I’ve had the YSL espadrilles in black leather on my wishlist for SO long, and finally took the plunge and purchased a pair. I have a pair of black TOMS shoes that I’ve worn to death, and I justified that the YSL espadrilles in black would be an upgraded version of my TOMS, so I’d know that I’d get a lot of use out of them. They arrived last week aaaand…
THEY’RE HUGE.
The leather was soft and felt nice on my feet, but they run at least a size too large. I can comfortably fit a finger’s width between the back of my heel and the back of the shoe. With leather shoes, they should fit snugly when you first wear them because they will stretch out, so there’s really no leeway here.
Before purchasing my espadrilles, I read a ton of reviews online and they seemed split – a third said they ran small, a third said TTS, and a third said they ran large. Considering I am a small size 4 (or 34), I was 99% sure I would not fit these shoes, but I decided to try a pair just to be sure and also to satisfy my long-harbored desire for them.
Not only was the length too long, but the width was also too wide. I tried to capture it the best I could in the picture down below – there’s extra space between the side of my foot and the side of the shoe, and also between the top of my foot and the top of the shoe.
It’s really a shame because I had given this purchase a LOT of thought, and finally felt comfortable investing in it considering how much I wear my TOMS, but unfortunately there is no smaller size than a size 34, so I’m out of luck.
If you’re thinking about buying a pair, I would probably still suggest starting with your actual size, considering the varied reviews regarding sizing. If you’re on the smaller end of a size (like how I’m a small size 4), maybe consider getting one size smaller than your usual size to get a more snug fit and let the leather stretch out with wear.
In terms of feel and appearance, I thought they were a nice pair of shoes that I would have kept if they fit.
I hope some of you found this post helpful. Have you ever tried the YSL espadrilles? What was your experience?
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Thanks for reading!
I believe the issue is with American sizes, YSL being an Italian brand. I wear 42 European size, and it is exactly 42 for these espadrilles. Also, although the size 42 is equal in male and female shoes, the shape is a bit different, and I had to buy the male version, they are wider and sit much better.
Oh interesting! I guess the American to European size conversion just wasn’t great here!
That’s too bad they were big. I have small feet too so I always like to go a half size smaller when I’m not sure about fit. I’d rather it be snug than loose.
I guess if 34 was the small there wasn’t much you could do.
Are you going to try to wear them or return them?
Sadly I’ll have to return them. They’re far too big to try and make them work, and I can’t go a size down. If they were only slightly loose I would try inserts, but there’s no remedying this one!