TLDR: handsome, comfortable boots that will require a little more care than typical modern shoes due to the leather composition; the one practical downside is the absent traction on the sole; many thanks to AD for helping me sort out my size! //
In-detail review, for anyone interested: //
My go-to footwear for years have been Bedrock sandals, mostly, and cheap zero-drop/minimalist shoes, for when I have to hide my toes; I wear these until they have irreparable holes. Anything else hurts my feet something awful. However a few years ago I had a pair of leather boots that my feet could handle and actually looked rather fine. They busted through after about a year of use so since then I have been keeping an eye out for replacements. //
When I emailed the AD customer service to ask about the Bessies, they were wonderful. I had a lot of concerns and did not even really *know* my shoe size, and they answered each of my questions. Great folks. Based on their advice I ordered two pairs and returned one. //
When they arrived I threw on some socks, put towels down all over my apartment, and did laps on the staircase, jumped up and down, duckwalked, did some squat sets--basically, did my level best to figure out whether or not these boots were adventure-ready for *me* without causing real damage. Two photos attached to this review compare the widths between the regular 8.5 and the 8.5 wide, for reference. //
I wound up with the 8.5W boots. Had them for a month now. I waited until after attending a Renaissance Faire to write this review since that was going to be nine to ten hours of walking in them. Rain was pouring down all day (glorious, love the rain). The Bessies got mud, grass, what I assume was horse manure and other mysterious substances, and plenty of rainwater on and they held up great. Traction was fine except for the muddy spots but you need lug soles for any traction in mud anyway. My feet did get damp, which I do not mind; if anyone wants to stay dry in these without waterproofing the boots with some kind of product, or has Reynaud's or some other condition that makes keeping warm difficult, I highly recommend grabbing a pair of neoprene hiking socks.
The full-profile photo shows the boots post-Faire after a bit of clean-up. //
Pros: //
The speed-lacing feature. *Vital.* Without it, these would not be every-day-wearable boots for me. The fun bonus bit is your brain learning how to interact with the speed-lacing feature so you can lace them up *even faster* by holding both laces in one hand and zig-zagging your way up the boot tongue. This is probably what people did historically anyway? Point is, lacing these boots up is an extremely satisfying experience. //
Comfortable. AD did a consummate job designing these boots; props, kudos, and blessings to their whole team. Covered this above but comfort is non-negotiable for me. I do have to modify my gait just a bit when wearing these, since I am not used to having any heel, but so long as I do that my feet do not get sore even after a day of walking around the Faire. Really, these are comfy! really comfy! //
Pocket? Hell yeah. Like any self-respecting human being, I got a wee folding knife and tucked it in. It lives there now. waiting. //
Fancy. Setting aside backpacking gear from, like, Patagonia and Arc'teryx, this is one of the finest bits of clothing I own. Do not wear if you do not want to field compliments from random strangers. //
Notes: //
The soft leather these boots are made from = comfort but that same leather takes a scratch pretty easily. This is great if like me you do not mind a 'patina' of wear but if you want to keep these boots pristine, you will need to avoid walking through brush or sitting cross-legged or really like, living life at all? In which case, gosh you are lame, why did you buy adventure boots in the first place? Some other reviews here recommended products for boots maintenance so I will definitely be purchasing those. //
Traction is not the best. The soles are just flat leather. This is the biggest drawback of the boot for me and as a general requirement for hard-use footwear. If I could change one thing about the Bessies, it would be to slap a Vibram® outsole on the bottom. //
Not relevant to use, but I love the history behind the Bessies' design. I spent some time researching Bessie Coleman after finding these boots and my goodness, what an incredible, inspiring gal. I shared her story with a few friends and they agreed. Petition for the next pair of practical-wear American Duchess shoes inspired by James Barry, surgeon or Virginia Hall, spy? @AmericanDuchess @AmericanDuchess @AmericanDuchess hear me out.
Conclusion:
These most excellent boots have my hearty recommendation.
