Introducing "Gibson" Edwardian Shoes

Ladies, it's that time again, time for a new historical shoe style!  I've been waiting ages to properly introduce you to our latest lady, "Gibson."  You may have seen hints and teases, but here she is, quite officially, and opening for pre-order on February 15th.

"Gibson" Edwardian Shoes

• An excellent shoe for all occasions, 1900-1920
• Hand-stitched calf leather uppers, stylish cutouts, and gracefully pointed toe
• 2 in / 5.08 cm custom French heel
• Thick and durable sole
• Pre-order availability in black, ivory, and butterscotch

Gibson's story starts with a sad pair of original Edwardian shoes, a pair that was obviously well loved, but somehow, despite the condition, survived its last legs.  It was an interesting shoe, this ancestor, made from fairly thin leather, with a very thick leather sole, and a stacked heel.

The original "Gibson" shoe

What I loved about this old lady is that she represents a very popular, very iconic style of Edwardian shoe.  The cutouts on the straps, and the little closure across the top of the foot were stylish yet practical, and remained so into the '20s and '30s, despite the varying shapes of lasts and heights of heels.  So this original shoe went off to our factory to be re-incarnated into Gibson, the first sample of which is seen here:

"Gibson" sample 1 - unbalanced, and a bit long in the toe.

It looked nice, but needed a few changes.  For one, never underestimate the incredibly long toes en vogue in the Edwardian era - they have the ability to make a lady's fit appear narrow, yes, but also quite a lot larger than it actually is.  This isn't an aspect modern ladies appreciate, so we shortened the toe slightly.

Heel evolution, from left to right

The heel also needed changes, to create the correct sturdy and balanced historical shape.  The decision was made to deviate from the original stacked heel in favor of a leather-covered heel to avoid the re-creation looking too modern, and also because we wanted to offer Gibson in three colors, two of which don't look so great with a stacked heel.

The final version of Gibson is a sturdy, respectable, and durable shoe that looks wonderful a-foot, and will serve you faithfully for years to come.  The uppers are the best leather available, the lining is leather, and the sole is a tough, thick, man-made material that will *not* wear out in one season.  Gibson will keep you comfortably on your feet all day, and stylishly clad in either the past or present.

Pre-Order Gibson February 15th at

www.American-Duchess.com