Customer Reviews David Tate Vivian

I truly love these shoes. Start by saying I have a 8D foot, which is almost like a triangle, duck foot (very narrow in heel, compared to very wide across the metatarsels. It is so hard to find shoes, that don't look orthopedic or frumpy. As you will see below, I have researched a LOT of shoes this year, and every year. On the Vivian, after lots of trying on shoes.... I feel the open space that arches up between the graceful heel (compared to other David Tates) and the front part of the foot, is attractive, lady-like, sleek, and the heel high enough (to look good on a short woman who is a bit of a pear shape body, but who knows how to dress up to look nice!) The Vivian heel makes me feel taller, and airier, lifted, as opposed to heavy and frumpy. The shape of the toe is not boxy, or rounded; without being pointy, I guess it is fair to say it is more on the pointy end than a boxy or rounded toe. In other words I think it looks a little sleeker and more feminine and slim than a boxy or rounded, wide shoe. When you are wearing a W shoe, at least a sleeker look helps, as opposed to a boxy or formless one (I feel). I guess I could say that at this point I know (or at least I think I know) what looks good on me, and I have tried on so many that looked just frumpy or manly or plain unattractive. The Vivian does have an elastic panel, which can sometimes look again a bit orthopedic to me, but honestly, it is subtle, and doesn't shoe up much. It is worth having a boot that I can actually find to wear! Yes, the ankle opening is a bit wide at the top cuff, but I will be wearing this bootie with my jeans or other pants "untucked" so that won't be visible. Plus I am not sure that this is a problem with booties.... Maybe part of the "loving" Vivian, is how hard it is to find the right shoes; I am not exaggerating when I say that I have just ordered about 16 pairs of shoes from Zappos in my search for some basic booties or boot-like shoes that I can wear with jeans and dress pants. It is a big, hard process of trial and error, even within a given tried and true brand, like David Tate or Munro, which I know to have nice soft calf-skin leathers in wide sizes and fairly stylish lasts. I have returned, (or printed out my return labels, and have queued up with their appropriate cartons and boxes) the following David Tates in the past week -- which I thought were unattractive, compared to Vivian: - the Vera, which I tried in 2 sizes. Despite its positive reviews, I felt it looked manly -- maybe it was the sorta rounded, sorta boxy forefront -- as opposed to a slimmer forefront of the foot?), - the Hilda (ditto), - the Karen (on which I really disliked the way the stretchy fabric portion -- which obviously is a secret making the David Tates fit nicely on bigger or unusual feet -- showed criss-crossing all the way down to the floor). Not to go on, and on, but these were all "not" right. - the Citadel, I did keep. It had a nice heel shape that make me feel taller and lighter, as opposed to frumpier. However, the Citadel has the elastic running all the way down to the bottom of the shoe on the side, which I dn't like as a look. I am keeping that, cause it is a slip-on shoe version, rather than a zippered bootie, and there are times running out of the house when it is just plain convenient. Also, a lot of these shoes this year seemed very large in the width of the heel (my heel was swimming around and coming right up) even tho the forefront fit appropriately. I had to compromise a bit on that and have decided not to allow myself to mind too much about a bit of play in the heel. At least I can stop with this shoe process! Also, it is worth mentioning that I tried some of the other companies that make wide ladies booties again (which I take a shot at each year, winter and then summer shoes too) like Walking Cradles and Naturalizer. But David Tates pretty much win out. There was one Monroe that I liked, but heel of my foot was slipping and too loose, and the heel itself of the shoe was a bit lower, less shapely, and less pretty. It is an organizational feat keeping all the boxes and their outer cartons lined up together, then with their order numbers straight and the return labels with the right ones. And my husband must think I am spending so much money and becoming a rather petty shoe nut. But I do return almost all of these boxes as I try to find something! Hooray!!! SO when it comes to Vivian -- shouted Oh My God, I Found My Shoes for the year!!! (so my husband knew I really wasn't trying to buy a million shoes, just trying to find shoes I could wear. My other David Tates are down to shreds, with holes in the bottom, and the leather all frayed after 3 years. It is just so hard to find the right ones that fit!!! SO.... I am here at my laptop now, ordering an extra pair to put on the top shelf of my closet, so I don't have to do this all again in a couple years. I wear my David Tates (when I finally find the right ones) for 2 or 3 years, (alternating between 3 pairs, it seems) until they are worn bare. Til the shoe man says they can't be fixed anymore. And then, unfortunately, DT will then discontinue to shoe. I looked 2 years back in my orders, and it was the Megan I was in love with in the past, but Megan is no more. So this time, I am ordering extras (this process is exhausting). Does anyone remember the shoe company Sudini? It was the same kind of wonderfully soft leather, and made in a variety of sizes. The slogan was "the shoe that makes love to your feet" or something like that. I always had an easy time finding Sudini shoes (through Zappos) that fit, but I think the company went out of business. I hunted and googled and talked to Zappos folks, but no one can find the company any more!

These boots are stylish (I asked my 29 year old niece). They fit well. I have size 8 wide feet and these boots are actually wide enough and my little toe is not squished! The leather is soft and very accommodating.

Felt funny walking in them, like I was going to fall. I think it was the slanted heel. Cute boots though, I was disappointed that they didn't fit right.

Love these boots, got a 1/2 size large to wear sock. True to width. So comfortable! I purchased them in brown and black.

These area among my favorite go-to shoes. I am not sure what I would do without David Tate shoes, or Zappos. The heel is just the right height to look well dressed and confident/fashionable, and its stacked construction, tapered to not look too chunky in its profile, is solid. You can walk city streets, go out to a party, go to a meeting, and feel well dressed and feet don't hurt! The soft kid leather is very forgiving. It would be nice if there were a bit more padding and if the heel were not quite as wide (they are a bit loose in my heel because I have a wide foot except not as wide at the heel). I feel like a lot of reviewers with wide feet say this... It would nice if David Tate would poll its most regular customers about the width of the heel, as I bet other folks might find the heel is loose compared to the front are of the foot! I am putting up with the loose heel because David Tates are really the best choice for me! Nothing closer or better out there!

I have a terrible time finding shoes/boots that fit my "submarine" feet (size 9.5N) that now have also developed slight bunions. Seems very few shoe companies make narrow sizes any more, and when you can find them in stores (notably Marni's), they have one style & color in that size. Even Nordstrom quit carrying narrow sizes. So now I'm a Zappo's fan. I had never heard of the David Tate brand, but ordered two pair, and loved the Vivian. (The other pair was a different style and didn't fit my foot well.) The leather is soft, the bootie fits very well, and it's fashionable as well--according to my own judgment as well as that of my most discerning fashionista friend. I'm a happy camper!

I really liked the look of this shoe online, however once I got it in my hands and on my feet I decided to return it. The shoe felt great overall - like wearing comfy socks - but the opening around the ankle was huge like it needed to be "taken in" two inches. I also didn't like the looks of the fabric around the ankle. I thought I liked it by looking at it online, but somehow it didn't look like what I expect in reality.

7 1/2 narrow. Just right. Needed a bit of a heel to wear with jeans.

The day I received the boots we had plans to go out for the evening dining & dancing. I wore them for a total of 6 hours and they felt great for the entire time. I wear a size 7 narrow and they were perfect.

I was surprised that these DT booties were a tiny little bit snug on the top of the foot. Tall DT boots I have tried in the past felt positively baggy in the arch top/ankle area. I could have worn these, but they just looked too grandmotherly... I just keep looking for feminine sexy well designed yet practical shoes for my very wide 9.5 WWW feet! No need to increase size in David Tate if you have wide feet - they really are true to width.

Nice boot, but it didn't fit as I expected. Even though the shoe size fit ok and roomy (11ww) the upper part failed to snug/ hug my ankle. It fit way to loose around my ankle and if I tilted my foot forward you could see my heel from the back. It would be great if this boot would fit tighter around the ankle area. I love David Tate shoes but this one I returned.

Wore them today and was really miserable. I have wide feet and my toes were in agony. They were oddly uncomforable.

Butter-soft leather and nice heel height. However, the toe is oddly rounded, not at all like it appears in the video. Also, arch is too curved - it hurts!

The top of the boot is gaping open, and for the price, I just did not think that it was worth it. Nice heel height, but just not what I was looking for. I was not a fan of the fabric inserts either.