Knee-high boots part II - YouLookFab Forum

Thanks for the advice on my earlier post about boots! After trying on no less than 17 different boots (not including variations of the same boots in different sizes), I'm back to solicit your opinions again.

To recap: I have short legs for my height and fairly bulky, muscular calves (15", give or take a bit), so I'm looking for something that makes me look taller and thinner. We established from the previous photos that a lot of boots are too tall for me, so they jut out past where the top of my calf curves in. Unfortunately, if the boot ends where the curve of the calf ends, this means it ends at the widest part of the calf, well short of the knee, which isn't very flattering.

So I'm back with more photos. This one illustrates why I'm so hard to fit. You can flip forward through the album to see five additional pairs of boots (Santana Robyn, David Tate Formula, La Canadienne Jenny, Doc Marten Vanna, La Canadienne Tia -- um, yes, there's a lot of money's worth of boots sitting in my living room). I'd love to hear your opinions on the following:

1) Overall, do you have a favorite?
2) What do you think is the best boot height for me (based on height alone, not width)?
3) Can I get away with this amount of gapping at the top, or does it look sloppy?
4) And if that's the case...should I give up on the knee-high boot quest altogether?

I'm starting to think there's no way around the problem of the gap at the top of the calf. If it's a height I like, there's no way to cinch it in tight enough. Even with the lace-up boots pictured (the David Tate boots), I still can fit a fingertip at the top with the boots laced as tight as they'll go at the top hole.

I do have one more pair of boots on the way -- the Ecco Bremens, on Maya's recommendation. I'm hoping the buckle will hit above the top of the calf on me so that I can tighten the top. BTW, if anyone else wants those boots, the black suede ones are just $110 on the Ecco site at the link above.

Anyway, thanks in advance for your advice, and sorry about the long post!

16 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

The only pair that seem to fit you are the Tia's. You say that they are too tight in the calf, but they can be stretched if they are leather. The other boots all look too loose in my opinion.

JewelryGirl

Active Member

I feel your pain! I have the same calf measurement - I'm lucky on the tall boots though. I scored 2 pair that fit like a glove a couple of years ago. They are the Cole Haan tall boot. Have you tried that brand? I was lucky this year, shopped for booties instead! I willl be curious to see the Ecco's also. Best of Luck!

shana

I also like the height of the Tias the best. Is it possible to get them stretched to fit your calf? If your intention is to wear them with skirts/dresses, the gaping would be an issue for the other boots . It might not be too noticeable with jeans tucked in though. Another option is to get the custom boots through Duo but I would keep looking - don't give up!!

medusa

Tias, for sure. I agree with Khris - the others look too loose. I like the stretching idea.

Maya

The Tias definitely fit you best. Did you have to struggle to zip them? They don't look too tight, and they might stretch. I don't think the David Tates fit badly either. From the back they look pretty snug so I'm not sure why they look big from the front. If there is any kind of layering or pleating that might make them look bigger than they are. In any case, I think they could work over jeans.

I think the others are too tall.

trix

Wow, that's pretty much a unanimous vote. Thanks for the opinions! (And since the Tias were on sale, they're also one of the more affordable pairs on this list, so doubly good.)

The Tias definitely take more work to zip up (almost a painful squeeze, actually), but since the leather is so soft, I think they'd stretch with wearing. The funny thing is, they still look short to my eye. I feel that boots come a bit closer to the kneecap in most other people's photos with boots and that it's the curve of my calf that forces me to wear shorter boots. Or maybe it's that I can actually see the photos where I haven't totally cropped out my face and I can see the whole head-to-toe proportion, where the boots look particularly short.

Re other Q's: I'm not sure why the Tates look more fitted in the back view; it may have to do with the angle of my leg when I was twisting around to take the back view picture. I'll check out the Cole Haans, thanks for the suggestion; most of the boots I've found so far are on the tall side (14.5" and up), but people really seem to love their Cole Haans, so it sounds worth hunting. I'll check out the Duoboots site too. Most of the stores around me don't seem to have Eccos in stock yet; the Ecco store said there was some sort of delay at the warehouse. Maybe next week they'll have some of the shorter ones to try on.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I think you have gorgeous calves, trix! And that’s a pretty dress. The Tia’s look amazing. You can have them stretched at the cobblers too.

Thanks for the nice words Angie! This is probably one of the few dresses that I'd dare to post in a public forum. (And yet I'd wear dresses in public that I wouldn't want to post pictures of? Gotta think about that one...)

Kari

Trix, I think you are my calf-muscle twin. My calves are around 14-14.5 inches.

I've noticed that most of my boots are VERY tight when I first zip them up, especially if it's over skinny jeans, but the leather quickly stretches & doesn't (& shouldn't) hurt. You can always see if the Tias stretch after wearing them for 20-30 minutes around the house.

Tara, one of the other wider-calved women who sometimes posted here, suggested that I try these, which I love to wear under skinny jeans especially.

I haven't tried them yet, but Tara also recommended this pair, which supposedly have a similar shape & fit to the Ainlys.

Our perceptions of ourselves are sometimes funny.
I remember reading a health article recently that was talking about health risks of certain body issues. Anyway, it said something about women with small calfs- 14 inches or less. SMALL=14 or less, ladies! So when you think you have such huge calfs, remember that. Mine are 16 inches, and they have gone down by an inch since the last time that I measured.

Trix! I cannot imagine you could look bad in a dress that was suited to your body type. In fact you’d probably look absolutely smashing. Please post more pictures of lovely you with those KILLER calves.

garmenta

I think that it isn't just the circumference of the Tias that's working--I think it's the lower height, too. Have you thought about a mid-calf boot? It might look good on your calf and the fit issue might not be so agonizing a bit farther down on the leg.

It's never easy to get a good fit if your shape doesn't fit the standard mold. I'm on the opposite end of the fit spectrum (12" spindleshanks) and I know what a struggle it can be.

Kari: Thanks for the Rockport recommendation! It's good to hear that you've been able to stretch out boots with not too much wear. I hadn't tried to wear the boots around the house in case I was going to return them, but I guess now it's worth trying.

Chewyspaghetti: 14" is considered small? Then why are most boots smaller?? Manufacturers not in line with mainstream America, perhaps?

Angie: Thank you! I see why people love this site so much -- you see (and bring out) the best in people.

Garmenta: Thanks for addressing something I was wondering -- what the ideal boot height should be. Actually, in an earlier post, I was trying on boots that were one inch shorter, and people seemed to think they were too short. Maybe it also depends on the skirt I'm wearing with them. If only boots could be sized like men's shirts: you could choose the foot size, the calf circumference, and the shaft height for an almost perfect fit.

Alecia

I'm with everyone on the boot that looks like it fits best - Tias. Hang in there with your search. Boots are so frustrating. I have a 16.5 calf. Sometimes it seems downright impossible to find boots that fit and that I like. But it can be done. And I think you're well on your way. Yeah!

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