Clamdiggers with knee-high boots eliminate “tucking-fuss” and are quite a hip expression if the variables are right. This is not a flop-proof look: The clamdiggers need to be long-ish, and the boots have to fit snugly against the calf. Here are some “dos” and “don’ts” for the combination:

  • Tucking? Yes. You can tuck if the clamdiggers are long enough. YLF Forum member Sarah did a super job of tucking clamdiggers into her new, killer riding boots.
  • Above the knee clams? Maybe. I don’t think the look will work as well with above-the-knee clamdiggers. But it’s definitely worth a bash if you own a pair of clams and a set of fairly casual knee-high boots.
  • Walk shorts or cropped pants? Not really. These are not ideal substitutes for clamdiggers in this formula. You’re after “the skinny jeans vibe”, sans the skinny jeans, which makes anything wider at the hems a less current look.
  • Turning up the hems? Not really. You’re after a long lean line, so turning up clamdigger hems is not a good idea. Keep them either tucked or un-tucked.

I wore clams with knee high boots last season and I’m sporting the look again. Comfy, funky and practical in the Seattle rain because your jeans don’t get wet. My clams are best un-tucked and I show a bit of skin with my slightly shorter pair of brown embroidered boots (picture 3 below). That’s okay. It looks a little cheeky and I like that.

Patent BootsRiding BootsEmbroidered BootsDoc Marten Boots

(1) Weatherproof half ‘n half low wedged boots (microfiber and cracked patent), (2) Riding boots, (3) Retro embroidered boots, (4) 20 eyelet Doc Martens .