While I’ve tried many items from Quince, it’s taken me a while to get around to their shoes. For one, I have finicky feet and wide-ish ones at that, so a lot of shoes are uncomfortable to me. I didn’t have high hopes for trying a new brand. But Quince has been expanding their footwear offerings, and I got curious. So here we are.
Sizing & Styles
The first thing to know about Quince shoes is that most of them only come in whole sizes. As someone who usually wears a half size, I feel left out! (This was another reason it took me so long to trying their shoes.)
Style-wise, their shoes are all over the place with no unifying aesthetic. Rather, they seem to either offer nondescript designs or take heavy inspiration from other brands, as is their modus operandi. There’s simple block heels, but also dupes for the Everlane Day Glove and minimalist platform sandals that look very similar to ones from Nisolo that I reviewed.
Also, Quince footwear mostly sticks to neutral colors, so this is generally not the place for fun pops of color. Recently, though, they’ve added a bright red shoe and an electric blue one, so maybe this is changing.
Quince shoes come in a shoebox shipped in a poly bag mailer. Sometimes the box gets damaged in transit like this one, but the shoes have been unscathed.
This post contains affiliate links and Quince gave me these shoes. If you shop through my links, I may earn a commission. As always, I decide what to write about and all opinions are my own.
Sustainability & Ethics
The leather used for Quince shoes have been tanned in Leather Working Group (LWG) gold certified tannery. LWG looks at 17 factors including traceability, water usage, and waste management. Gold is the highest level of certification.
All the Quince shoes I tried came from factories in China or Vietnam. Quince says their shoes are “produced in BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) certified factories which aims to improve working conditions throughout the supply chain.” From my understanding, though, BSCI doesn’t certify factories. Rather, they’ve created a framework and code of conduct for factories to follow.
Context For This Review
Since whether a shoe is comfortable or not is subjective and dependent on well, your feet, here are some relevant facts about mine. I wear a 6.5 in most cases, sometimes a 7. My feet are on the flat and wide side. While I do own some shoes in wide widths, for the most part I can get away with a medium width in a shoe with a roomier fit.
Also, I’ve dealt on and off with sesamoiditis in one foot, which means I sometimes have pain around my big toe joint and my arch. So I’m pretty picky as I simply cannot tolerate anything uncomfortable. I’ve cycled through a lot of shoes that don’t make the cut. Alright, on to the shoes.
Italian Suede Penny Loafer
Quince Penny Loafers – $84
These suede penny loafers are a softer take on a classic style with a luxe sheep suede upper and a low .75″ heel.
Design & Materials: Other materials include a leather lining, Ortholite insole, and a leather outsole with a TPU insert for traction. (TPU stands for thermoplastic polyurethane, an abrasion-resistant plastic often used in outdoor and performance footwear.)
Sizing: 5 to 11 with half sizes. True to size.
Fit & Comfort: My usual size of 6.5 felt snug initially on my wide-ish feet but quickly eased with wear. While these are super soft with a flexible construction and the footbed has some cushioning, they lack support. The first time I wore them, I walked a mile to dinner. Even with the Ortholite insole, I found my feet feeling tired. They felt like slippers — too delicate to do some serious walking.
My Experience: As living in NYC requires serious walking, these did not make the cut. Also, I got water on them, which left some marks. This is a known risk of suede. However, I’ve owned other suede shoes before that didn’t show marks as easily. Not sure if it’s because of the color (the other shoes were darker), the type or quality of the suede, or what. (Contrary to what I thought, one way to lessen the marks is to spray more water on the shoe in an even manner, let it dry, and brush the surface.)
Italian Leather Horsebit Loafer
After the failure of the suede penny loafers, I looked at Quince’s other loafers. With the exception of the Italian Lug Sole Loafer and loafer mules, all other Quince loafers only come in whole sizes. I decided to try this horsebit loafer after reviews said they ran small. Maybe a 7 would work for me.
Design & Materials: These take inspiration from Gucci, which originated the horsebit loafer in 1953. The cow leather upper feels soft and flexible. It also has a leather lining, 3 mm Ortholite insole, and 6.3 mm heel. (That’s about .25 inches). The outsole is tunit, a leather-like synthetic that’s slippery, so it’s good that it also has a TPU insert for traction.
Sizing: 5 to 10, whole sizes only. Runs about a half size small.
Fit & Comfort: The size 7 fit my 6.5 wide-ish feet. The rounded toe box doesn’t crowd my toes. I didn’t feel pinched in any way.
My Experience: No break-in time needed. For short amounts of time, these are alright. However, though the soles are not as thin as the penny loafers, they still feel thin. One day, I wore these as I ran errands for four hours, and my feet were tired at the end. I also felt sore around the ball-of-the-foot area. It’s too bad. I like the way these look, but they’re just not supportive enough.
Italian Leather Handwoven Square Toe Ballet Flat
When people say “quiet luxury” I think they mean these ballet flats.
Design & Materials: These look just like the Jada flat from Freda Salvador while the rounded toe version reminds of a less elegant copy of these Loeffler Randall flats. The woven texture is lovely and the bow a sweet touch. Inside is a leather footbed with 4 mm Ortholite insole. The outsole is leather with a TPU insert.
Sizing: 5 to 10, whole sizes only. Quince recommends sizing up if you’re in between sizes, and I agree. Size 7 was the right size for my 6.5 sized feet.
Fit & Comfort: At first, they felt too narrow in the toe box, but the upper stretched during the first wear. Still, I felt like my feet were hanging over the sides of the footbed. I don’t recommend these for wide feet. And while the insoles are lightly cushioned, these didn’t pass my comfort test. More on that below.
My Experience: With supple leather, these didn’t need any breaking in. The insoles are 1 mm thicker than the horsebit loafers, yet they felt thinner to me. I don’t think I could stand for a long period of time in these without getting weary. When walking, I can feel the joint beneath my big toe hitting the ground. I was afraid these shoes might aggravate my sesamoiditis, so I stopped wearing them after two tries.
Italian Leather Slide Sandal
Minimalist and versatile, these leather slides look great with everything from a t-shirt and shorts to a strappy linen dress.
Design & Materials: When these arrived, I was delighted by the band of leather across the top, which is cute in its puffiness. The upper is soft sheep leather, the footbed calf leather, and the insole cushioned foam. The outsole is non-slip rubber and is nice and sturdy.
Sizing: 5-11, whole sizes only.
Fit & Comfort: The 7s fit my size 6.5 feet. They don’t feel too tight for my wide-ish feet.
My Experience: I wore these right out of the box with no break-in time needed. The heel is a slim .39 inches. I personally wish it were a bit taller as I like to have more distance from the ground when wearing sandals. I found that these slap the bottom of my feet considerably as I walk, which slows me down. Comfort wise, they’re not bad. There’s light cushioning and they don’t hurt in any way. But I think they’d be more comfortable if the footbed wasn’t so flat and molded some to your feet. After a couple wears, a callus started forming on the ball of my right foot, so I decided to stop wearing them. That just might be a me problem with my particular anatomy and gait, though.
Italian Leather Platform Slide Sandal
Ah, the rare Quince shoe to come in half sizes! Reviewers noted that these platform slide sandals ran big and wide, so I took that as a sign that I should try them. I had to wait for a restock, though, as they were sold out for months.
Sizing: 5-11 with half sizes. No size 10.5, though.
Design & Materials: These remind me of platform sandals of the ’90s but with much nicer materials. They also look similar to Beek’s platform sandals. The upper and lining are sheep leather and feel supple. The footbed is cow leather. Interestingly, the midsole contains sugarcane. The outsole is TPR (thermoplastic rubber).
Fit & Comfort: True to size, but runs wide. Size 6.5 fit my wide-ish 6.5 feet nicely right out of the box without any stretching.
My Experience: I was surprised by the heft of the package when these sandals arrived. While these have more weight than I was expecting, they don’t feel heavy once on. They’re comfortable right out of the box. These don’t slap as much as the Italian Leather Slide Sandals, probably due to the band covering more of the top of your foot. I like the 1.57″ platform, which gives some height without looking too chunky. The molded footbed has some arch support and the sole has a bit of bounce to it. I found these to be the most comfortable out of all the Quince shoes that I tried.
100% Leather Everyday Sneaker
If you’re a regular reader, you might be thinking, wait a minute, didn’t she include this sneaker under “5 Things I Didn’t Buy From Quince”? And you’d be right. At the time of that review, this sneaker did not come in half sizes in the smaller sizes. I tried the 7s and they were too big. But last year, I saw that 6.5 was available, so I re-ordered them.
Design & Materials: A classic low profile sneaker design. Materials include a full grain calfskin leather upper (which feels a bit stiff), leather footbed, cotton lining, rubber outsole, and Ortholite insole. The inside back of the shoe has some cushioning as well.
Sizing: 5 to 10.5 with half sizes. If you’re a size 5.5, though, that size is still not available.
Fit & Comfort: These sneakers fit my wide-ish feet and don’t crowd my toes. I bravely wore these out for the first time on a visit to a museum and was on my feet most of the day with no issues. They’re decently cushioned and moderately comfortable, though some arch support would make them even better. When I’ve worn them to a concert where I had to stand for hours, I experienced some fatigue.
My Experience: With other sneakers, I leave the laces tied somewhat loosely so I can treat them like a slip-on. Because the leather is a bit stiff, though, I can’t slip these on and off that easily. At first, these shoes required tying and untying the laces. However, the more I wear them, the more the leather eases up. After a year, I can now slip them on with the help of a shoe horn (though I need to hold the tongue while doing so, or it gets pushed in). So while these are OK comfort wise, the hassle of getting them on makes them a pair that I’m less likely to reach for when I’m short on time.
Italian Leather Tall Western Boots
This was a gamble for me. I ordered these western boots assuming they wouldn’t work as a pointy toe box usually fails to be compatible with my wide-ish feet. Reviews didn’t indicate how they might fit for wide feet, so I just had to find out for myself.
Design & Materials: I appreciate the understated design. Western boots, but make them minimalist! The upper is cow leather and it’s also lined in leather. Inside is a 4 mm Ortholite insole. The outsole is leather with a TPU insert. The heel is a walkable 1.75 inches.
Sizing: 5 to 10, whole sizes only. Quince recommends sizing down if you are in between sizes. However, if you have wide-ish feet like me and are a half size, I say size up.
Fit & Comfort: I ordered a 7 and they fit! While the width is good for my wide-ish feet, they are a little long for me, so I’m experiencing some slippage in the heel. The calf is roomy, which suits my wide calves. (I’ve had difficulty zipping up all boots before, so I’m appreciative that I can easily slip these on.) Though Quince describes the insoles as cushioned, they don’t feel particularly cushioned to me.
My Experience: These boots are one of the better-made items I’ve tried from the Quince footwear department. Again, no break-in time needed. I’ve worn these to events where I had to stand for hours and didn’t experience any discomfort.
Some Observations About Quince Shoes
– Impressively, their shoes don’t require any break-in time. I wore all of these shoes out of the box without experiencing blisters.
– Though the descriptions often mention arch support, I didn’t find that to be the case. Yes, some of the shoes are cushioned, but the only pair that felt like it had decent arch support were the platform slides.
– Many of the shoes seemed to lack support in general. With three of the seven shoes I tried (the two loafers and the ballet flats), the soles felt thin. Sandals, sneakers, and boots were better.
– Quality varied. While Quince markets themselves as luxury for less, I wouldn’t say these shoes felt like luxury items. They seemed good for the price. The most expensive items were the boots (which makes sense since they require more leather). But the quality also seemed higher.
Are Quince Shoes Good for Wide Feet?
Between the fact that Quince shoes come mostly in whole sizes only and that there’s only one width, I’d say this is not a brand that I’d look at first for wider feet. But, as I found, some styles do run roomier, or can work when sizing up.
However, even when a shoe fit width wise, that didn’t guarantee comfort. The most common discomfort I experienced was a lack of support, which made my feet feel tired or even seemed to exacerbate foot pain. Out of the seven pairs of shoes I tried, I kept three — the platform slide sandals, everyday leather sneakers, and western boots. So, for me, Quince shoes are mostly a miss, though I’m getting good wear out of the ones I did keep.
