Keckley Victorian Side-Lace Boots - Grey/Black

I LOVE all my American Duchess shoes, but these are my favorites. I’m a historically dressed presenter for the National Parks. One of my presentations includes getting dressed (beginning of the Civil War - hoops and all). During this everyone can get a really good look at my shoes. I love these because their look is historically accurate and obviously not modern. Another reason is that they are incredibly comfortable. I rarely have a chance to sit down all day and with this style my feet don’t hurt at the end of the day. That being said, I did change them a bit. In most shoes I wear an 8 1/2 (sandals=8), but I buy all my American Duchess shoes in size 10 and then add in a quality shoe insert that has much cushioning & arch support. No, this does not make me feel like I’m walking in clown shoes, in fact, they feel like my regular sized shoes. They do take awhile to lace on and remove. I have small ankles which work well for this style. I have this style in red, grey, and olive green. Would love to see them in a purple!

I married a union reenactor and needed female footwear rather than borrowing his shoes. He questioned the side lacings as he said soldiers learned quickly not to tie their leggings where they would rub while marching, but I walked around the room and they didn’t catch like he thought they would. I bought a half size up but still plan to stretch them a tad before a full on camping weekend at Cedar Creek though to be sure they are comfortable.

I really like these side lace ankle boots. They are comfortable and I can wear them either with my work or day dresses. Though I prefer to wear the gray with my day dresses and the all black Keckley pair I bought for wearing with my work dress.

True to size these shoes are great for Civil War living history. I bought two colors to go with my dresses. It always seemed hard to find good comfortable shoes with supply leather.

I wanted these boots for a long time and was very happy when the color came back in stock. Based on the reviews I sized up half a size. They fit very well but I have narrow feet and so they are a bit loose, so sizing up that half size was not necessary. The shoes and the soles are very comfy. I ordered from Germany and there we're delivered very fast within 5 days, but remember that when you live in the EU your country can charge additional import taxes on top the normal shipment and they can be very high (I paid an extra 90 euros, so take that into account before you order...). But I love the shoes and am looking forward to wear them in the summer. Thanks to American Duchess for supplying history nerds with such wonderful shoes.

These might be the most comfortable shoes I’ve worn in my life. I’m usually a size 10, but I got a 10 1/2 like the website recommended and they fit perfectly. The side lacing aspect combined with the comfort makes these the perfect pregnancy shoe.

I bought these and didn’t read reviews before purchasing, so I ordered my usual size. Upon arrival I realized I needed a size larger. Once I had the right size the shoes were extremely comfortable and I look forward to wearing them regularly. Was able to easily exchange, but I could’ve avoided all of this had I read the reviews. I got them in olive, and think they’re also very smart looking in grey, which will likely be my next purchase. Would love to see them in some other colorways in the future.

I’m looking into making a complete outfit based on this for my partner’s birthday (which I going to be a 1812-1830 tea party) and I splurged for something I thought I would be willing to wear daily. I’m pleased to say this went above and beyond my expectation! This is one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I have ever worn.

Shoes look just like the pictures. My size 11 fits as it should. Side lacing feels strong and is easy to do. Looking forward to wearing them out!

The only problem is that I ordered them while it's still too warm to wear them.

I now have these in red, olive green, and grey. I’d buy them in more colors if they had them. I’m a Civil War reenactor and people seeing me wear these instantly know I’m wearing period shoes. I wear an 8 or 8.5 but I bought them in size 10 and added in Skechers insoles. I stand ALL day talking to people and my feet don’t hurt. I was worried about a clown-shoe effect buying so large but that wasn’t a problem at all. I have worn the red pair for years and they are still in great condition. They hold up to heavy wear. I wear them outside mostly. I do not like wearing them on carpeting as the smooth flat soles are too slippery (non-skid could be added but I don’t, as people look at my shoes closely). I have very small ankles and tie them to their smallest. They do take longer to put on than my button boots. The picture is of a dressing demonstration. AD please add more colors!!! Blues!

I really liked these, at first, but now I find that they pinch my toes and I can only wear them for about an hour.

I debated for ages whether or not to buy these boots, as one of my feet is wider than the other and I have issues with numb toes as a result of too tight shoes on that foot and I wouldn't even have a chance to try these on first! But I took the plunge and bought a pair and got them a full size up after reading the other reviews re sizing.

So, these are hands down the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. As a result of sizing up my thick stockings fit with the boots comfortably and the boot materials are very soft and supple and I cannot overstate how comfortable they are! Yes they take a few mintues to lace up but they look and feel divine!!!

Mine are the green/black boots, and I guess now I will have to save up for the grey/black ones :)

These absolute beauties are so comfortable! I did add an insert, but that's because I have flat feet and need them in all shoes. I've stood up and cooked all day in these, and the only foot weariness I had was a normal "I've been standing for six hours, and I'm not exactly used to that" kind. I can't speak yet to how well they wear in the long run, but I spend two to three days per week in these at work, and so far they're doing well! Do take care about them being a bit slippery though; I have scuffed and scuffed them and I still sometimes slide occasionally. Apart from that, they're gorgeous, comfortable, and fit like a dream. I would never say no to more 18th and 19th century flat styles!

First and foremost, as the other review said, consider sizing up a half size. They are a close fit in my normal size but have broken in well. I was surprised how well they fit in my ankle given I have narrow ankles but I was able to lace it to a nice close fit. I would say if you have thick ankles probably skip this style.

Also for just the day to day wear aspect, plan to put them on and not take them off until the end of the day. If you know you're going to visit somewhere you'll need to take your shoes off these aren't the ones for that day. They aren't hard to do up, they just take some time.

I love them! They’re softer than I would have expected too. My order got lost so they had to be remade, but customer service was very nice and kept me informed. 💕 definitely recommend!

These boots are very supple and closely-fitted to the foot, and very comfortable to wear. I did size up half from my regular size based on the part of the description about them lacking a toe box, and this was a good call, I think. I've worn them with tights/stockings as well as regular socks just fine, though a very thick sock wouldn't work, I suspect.