Shoe fitting is an art, and there is so much detail that goes into fitting and patterning shoes. Small adjustments to a shoe’s fit can make a dramatic impact on how a shoe fits. The shape of the toe, the toe box, the instep volume, the heel height/shape, for example, all impact how a shoe fits. Likewise, different parts of one’s foot will make an impact on how your shoes fit. Feet have squishy parts and not squishy parts, bones, toes of varying lengths, arches, and other features that will influence the fit of your shoes. Different proportions will change things as well! How a shoe will break in and stretch over time is a whole separate can of worms.
If you take a look at our historical shoe offerings, you can see right away that all sorts of different shapes and silhouettes have been in vogue through the centuries and decades when it comes to footwear. While all of our shoes are carefully developed and fit tested for comfort, how a certain style fits you vs. someone with a different foot can vary based on your individual characteristics. In this blog post, we thought it useful to go through some fit specifics and solutions with some of our most popular shoe styles, and historically specific fits.
Londoner Last, and Pointed vs. Round
Londoner Edwardian Oxfords are a classic, popular American Duchess style. It is built on a last with a period-correct pointed toe, and uses our custom 2″/ 5 cm French heels. Originally, Londoner was actually developed on the last we use for our Gibson Edwardian shoes. Gibson was first developed back in 2013, and an extant shoe was used as the starting point for the last. With Londoner’s popularity, we now usually refer to it as the “Londoner last”. This last and heel combination is utilized for several American Duchess styles from this time period; Londoner, Gibson, Kedwardian, Lucille, and Bernadette make use of this last. Other styles with pointed toes from our collection include Mae, Elsie, and Bellatrix.
Exaggerated, pointed toes were stylish through the Edwardian period (there were some moments where bull-toes were popular, as fashion tends to ebb and flow, but a pointed toe is a ubiquitous option). We developed this last to reflect this style, but toned it back ever so slightly to make it aesthetically appealing and comfortable for the modern foot. On this last, the dramatic tapering of the point begins after the toe box/joint of the foot, which makes for a more comfortable wearing experience.
The majority of people will wear the same size in shoes with pointed toes as they do shoes with rounded toes. As always, we suggest that you consider what shoe size you wear in heels when choosing which size to order for our heeled shoes. Shoes like clogs, sandals, very chunky boots, crocs, and sneakers aren’t as good of an indicator, as these styles all tend to be less close fitting than most heels. If you usually wear a half-size up for heels, you probably will for our heels too. Really, so much depends on your specific feet. For folks who spend a lot of time barefoot or wearing sneakers, putting on a leather dress shoe with a pointed toe can feel quite different. If one has a foot that spreads a lot when standing (this can happen if you have a fleshy or flexible foot), the pointed toe can feel too tight. This applies to people with wider-set toes as well. If one has a narrower foot in front, the foot can slide forward too much (this can happen regardless of the toe shape), and push the toes into the pointy part of the toe.
Luckily, there are lots of tricks that can be utilized to help customize your shoes to fit better. If your Londoners (or Gibsons, or Bernadettes) fit great everywhere else, but the toes feel tight, you can make use of our shoe stretchers and Angelus stretch spray. These stretchers are especially handy if you feel the shoe rubbing too much on one specific part of your toes. The nubs that come with the shoe stretchers can be strategically placed to stretch the leather in that specific spot. It works a trick!
Note: once shoes are stretched, they are no longer eligible for returns. We encourage you to reach out to us before starting your stretching process so that we can help you pinpoint your fit issues and how best to approach the stretching process!
Another tip is to utilize insoles and cushions to customize fit. If you have a narrower step/narrower foot, and often encounter the foot sliding issue noted above, you can use Foot Petals cushions to help keep your foot in place.
Some of us tend to have toe boxes that are just…wider. Simply going up a half-size for shoes with pointed toes can be the solution to toe pinching. We have also now developed this last in D width, so if you are someone who generally needs a wider shoe across the board, trying the D-width option is what we would recommend.
Marilyn and Open-Top Pumps
Marilyn photos by Eloïse @LadyRouquette
Ah, Marilyn. This vintage-reproduction classic is a great example of an open-top pump. There are a few fit tricks that come with a shoe like Marilyn because of this feature. Firstly, you will want this shoe to fit you snugly out of the box. They will stretch and break in with wear, and starting with a snug fit will help you to achieve a perfectly fitting pair of pumps as opposed to some that are too big after breaking in. If you have a foot that isn’t particularly fleshy, is narrow, or you have a short/shallow instep, you might put on a pair of Marilyns in your usual size and feel your foot slide forward, or like the shoe is simply too large. The cut of Marilyn’s uppers and the open nature of this shoe mean that if your foot is not filling up that space, you can experience some sliding. Like we mentioned above, insoles and cushions can be very useful for this issue to help keep the foot in place. A Ball of Foot cushion, for example, will give your foot a bit of lift to compensate for the space between your instep and the top of the shoe. Likewise, a Back of Heel cushion will help keep your heel in place, and help keep your heel from sliding up.
On the other hand, if you have a high instep, a very fleshy foot, or a very flexible foot, you might feel like the Marilyns are too tight across the top of your foot. Because of the open, low-cut nature of the uppers, the shoe can feel like it’s cutting into the foot on these fleshier parts of the instep. While the problem is different, some of the solutions are the same. One aspect of a good fit is keeping the foot properly seated within the shoe. If you feel like your foot is sliding forward, and that is why you’re experiencing the vamp cutting into your instep, the cushioning solutions above can be a big help. If your shoe fits nicely everywhere else and you’re not experiencing sliding, but still experiencing the shoe cutting into your instep, you can utilize the previously mentioned shoe stretchers and stretch spray to help expand this area a bit (one thing to note is that sections of a shoe that are close to stitching are going to be less-stretch-able than, say, the toe box). Sometimes, going up a half-size can help with this fit issue as well.
Claire and Round Toes
Claire is another one of our most popular styles. This adorable oxford is generally pretty forgiving in terms of fit. Claire has a very rounded toe, a low, stable heel, and a high-cut upper. Because of these features, fit tends to be less specialized. Like we mentioned above in the Londoner section, if you wear one size in sneakers and another size in shoes with a heel (like heeled booties, etc.), we suggest taking that into consideration when selecting a size. If one has a foot that is especially narrow, a very shallow instep, or a short toe box, Claire might feel a little too roomy. If the shoe is too roomy and too long, we would suggest sizing down a half-size. If your Claires fit well in terms of length, but you feel that there’s a little to much room around the foot, insole cushions will help a lot with this. For those with a foot that spreads a lot when standing, or a wider foot, Claire could still feel too tight. Luckily, we now sell Claire in D width, so if you need a wider shoe, this one is a great place to start. Wide width shoes are wider in the back of the shoe as well as the front, to overall, the whole shoe has more room side-to-side.
Marjorie photos by Carolina Pinglo @carepinglo
Bessie Boots, Alpen Booties, Parker Pumps, and Marjorie Shoes are all examples of other styles with rounder toes. While these styles have some fit variance with other aspects of the styles (for example, Bessie is a tall lace-up boot while Parker is a pump with a tied ribbon closure), the fit of the rounded toe box is relatively consistent.
To Toe Box or Not to Toe Box? Flora, Emma, Bronte and More
Many of our historical styles are made without a toe box, as was accurate for the time period. What is a toe box, you ask? A toe box, or toe counter, is a construction technique wherein a stiffener is added to the construction of a shoe’s toe to maintain and preserve the shape of a shoe’s toe. Shoes with a more constructed toe shape will have toe boxes; for example, Pompadour, Londoner, Tavistock, and Paris. Historically, many styles of ladies shoes lacked this feature, which made their uppers more flexible, with a less-constructed shape. Shoes without a toe box are also designed to have a snug, close fit. This specialized construction without a toe box helps these styles to all have a historically accurate aesthetic as well. Flora, Renoir, Bronte, Emma, and Keckley are all examples of shoes we sell without toe boxes. Amongst those listed options there is a variety of toe shapes. Bronte, Keckley, Renoir and Flora all have toes that are squared off in some capacity. Emma has a round toe. While the lack of a toe box makes these shoes more flexible around that part of the foot, they can also feel snug to those who are used to wearing shoes with a toe box. If you personally feel that your preference is to have more room, or if you desire a wider fit, sizing up a half-size usually does the trick.
Bronte photos by Alatheia @statusthimblesewing
Well, there you have a basic overview of some fit differences, issues and solutions. We always encourage you to send us an email at [email protected] if you have any questions about fit, how shoes will fit your feet specifically, etc. SO much depends on your individual feet, and we want to make sure you are set up for success as much as possible! We are always happy to help with any fit questions you may have.
