Back From the 16th Century, with 18th Century Shoes…

My mother and me in our Elizabethans.

This past weekend we attended Valhalla Renaissance Faire, as I posted about earlier.  It was wet, muddy, chilly, but the wool cloaks, fox furs, and layer upon layer of petticoats kept us warm.

Caps and furs and partlets and skirts…and shoes.

Saturday was the perfect opportunity to test out the Devonshires, the new leather 18th century shoe coming out in July.  The ground at Tahoe is rocky, muddy, and covered in pine needles, and I got to see just how well these shoes held up in such conditions.    …..

At the end of the day, with rain and mud on them.

Comfort?
  I wore the shoes for about seven hours of walking around on uneven, rocky ground, and I didn’t have a single rub, blister, or ache.  I couldn’t *believe* how comfortable they were, and with my picky feet I was fully expecting at least some pinching, but no.

Waterproof?
  Completely.  The Devonshires are high grade 100% leather outsoles, lined in leather, and soled with leather.  There was no seeping in of water or soaking through of raindrops.

Colorfast?
   Many of you were wondering if the dye would run, and I’m happy to say it did not.  I dyed the shoes red myself, using first a stain (like a primer), then a leather-specific spray dye.  The shoes all start out in white and can be dyed/stained a range of colors, to include blues, pinks, reds, greens, and browns.

The Devonshires in their “original” state – bright white, able to be dyed a range of colors.

Wear and Tear?
   The Devies suffered one scuff to the back of the heel, but it is hardly noticeable with the leather stained red – if they had not been stained, the scuff would have shown white.  The soles were sturdy and the heel tip rubbed down a bit, as expected, but no further damage despite tromping through rocks.

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In conclusion I’m absolutely stoked about how great these shoes held up, and how comfortable they were.  To answer a couple more questions, we *are* offering wide sizing for 7 through 10; the pre-sale price is $100; the pre-sale will open on the 4th of July and run through Bastille Day (July 14th).  It’s a shorter pre-sale, but a quicker turn-around, as I’d like to get you all your shoes faster than we did the Georgianas.

It’s going to be a busy busy blog month, so stay tuned for more updates on dresses, dances, and SHOES!