Review: Chelsea Crew Souffle heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

Chelsea Crew shoes have long been a favourite of mine. Comfortable, affordable, and colourful – three things I love in a pair of heels! So of course I had to try one of their new styles, the Souffle heel, from Royal Vintage Shoes.

The Souffle heel is available in red, and I would say that the colour is a little lighter in person than on the website. However, this is definitely not a bright red, and is more pink than orange in tone. Having a lot of tomato red clothing I initially struggled to match the shade (I am VERY particular about matchy-ness) but I found a lovely deep red top and vintage belt that went perfectly.

These heels are made from a lovely faux leather with a stacked wooden heel. They have a T-strap closure and a perforated section near the toes which is perfect for vintage styling. The low heels are great for comfort, and I know they will be a blessing in winter when ankle rolls are all too risky on rain-slicked surfaces!

Having bought a number of Chelsea Crew heels in the past, I felt fairly confident in my sizing. The brand goes by European sizing, and so my US6.5 generally converts to their size 37 (I learnt this from the Modcloth website where I’ve got many pairs of Chelsea Crews before and they have all fit perfectly). Unfortunately upon first wear I found the Souffle heels really tight – this means that perhaps Chelsea Crew have altered their sizing slightly or maybe it’s just this style. I did also notice that on the Royal Vintage Shoes website they have the size 37 corresponding to the US6, so this may be the reason they are tighter than usual. If I could re-order I think I would size up (and I especially recommend it if you have wider feet), however I did find that wearing them around the house with some socks for a while has helped a bit, and I expect them to feel more comfortable when I wear them with tights in winter.

The Souffle heel retails for a very reasonable $65USD and is currently available through the Royal Vintage Shoes website in sizes 37/US6 to 40/US9. Royal Vintage ships internationally for a very reasonable rate, and they have a loyalty club which gives you a discount off each pair you buy – a great incentive for new shoes!