite a bit.
I am in love!! I’ve wanted these shoes since they were first released, so I was very nervous when I finally got them in my hands but they truly are worth every penny. I followed the size guide and they fit wonderfully after breaking them in—definitely a bit tight the first few times I wore them. I didn’t have to adjust any of the buttons thankfully. Was very pleasantly surprised to see an extra set of heel soles and buttons in the box. These are my new favorite shoes!
Leather is my favorite material since I was very young this Colette boots just stole my heart and style much better the this styles now a days
I am absolutely in love!
Comfy out of the box! I was worried about the strap length around the calves, but I did not have to do any adjusting. The leather is soft and the boot is roomy - I wear an 8.5W, ordered a 9 and this fits great. The sole is very slippery when new, and the buttons are very difficult (but doable) without the boot hook. An investment for sure, but I'm looking forward to having them for many years!
As usually, the shoes are well made and the shoe runs true to size. However, if you have fat calves (or even slightly larger calves) the top two straps do not fit can cannot be closed. While the shoe fits great, there is no way I can utilize the shoes without taking them to a cobbler to try to rig some sort of fix. If scraps of the colored shoe leather were made available, I could get them to extend the straps and the repair would barely be seen. However, no leather scraps are available so any fix is likely to be crude and certainly distract from the beauty of the original boot. I kept them, and I guess I''ll have to settle for a poorly styled repair, but be aware when you purchase these or other high leather strapped shoes/boots - you may not be able to wear them without non-matching alterations. I've also recently purchased a Rosie boot and the issues with that are similar and in that case it is going to be extremely difficult to find a work around. Be aware.
Hi Cam,
Button boots, especially strappy ones like the Colette, can be a bit less forgiving than lace boots, if the straps need more adjusting than moving the buttons can provide, then you can take them to your local cobbler and they may have a fairly close leather match to fashion strap extenders, or another option is to use leather paint to custom mix a closer color match and paint the extenders yourself. We have instructions on moving buttons here: https://www.americanduchess.com/pages/how-to-move-shoe-boot-buttons and instructions on painting leather here: https://www.americanduchess.com/pages/how-to-paint-leather-shoes
I adore these shoes! I had them on my wish list for two years and was finally able to buy them. The only things I would note is, they are more inside shoes than outside.
I have to walk to work on gravel roads and uneven sidewalks after one wear the paint on the bottom was shredded. I now have shoe protectors (non slip pads). I would recommend them for anyone who wants to wear these outside on a less than flat and smooth surface.
Also the buttons are screwed on(what a nice detail) so if your button falls off don’t freak out it’s a SUPER easy fix. They came true to size. I wear them with stockings and they fit perfectly.
Over all 10/10 very happy.
EXCELLENT! ~Amazing boots! Very sexy! But definitely run a bit too big. My feet is 9, so I bought a size:9 and i't big, so returned 9 change it to a size 8. Super comfy, soft lightweight and amazing quality though ! Love them. Very nice packing and free organic lollipop!(: thank you! 5 STAR!(:
This boots are unbelievably awesome:). Yes I was afraid that they would not fit, because I have "big" feet. Thought the utuber the Closet Historian sang your pres's as well as saying that she also has big feet. So I was nervous, but they fit. they are also really comfortable, I have a back injury and suffer from chronic pain, and I can not wear any heels. " But I can wear these, they are great". Its the way there made, I can't be happier. Thanks American Duchess
I love my Colette boots! I did move most of the buttons to tighten the straps, and I found the YouTube video instructions very helpful in this regard--I'd never sewn leather before. I'm delighted with the results. I wore these to the office to add a little pizzazz to my outfit, and I got tons of compliments. And they're so comfortable! Now all I need is some bright tights to set off the ornamental cutouts to best advantage. I'm so thrilled to have these fetching boots in my wardrobe, both for Victorian attire and everyday frivolity.
