Kensington 18th Century Leather Shoes - Black

these are perfect for a few dresses - neutral, but still beautiful. I sized up 1/2 a size for a sock - the 9 is by far more comfortable than the 8.5 I originally purchased.

The shoes are beautiful! I recommend ordering a half size larger than your normal shoe, though.

I absolutely love this 3rd pair of American Duchess shoes. I can wear them mundanely too with jeans. Very comfortable as well.

I purchased these Kensington’s to replace a pair of Garrick’s that I purchased about 6 years ago and absolutely walked into the ground 🤣. I’m a devoted AD customer and fan because I use their shoes in the manner that they would have been used in the period they represent. As a historian and historical reenactor, I spend loads of time on my feet, over all sorts of terrain. These shoes seem to run a bit big. I generally wear a 12 in many AD styles (Mae, Keckley, Tango Boots, Londoners, etc)and these felt on the roomy side. I bought a 12 but could have probably squeezed into an 11. However, I wear thick stockings in the winter and wanted to accommodate for that. I opted to go a bit big and put in an insole (this was only to modify for size, not because they are uncomfortable.) I’ve spent hours on my feet and walking in these and I am, as always, very pleased.

I have been eying these shoes for years and was finally able to purchase a pair, they are super comfortable and the buckle isn't too hard to install overall shipping was fast considering that they were being shipped to Australia.

The shoes arrived in pristine condition and are amazing quality. I can't wait to use them in my reenacting. The instructions on attaching the buckles, however, were a little hard to understand (even with the video). But overall great experience, will definitely buy from American Duchess again.

I was so happy to get the last pair in my size. They fit amazing and look beautiful! Piercing the leather to fit the buckles was a bit terrifying, but the video was very helpful.

Last year I´ve purchased the leather Kensington shoes in size 12 and thought they could be one size smaller, although I´ve absolutely loved them, totally wearable, pretty and comfortable. I intend to buy these Antoinette´s, but I wonder what size should fit better, 11 or 12, based on my Kensignton experience. I live in Brazil so it would be too costly to return them

I have very difficult feet due to a bunion on one foot, a stress fracture, and generally flat and bony feet with a very narrow heel. Impossible. These shoes far exceeded my expectations. I wore them for a two day reenactment without breaking in and was able to comfortably walk all over the place including climbing on beach rocks. Two different arch supports, neoprene toe cap, Lambs wool between my toes, a felt metatarsal dancer’s pad stuck to my feet, wool compression socks, and padded moledfoam under the tongue where the buckle rests on the instep. It is a lot of stuff in there so I was glad to have sized up from my usual 9 to 9.5. Any more would have been too big, which goes to show you how roomy these shoes are to begin with! I just wish the heel were set a tiny bit more medially. I find it is a wee bit too far to the outside of the heel, causing my ankle to turn inward if I’m not super careful.

I bought these to use for my job as a costumed tour guide. They are surprisingly comfortable to walk in. I tend to get pain in my feet if I walk in shoes without added insoles, but my feet feel fine after about an hour and a half of walking around on very uneven, historic brick sidewalks. I haven’t worn them for any extended periods of time yet, but so far they’ve been great! Super cute and they complete my colonial costume so well!

Very happy with my first order! Everything was packaged so well. I ordered a size 10 as is my usual size and they fit quite comfortably and are of great quality. I was delighted to feel how heavy the buckles are too, they certainly will last a long time!

I ordered these shoes to do living history for a museum in New England where I live. They are comfortable & stylish. I usually wear a 9 1/2 - I ordered half a size up, and they fit fabulously.

I use them for 18th century reenacting and they are amazing!

beautifully made shoes. sized perfectly. all leather with a beautiful color. packaged as professionally as i’ve ever seen. great communication. instructions available for installing buckles.
poof will be shown with an outdoor event.
thank you

I really loved these shoes and they are some of the most comfortable 18th-century-style shoes I've worn. However, the soles fell off in the toes on both shoes pretty quickly. I've tried repairing them so many times to no avail, so I've had to throw them away.

I needed a versatile pair of late 18th century shoes that I can dress either up or down depending on my outfit, and these fit the bill! I wear an 11-11.5 wide shoe, and bought these in a 12. The B width is not too restrictive on my wide feet, and these should fit perfectly after a few spritzes of shoe stretching spray. But even without that, they are comfortable! The point of the toe is attractive, but not so extreme that it smooshes my toes. The heel adds some elegance for dressing more formally, but isn't so high that it's uncomfortable or impractical for walking or more "middling class" wear.

This is a purchase I waffled on for literal years and I don't regret it for a moment. They're excellent quality and fit exactly as expected in my usual size. A little loose at first in the modern hose I first had on to test them, but that translated to perfect with proper stockings.

Putting on the buckles was wild for me. For all of us struggle bus alumni, being told to poke holes in $200 shoes is uh, terrifying! But now that they're attached, they're absolutely beautiful and I love them. I can't wait to wear these further than my mail room and back.

I did opt for rubber sole pads for additional grip (I'm prone to falling), but they feel sturdy and safe even with the small heel. I always need extra arch support, but otherwise these are quite comfy and I like them!

I bought a pair of Kensington a couple of years ago because traditional Bunad shoes are hard to come by if not impossible to find in the USA. Other than the heel not being the traditional block heel of Norwegian Bunad shoes, because Kensington is an 18th century remake, they fit the bill. They are comfortable and great for dancing in. Colleagues of mine were concerned that without the bulk of the block heel I would not be able to properly do some traditional steps for Springars and so on. I personally have not had a problem with the heel or see it as a problem for dancing since it is placed at the correct balance point, I have had my colleagues from Norway say they like the shoe's aesthetic and even asked where they could get a pair for themselves.

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The quality and fit of these shoes just blew me away! This is my first pair of American Duchess shoes and I don't have words for how awesome they are. I ordered a 7 and they are wonderfully true to size and SO comfy. I cannot wait to wear them to an event. They even came with extra heel-plate-cap-thingys! Thank you so much y'all! I love them.

I've been thinking of getting the black version of these, but when the green ones went on sale (and not the black ones) I figured, buy the sale color and dye them black, right? Then they actually arrived, and the color is such a pretty, deep forest green, I don't want to change them at all!

My regular size sold out before I saw the sale, so I ordered the half-size down, and even with my wide toes, they are a surprisingly good fit right out of the box. It won't take much to break these in to be as comfortable as my ivory pair (in my regular size). As always, these are well-designed and beautifully made.

This was my first purchase from American Duchess so I didn't know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. The shoes are beautiful, historically correct and super comfortable. I stayed in my normal size and they fit perfectly. They also shipped super quick! I can't wait to wear these to events this season. Thank you!

Once I figured out how to fit the buckles properly (which was entirely a user error) these shoes were a dream to wear. They might actually be the most comfortable pair of heels I own. I found them to be true to size, but years of dance have left me more comfortable in snug-fitting shoes. I'm just hoping they release more colors soon!

I purchased a pair of these with the James buckles for an English Country Dance ball, and love them! I was a bit nervous about having to make my own holes for the buckles, but the video here on the site was easy to follow and I had no issues once I watched it. Sizing wise, I got a 9 1/2, which is my usual shoe size and was very happy with the fit. I didn't have any rubbing against the back of my foot, which is a problem I often have with dress shoes, and that's after a full night of dancing. The oxblood color is lovely, and works well with a ton of different period fabrics/colors, so I know I'm going to be getting a lot of use from these!

Just received my WIDE Kensingtons and they fit PERFECTLY! I wear a 6 1/2 E or EE, and the 7 C Kensingtons are exactly right! THANK YOU so much, and please, please start offering more of your styles in wide.

I purchased these beauties in 2012 and must say I am still extremely pleased with them 5 years later! I have received an abundance of compliments and have loved every minute of their wear. The construction is extremely sturdy and they have survived beautifully through the wear and tear of 18th century camp life. I do encourage going up a half-size as I bought a size 8 and am typically a standard 7.5, but the 8 is a perfect fit!