Claire 1940's Oxfords Wide (Brown)

Amazing shoes! Comfortable right out of the box and cute to boot! They sent extra heel blocks, so you know they're meant for long term use. My only complaint is the laces are quite short.

Great fit

These are the first pair of nice shoes that have fit me this well! I have wide feet that force me to try going up a size for most shoes. Typically I find that nice shoes are either too narrow, too long, or a confusing combination of both. My experience with these oxford’s is that they fit about the same as my 7.5W Merrell’s.

LOVE these shoes

I got these about a year and a half ago and I've worn them at least three times a week ever since, usually more. American Duchess' wide size is absolutely perfect for me (I'm normally a 6.5 standard, but I got a 6W after doing some research on wide sizing). I use them as my dancing shoes for swing, salsa, and waltz as well as my daily riders. They breathe pretty well, and the heel is very sturdy. The leather sole can be slippery at first, but once I knew I was keeping the shoes I broke them in by walking a couple gravel paths which scuffed the sole up nicely. They still don't have as much grip as rubber would, but that's actually a positive for me because it makes spinning easier. I am ROUGH on shoes. I'm very active and I expect my shoes to last through more than normal wear and tear. The Claires certainly have. My soles are still doing well, but the plastic cap on the heel has worn down pretty significantly after well over a year. This cap protects the leather wrapping the heel. It is designed to be replaced to preserve the longevity of the shoes and American Duchess send a spare cap with my order. Once I get that done I expect at least another year before I have to do maintenance. My uppers are in great condition, and with proper oiling and polishing I fully anticipate these shoes surviving a re-sole or two. I bought these as an investment piece, and considering the quality of the craftsmanship I expect to get seven to ten years of regular hard use out of them. I only hope I can buy a replacement pair in 2035!