American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
Art Nouveau Shoes and Accessories
Maybe it's just me, but there's something about springtime that always puts me into an Art Nouveau-phase. Sort of like a Nouveau perennial plant. Each spring, I start dreaming about...
Pre-Raphaelite Paintings and Aesthetic Dress: Fantasy, Self-Expression, and Tea Gowns
Lately, the Arts and Crafts movement and Pre-Raphaelite movement seem to be having a moment. IKEA recently released a collection of William Morris-inspired prints for some of their home textiles,...
The Fascinating Lives of Buttonhooks
As you will hear us shouting from the rooftops any time we release a button boot, buttonhooks are an utterly indispensable accessory for anyone who dons Victorian/Edwardian footwear with functional...
A Little History of Victorian/Edwardian Cloth-Top Button Boots
We'll have Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island too! Isn't it lovely to have cloth-top button boots! Built on the same last and heel as the uber-popular Tavistock all-leather boots,...
Cute As a Button! Pre-Order Open
As autumn unfolds we have a whole bunch of glorious designs for you, but not all of them are ready at the same time, so we're doing some "mini collections"...
One Boot to Rule Them All
With the new Larkspur Wool and Leather Boots, we claim a rather long time period for accuracy, 1810s - 1930s. This bold statement demands evidence, so I'm here to provide...
On Cycling Costumes: Pants, Skirts, and Boots
Though some parts of the northern hemisphere may still feel as hot as summer, there's no denying it- autumn is on its way! Therefore, we have boots on the mind....
"Prism" by American Duchess - August 2022 Pre-Order is Open!
The new "Prism" collection is now ready! This collection is all about colors, presenting several new colorways in AD classics, along with a new design in two different heel heights....
We're Sports People Now: A Brief History of Victorian/Edwardian Tennis Shoes
Are you a fan of our Kedwardian Sporting Oxfords? This lovely style is a reproduction Victorian/Edwardian sporting shoe! This shoe is the ancestor of our modern sneakers. We were primarily...
Heck Yeah, Witch Shoes
This month we're all about unexpectedly 'modern' designs in historical fashion. The May '22 "Avant-Garde" collection explores bold colors and geometric shapes in 1930s/40s shoes, and also an older trend,...
Let's Make Some Men's Shoes
...for real. A couple years back we made a stab at developing a men's historic footwear collection. We did a pump, a latchet shoe, and a boot all from around...
The February 2021 Collection is Here - {Pre-Order Open!}
Time for the first collection of 2021!This year, the big plan is to do a pre-order every single month through August (yowza!). Our February collection got off to a bit...