Luxe Roma Heels in espresso croc by Charlie Stone Shoes.
I purchased the Luxe Roma Heels while waiting for spring to arrive, dreaming of long summer days exploring museums, picnics in the Botanical Gardens and escaping town for beachside adventures. I had read that they were comfortable and suitable for longer days of walking about. They looked adorable on my vintage friends on Instagram, and I only had one pair of warm weather footwear – a pair of cream t-strap heels I have owned for many many years.
I was constantly complimented on my old heels, and as they became damaged due to high rotation I’d looked for other vintage summer footwear, but just couldn’t find another pair as elegant as my existing pair. Then I was introduced to the Luxe heels from Charlie Stone. They had a similar 20s style heel and t-strap detail, and came in a range of colours. I settled on the Roma as it was more my style than the more 1950s style offerings at the time.
These heels are non-vegan, made out of genuine leather. I purchased them before Charlie Stone offered vegan options in the Luxe range, and am thrilled to see that they are continuing to increase their vegan selection. The heels are extremely comfortable and fit me perfectly straight out of the box. I did not have to wear in this pair as I did with my Roma Vegan Flats in the same size. The 2.25″ heel has that stunning, sophisticated and almost sensual 1920s curve to it that I adore. I’m not sure what it is, but the aesthetic of this style of heel worn with a seamed stocking hits me in my soul. It is also a comfortable height for walking long distances, though occasionally I experience a bit of rubbing after a long adventure when I’m not wearing stockings. After nearly a year of use, they have held up well, with only minor damage to the leather on the heel of one shoe (my fault – I have a habit of sitting with my ankles crossed with one foot wrapping right around the other and accidentally scrape the heels of all my shoes in the process… sigh).
The Luxe Roma heels have a ‘quick release’ buckle, and I am thrilled to see a brand taking into consideration the accessibility of their products, and aiming to make them easier to use for a wider range of customers’ abilities and needs. To be completely honest, I personally find this style of buckle harder to use than the traditional buckle on my pair of Luxe heels. I find it more fiddly, requiring more precise fine motor skills and coordination than a standard buckle, and have occasionally had to ask for help with the quick release when getting them on and off. I did find this surprising, as it looks very simple and easy in the instruction video on their website, but I guess when it comes to my physical dexterity I never can tell! I want to reiterate here that I do know how to use the quick-release buckle, I struggle to physically use it.
The two different buckles available on Charlie Stone shoes are something to keep in mind if, like me, you have dexterity issues or symptoms affecting your fine motor skills. You may prefer the shoes with quick-release buckles or those with traditional buckles. If I had a choice between the standard buckle and the quick release, I would choose the standard buckle. You might well have the complete opposite experience to me and find the quick release a perfect solution – I just want to be honest with my own personal experience using this feature and make you aware that different styles of Charlie Stone shoes come with different buckles, so read the product descriptions carefully. Hats off again to Charlie Stone Shoes for considering the inclusivity and accessibility of their products. I know this will be beneficial for many in the vintage community.
All in all, I feel elegant and sophisticated in these dainty Luxe heels, and have added a pair of black Luxe New York heels to my warm weather wardrobe for Lygon St dinners and fancy theatre outings. There will be better photos to come, once I get over my foot phobia, but in the meantime – if you’re looking for cute, high quality vintage style heels give the ever-growing range by Charlie Stone Shoes a look!
Explore my Luxe Roma Heels Style Gallery:
I am wearing the Luxe Heels in a Size 38, my usual shoe size.
Explore Luxe Heels on the Charlie Stone website
I acquired these heels through a Brand Collaboration program with Charlie Stone Shoes. This review is my own honest opinion of the product. Links to the brand’s website are provided solely for the convenience of the reader.