Cognac boot faceoff--need help!

Thanks in advance for your help--there's a lot of pictures so I'll try to keep things organized.

For knee high boots I have one old black heeled pair from Nine West (amazingly they fit perfectly even though I bought them before I knew about boot fit), and one dark chocolate brown suede pair from La Canadienne. Plus my red Aquatalia boots which are a tad big but I love them anyways. I've been wanting a lighter brown pair, preferably cognac, to go with all my autumn-y colors. But it's so hard to find because of my narrow calves. I have 13.25 inch calves and even the 14 inch pairs like MaryK's fab Aldo boots were too big on me. And I'm 5'5" so any shaft over 15 inches gets too tall for my legs. So, with those limitations, here is the best I could find amongst narrow calf boots (or else ones with buckles to cinch up the shaft). None of them is exactly perfect in every way, which is why I'm opening it up for your input. Which of these boots looks best on me? If you don't like any of them, do you have any other suggestions? Thanks! (Oh and excuse the dress, I know it doesn't go with the boots but I was too tired to change).

Overview:
1. In order: the dark brown suede La Canadienne Galaxy boots that I already own; Vince Camuto Kent, Francisco Sarto Imply with 4 buckles, Ecco Hobart with 3 buckles, Timberland Stratham Heights, and Francisco Sarto Yonkers (Angie's pick) in mushroom.
2. La Canadienne (already own), Vince Camuto, Francisco Sarto buckle
3. Ecco, Timberland, Francisco Sarto mushroom

Each new boot in order above:
4-7. Vince Camuto Kent. Whiskey with black elastic stretch panels. Flat heel. Pull on (a little difficult to don & doff because of no zipper!) but very fitted to my calves which is a plus. Not sure if I like the black side panels though, I think it makes it look a little casual. This one is the most different in color from my dark brown boots though, which is nice.
8-12. Francisco Sarto Imply. This is a fairly wide calf but it has 4 buckles to cinch down the sides. I might be able to add one more hole to cinch it down even further. But it might be a tag big on me still. It has a covered wedge heel.
13-16. Ecco Hobart. This is also wide for my calf but has three buckles. I already have it cinched down as far as it can go and don't think I can add any more holes to this one. Flat heel which is comfy. I think this one is my favorite flat option.
17-21. Timberland Stratham Heights. This one is slighty more rugged due to the lug sole but it has a heel which dresses it up for skirts. Even though it has a heel, it's pretty comfy because of the thick rubber sole (even the heel has rubber at the bottom). I think this one is my favorite amongst the heeled options.
22-25. Francisco Sarto Yonkers. This is also a pull on like the Vince Camuto so a little harder to get on. It's pretty fitted, but a bit tall. Also I'm not sure I like the taupe color as much as cognac. The heel is not as padded/comfy as the Timberland.
Comparisons:
26-27. Francisco Sarto Yonkers vs. Timberland Stratham.
28-29. Francisco Sarto Imply (4 buckles) vs. Ecco Hobart (3 buckles)
30-31. Vince Camuto Kent vs. my current La Canadienne Galaxy
32-33. Timberland Stratham vs. my current La Canadienne Galaxy.

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14 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

#17 is my favorite

znip

Active Member

I agree, definitely 17.

Adelfa

me too. I think the simplicity works with your delicate frame.

bj1111

adore how 4-7 fits you especially around your calf. the flat heel us super. the heels on the ones that have them seem oddly chunky and less polished than expected. i would prefer a wedge, block or shapelier heel if you want the height.

Amy

I agree. #17

Aida

Out of this group, #17 looks the best to me. I actually really like 8-12 a lot but I think it's just too wide, even if you added extra buckle holes.

nancylee

#17 absolutely....they are so sleek and flattering. They fit your leg beautifully.

rae

#4 fits best in the calves but they strike me as not your style. #17 is the best overall fit/style/GP-ness.

Are you planning to wear these with skirts, or over skinnies?

Jonesy

I hate to be such a wet blanket, but they all look pretty roomy through the calf and at the top...Did you look at the skinny calves support group thread from a while back? There might be some good recommendations for boots on that thread. Have you tried European brands (e.g., via places like yoox.com)? Might be worth a shot.

goldenpig

It looks like the Timberlands are winning so far! I think I agree...they are really comfy and the heel makes it look dressier. I'm planning to wear them both with skirts and over skinnies. I agree that #4 fits the best, but the thick black panels are a little weird and it doesn't feel like "me" unlike the Timberlands (love your term "GP-ness", Rae!). I wish they were a little lighter color and more cognac-y instead of medium brown, and that the style was a little more delicate, but I think among all of the boots they're the best fit for my style.

Jonesy, I was afraid someone would say they all still look too big, but if I try to find something even narrower I think I'm getting into super expensive range like Duoboots. The Timberlands were only $140 (even less if you count the cashback through Mr. Rebates or whatever that I did), so not bad for the price. I did check that narrow calf thread before, I'll go back and look but I don't remember seeing anything great other than custom boots?

modgrl

I'm not really sold on any of them for wearing with skirts. How about a pair of tall stretch boots and a pair of short booties to wear with same colored stockings. That would give you the elongating look of tall boots.

Kate

I agree that the timberlands are the best, but I agree with Jonesy that you can do better! I don't have any specific suggestions though I'm curious why brown (or black) doesn't work with your autumny colors?

If you do keep the timberlands, it looks like they're cheaper than other stores at their website (http://shop.timberland.com/pro.....erland:TBL)

Yes thanks Kate, I did order them from Timberland directly--I saw they were cheaper there ($180 instead of $240), plus I used a 20% off coupon code, plus used Mr. Rebates for cash back. So it ended up fairly cheap after all that. The dark brown and black boots get a ton of use here, but sometimes I want something with a little lighter color on my feet especially when my dresses and skirts are lighter/warmer in color. Cognac seems to be a great neutral color that would go with everything in my wardrobe.

Ah, it looks like you've got it all figured out (sorry I missed the part earlier where you mentioned getting them for $140). They are some beautiful boots. I may check them out and (if they work) put them on my xmas list...

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