My Shoes Don't Fit!

First things first - to best identify the problem area(s) try the shoes on a soft, clean carpet or towel to protect the sole and make sure your foot is seated firmly back in the shoe, not sliding forward. Then take special note of where the shoes feel like they fit, and where they do not. Are they too long? Too short? Too narrow or too wide in the front? Too narrow or too wide in the heel? Does your foot slip around in the shoe? Are you having trouble buttoning a strap? Are the laces too short? 

Strap too short:

If a strap seems too short, please make sure you’re using a button hook! The straps are designed to fit closely, and it can be quite difficult to get enough slack to pull them over the tall, round buttons using only your fingers. Nine times out of ten, when someone tells us the strap is too short and then tries again using a button hook, they find it fits perfectly!

Shoes too short/too narrow:

Leather shoes can be stretched around the widest part of the foot. They will NOT stretch in length. If the shoes are too short, then you'll want to size up. If the length is good and you need more width, either swapping to a wide width or stretching may be a better option than sizing up and ending up with a too long shoe. Let us know if you have questions about stretching, as stretched shoes are unreturnable.  If the shoe is too short and too narrow, you probably need to size up a half size!

Shoes too long/too wide:

If the shoes are too big all around, you’ll probably want to size down. However, if the shoes feel like the right length for you and you think sizing down would make them too short, you can take up excess space in the shoe using inserts that target the specific area you’re having trouble with. For example, if you have a very narrow heel and find your heel slipping out, you might find that a heel strip helps the shoe grip your foot. We carry a selection of inserts here, or you can visit your local drugstore for more options. 

The laces are too short:

Many of our tall boot styles come with two sets of laces so that the boots are extra customizable for a variety of leg and calf widths! For these styles, the set on the boots is the standard length, and the additional set in the shoebox is the extra long length. Swap them out if you find the set on the boots is too short.

If your fitting issue isn’t listed here, or you have more fitting questions, please reach out to our customer service team at info@americanduchess.com.