Five months after my super intense excitement of the pre-order of my American Duchess Astorias, they have finally arrived! Luckily, I still have events coming up for which they will be great, though they did miss out on being worn at the Titanic Weekend back in April. Despite their innate cuteness, however, they are going to need some adjusting before I wear them. Here they are, unadjusted.
This link contains an affiliate code, which provides a small benefit to my shoe fund. This does not affect my impressions and reviews of this product.
Reasons I love them:
The straps are just so cute! There were a wide variety of shoes with this kind of detail in the Edwardian period and this modern shoe does a fantastic job of capturing that perfectly Edwardian spirit!
They are super comfortable! It hardly feels like there is a heel on them and the shape of the toe box is just right for comfot.
Things I’m disappointed with and want to change (and my plans for doing so):
Due to my very narrow flat feet at least half of the straps are about 1/2″ too big, causing unattractive gaping over my foot (the crossed straps look really outstanding when held taut against my foot, but when they gap the shoes just looks messy). The plan: to remove the buttons from their original location and restitch them at the point where the straps want to be when tight. Overall, it’s a pretty simple solution that just takes time to execute.
I ordered the ivory color of the shoe, and to my eyes it looks very white. Since I plan to wear the shoes with many clothes where ivory is a featured color, it is important to me that my shoes are ivory and not white. In the photo below you can see how different the shoe looks from the ivory silk background. The plan: to paint my Astorias with Angelus Leather Paint from Dharma Trading Company to be a suitable color.
Well, that’s the plan. Time to start–I’ve got two weeks before I wear them!
I was SO excited to pre-order my pair of Astorias from American Duchess for an upcoming 1912 themed weekend in April. Unfortunately, the shipment date of the Astoria shoe has been postponed due to some unforeseen production issues, which means I have to find an interim shoe choice for those upcoming April events…
The Astoria from American Duchess
This link contains an affiliate code, which provides a small benefit to my shoe fund. This does not affect my impressions and reviews of this product.
I’ve thought about shoes I currently own, because obviously that is a cost effective solution, but I don’t have anything that is dance-able, walk-able, and 1910s looking all at the same time. So… the current idea is to purchase a new pair of shoes. The idea does have its drawbacks, most importantly including a desire to be cost effective. But a new pair of shoes! I’ve been digging around the web looking for shoe options and I’ve broken the seach down into two categories of possibilities: 1- low heeled strap-y pumps, and 2- mid heeled pumps with a buckle or similar toe decoration. The mid heel pump idea stems from images like the one below–an adorable pair of shoes from the 1910s.
c. 1910 Evening Pumps (The Met)
I have had trouble with the mid heel pump idea because I don’t seem to be finding modern shoes with a somewhat correct heel height, that curved in shape, and with a closed toe (even without the toe decoration). I’ve found a few possibilities that have some, but not all, of those qualities. Here are the best options, and there are more on my “In lieu of Astorias…” pinterest board.
The heel height is perhaps a little high, but pretty good. And the toe decoration is super cute. Even love the heel shape. Don’t love the narrow heel style for the 1910s (although I think this is a great modern shoe!). Also, it comes in a variety of colors. The price is $43.99, which is a little high for what I’m thinking of spending. These are at zappos.comThese have a pretty good heel, from what I can see. They also have a toe decoration, although it looks rather modern and not Edwardian. It only comes in gold, black, and silver. But the price is just $29.99. These are from amerimark.comThese have a nippped in heal, although it is low for the pump look. It also has a toe decoration of buttons, which seems like a good modern-does-Edwardian shoe possibility. This shoe is only availble in black and is $29.99. It is from bedfordfair.comThese have the right heel height and stockiness, but not quite that curved in shape I like about 1910s shoes. They do have the strap-y look going, which is a plus. They come in a variety of colors and are $19.99. Like the price! They are at bedfordfair.com
Back to the first train of shoe thought: a low heeled shoe with a strap-y 1910s look. I’ve found a few options for this style, although it is a little tricky. There are actually a fair number of t-strap shoes that look very 1920s or 30s-ish, but the simple t-strap isn’t quite the right look for the 1910s strap-y shoe. Here are some of the best low heeled strap-y options. Again, there are more on my “In lieu of Astorias…” pinterest board.
These have a low heel and they are strap-y. They look a little heavy and not quite dainty enough, I think. But they come in a variety of colors and the price is $24.99. They are are amerimark.comThese have a low, slightly curved heel I think. They have an interesting t strap detail. They come in a variety of colors and the price is $29.99. These are at amerimark.com
I think right now I am leaning towards this last pair of shoes. They seem dance-able and walk-able as well as being sort of generic early 20th century looking, which means that I think I could push them into the 1920s or 30s for dance purposes… I’m just not entirely decided. Do I really need a new pair of shoes? (Of course, the real answer is that I do not need a new pair of shoes… but how often it is nice to have a new pair of shoes simply to have a new pair of shoes!) Or maybe I should go in a pump direction? Ack! It’s really too bad that my Astorias will be just a few weeks too late for these events! (Sad face…) Anyway, I hope that wether you are waiting for Astorias or just looking for Edwardian shoe possibilities these are some helpful ideas!
Ooo! Lauren over at American Duchess has just opened the pre-order period for a new style of historic shoes! Head on over to American Duchess to check out the details of the Kensington and other styles from the 18th and 19th centuries!
New from American Duchess: Kensingtons in red and black
These links contain an affiliate code, which provides a small benefit to my shoe fund. This does not affect my impressions and reviews of these products.
Recently, while looking through the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Collection for entirely unrelated items, I came across these very purple quilted slippers. I like them, but I also feel they are a little loud. Quilting? And purple? And velvet? And bows? There’s just a lot going on. They look pretty comfortable, though! How do you feel about these? And can you imagine what sort of dress would go with them? Perhaps a white cotton flounced one with purple trim…
1865-1885 Silk Slippers (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Starting Monday, January 16 you can pre-order these Edwardian shoes from American Duchess!
This link contains an affiliate code, which provides a small benefit to my shoe fund. This does not affect my impressions and reviews of this product.
Over at American Duchess, Lauren just announced this week the pre-order dates for the new Edwardian shoe, the Astoria! These shoes look fantastic! You can place your pre-order here, starting Monday, January 16! Pre-orders will ensure that the shoe has enough popularity to be produced, so if you’re interested then now is the time to show your support.
When American Duchess announced the Pemberley Regency style shoe around Thanksgiving I was super excited… but I am even more excited about the most recently announced shoe that is nearing the end of production.
Yes, an Edwardian shoe! It will be for sale before April, when I know we will all be attending Titanic-themed events. I have plans to make Edwardian clothes for some of these events and I have been looking for modern shoes with a historic aesthetic to match; however, it is quite challenging to find a modern shoe with the right heel shape, top detailing, and heel height, just to name a few features of this Edwardian shoe. I am so excited!
New “Astoria” Edwardian shoe from American Duchess
This link contains an affiliate code, which provides a small benefit to my shoe fund. This does not affect my impressions and reviews of this product.
American Duchess has other shoes in development as well: a 1920s t-strap (super cute) and court heels c. 1680-1740. You can check out the designs here, just scroll down.
I say Christmas wishes (almost) come true because when I posted about the Pemberley Regency shoe I wished for a late Victorian shoe from American Duchess. Well, Edwardian is not quite late Victorian, but it is just as exciting! And such perfect, well-planned timing! SO EXCITED!
I’m sure many of you have read about the Pemberley shoes being offered by American Duchess… but in case you have not seen yet, or in case you need a reminder… American Duchess is now offering a Regency style, historically accurate shoe! The shoe is available for pre-order today (November 25 through December 9) and at least 100 orders must be placed for the shoe to be produced. Let’s make it happen!
Also, given that it is the holiday season (which is a time for wishes, you know), I would like to wish that a higher heel Pemberley shoe would one day be produced by American Duchess… I envision a shoe with a 1 1/2″ – 2″ heel that can be worn with late 19th century clothing, like the styles below…
The Quintessential Clothes Pen 