All For the Love of [18th Century] Shoes

We’ve all been waiting…and waiting….and waiting for the Georgiana 18th century style shoes to arrive.

And they finally did!

Here’s the adventures of myself and Mr. C yesterday, and how your shoes came to be on their way to you today.

Enjoy!

Here they all are on the palette.  They came this way all the way from Shenzhen, China.
Hatchbacks, for the win.  My Mazda on the left, Chris’ Subaru on the right, and 25 cartons of shoes packed in like sardines.  Driving the 20 miles home was … interesting.
Arrived in the garage.  Time to check how they look.  Despite most of the shoe boxes being rather smooshed, all the shoes inside were perfect.
Size 12s.  They looked lovely, shiny, pristine, and new.
Our packing station – I was printing packing slips and shipping labels, picking orders, and checking size and quality.   Chris was assembling and packing shipping boxes, sticking labels, and stacking the orders.
At the beginning of the day, the pile of orders ready to go looked rather small…
By the end of the day (10 pm), well over 200 pairs of shoes were stacked and ready for pick up from the USPS.
This is what’s left (there are some behind these, don’t be alarmed), stacked nicely on a rack Mr. C built just for this purpose.  It was about 11 pm, and we called it a night.

And there you have it.  Mr. C and I are both absolutely exhausted, but we got everything except the custom dye orders packed and ready to go.

If you are state-side, you will have your shoes by the end of the week!  All stateside orders are going Priority USPS, yay!

If you are international, the shipping time will vary depending on your country and customs offices.

Custom Dye Orders – your shoes are going in for professional spa treatment this week.  I’m not sure how long it will take, but I will keep you updated and try to push the orders through as quickly as possible.

Thank you for following the journey and making this dream come true.  Without you, none of this would have happened.  I hope you all enjoy your shoes, and enjoy future styles – we’re currently developing 1790s slippers, early 18th c. Louie heels, and 1900-1910 strappy pumps.  Whee!

One last thing.  The leather version of these shoes, the “Devonshires,” are going on pre-sale August 1st, along with a second pre-sale for Georgianas.  If you were waiting for leather, missed the silk, or just need more of both, get in on the sale in a couple weeks, save money, and help our historical footwear business grow.

–Lauren R

19 Comments

  • Agnes

    July 12, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    So much work! We really appreciate it and look forward to trying on our new shoes (and ordering more in the future).

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    July 12, 2011 at 9:29 PM

    Wow, that really was a lot of work! Thank you for doing this shoe order! It's really exciting and I can't wait to see the shoes!

    Reply
  • Aurora

    July 12, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    SQUEEE!!!

    Have you considered 17th ct? I bet with the new book it's going to get big soon . . . I know I'd buy a pair or two.

    Reply
  • Nycteris

    July 12, 2011 at 11:28 PM

    Wonderful! That's so exciting!
    Just a question- if you are planning to dye the leather Devonshire shoes plain black, must we pay for the custom dye order?
    Thanks,
    Julia

    Reply
  • Lauren R

    July 12, 2011 at 11:35 PM

    Thanks ladies.

    Aurora – the early 18th c. shoe is very similar to the later 17th c. It won't have latchets, but tabs for shoe strings. Earlier 17th c. styles have also piqued my interest 🙂

    Julia – the price for custom dye on the leather shoes is for the materials (the dyes and stains) and the labor. Dark colors require the stain and the spray, two different products, so that if they scuff they won't show white. You can always dye or have them dyed on your end, and black is quite forgiving :-). If you decide to do it yourself, I recommend specially formulated products specifically for leather dying/painting, available at shoe repair shops.

    Reply
  • Olympe de la Tour D'Auvergne

    July 13, 2011 at 1:09 AM

    Yay!!!! So excited, it's going to be like the best wedding present ever! I'll be on my honeymoon when the Devonshires go on sale, how long is the presale open?

    Thank you so much for all of your hard work, can't wait for the early 18th century versions!

    Reply
  • Kleidung um 1800

    July 13, 2011 at 7:10 AM

    This is so amazing! Now the pictures have taught us that heaven is a place on earth. Unbelievable that you now have your own shoe shop (isn't it every girls' dream?!) – and you even have it in your very own garage…how cool ist that?!
    Happy selling!
    Sabine

    Reply
  • Sandra Brake

    July 13, 2011 at 10:34 AM

    Gosh you must be feeling so pleased. I can't wait! And to know you have early 18th century heels in the works has improved my day no end!
    Congratulations what a sterling effort! Thanks to Chris too!

    Reply
  • The Dreamstress

    July 14, 2011 at 12:42 AM

    So exciting! I have a talk in a week and a half and I am crossing my fingers and desperately hoping that my shoes get here in time so I can wear them with my robe a la francaise.

    A question: if you treat them with fabric protector, can you dye them later? Because I want to wear them white, and then dye them when I get bored and want a colour.

    Reply
  • Lauren R

    July 14, 2011 at 6:29 AM

    Thank you. Yes, I'm happy to have them shipped out. I was very stressed after the fire, with how long we were all waiting for them to get here. The nice thing is that, well, fires aren't a normal thing. It'll be a much quicker turnaround next time.

    Dreamstress – I believe if you spray them you will have trouble dying them in the future, but I have not tested this. I do know that when shoes are dyed by the shop, they spray them to protect the color, and they cannot be dyed again, so I assume the same would be true.

    Reply
  • Liz

    July 15, 2011 at 12:12 AM

    My shoes arrived today too…and they are gorgeous..a trifle loose, but not so much that I want to exchange them, better that than a little tight, and truly lovely.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  • ZipZip

    July 15, 2011 at 6:16 PM

    Dear Lauren,
    Mine arrived! I giggled: there was a little treat in the box, and a swatch of the leather version, and your card. Brilliant.

    The shoes are nicely constructed, the fabric nicely laid, the leather bottoms very nice and ready for dancing. Once I get some buckles and hose on will test them for fit but they may run a wee large, but not so much.

    Thank you so much and cannot wait until the 1790s shoes are designed.

    Thanks again,

    Natalie

    Reply
  • Lauren R

    July 15, 2011 at 10:02 PM

    Hi ladies,

    I'm working with the factory to reduce the width of the shoes. Wow, they came in SO wide! I think it was a miscommunication when I inquired about wide widths. So while the length should remain the same, the width will be reduced to a more average, normal, wearable width.

    Reply

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