Are booties supposed to fit snug around your ankles?(ETA pic)

Peri

Before I joined YLF I had bought my one and only pair of boots. I was quite proud of them, but it never occurred to me how boots were supposed to fit. I thought, they fit my feet and I can walk in them, good to go. I honestly didn't even consider that the inch wide gap all the way around my scrawny calves was a fit issue. Of course once I learned that I was less proud of them!

I had this discussion with my sister today...are booties also supposed to fit close to your ankles? I think I see pictures of booties all the time that gap. (I'm talking about the casual, more chunky, flat kind, not the sleek dressy heels kind.)

ETA: Okay, wow that's a great pic, right? Hah! Anyway it's the best angle I could get to show the fit of my specific pair. I had plans to find a pair of tapered or semi-skinny ponte pants...not leggings...to wear this winter tucked in for a change. But if the fit of the booties is not good enough there isn't really a point in buying pants specifically for them. I'd use that money elsewhere and wear the booties with bootcut like I have been. So, tough love please! If it isn't worth it, I don't want to do it! Thanks!

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10 years ago

General

22 replies

Latest reply was from rums

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It depends.

Visuals, please!

10 years ago

always trying

Veteran

I too was never aware of this concept until I started reading all this stuff on here.

at first I was amazed at the term "flower pot". There are a lot of booties, boots, etc. that to me look very much like they are not supposed to hug the ankle. So I think it depends on the style of them. I have a very comfy pair that are very soft and they certainly are not designed to be snug. I also have never read any comments about ankle fit anywhere else except on here. Gotta go check out pinterest to see if they have any "flower pot looks!

10 years ago

always trying

Veteran

here are a couple of photos from pinterest-there are lots more

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10 years ago

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

t really does depend on the cut of the boot and what you are wearing with them. I have thin ankles too and it is hard to find booties that don't have a gap. I have passed on some booties that were too much of a gap but with the exception of lace-ups, I don't think I have any that have no gap at all.

I find it more of an issue for the taller boots. I ordered a pair online that were HUGE around my calf. I should have returned them but didn't and ended up giving them to a friend who has the opposite fit issue unworn. We were both happy.

10 years ago

Anonymous

I tried three different pairs of booties. When I faced the mirror, the booties were adorable and I loved them. Unfortunately, when I turned sideways, I saw the dreaded flower pot. As one poster noted, they looked like hooves. I decided I personally could not wear them, but that was me. Everyone has a different tolerance for the look and you need to find yours. In concept, booties should be a great option. I couldn't make it work and eventually gave up.

10 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Peri, are you thinking about the booties that you showed earlier -- the very casual ones? To me, those read a bit more as "boots" vs. "booties." If there is no zipper closure or no elastic (as in a Chelsea boot) or no lacing, you need width in order to put on and take off. So my Aquatalia Sweeties have gap. They are a mid-calf boot vs. a bootie. But there are similar shorter boots that work the same way.

10 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Yikes, I would never be able to wear booties if I added this to the requirements so unless the gap is huge, I'm not letting it bother me. But I don't wear skirts/dresses.

10 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Yeah, totally depends on many factors. For me, a good question to ask is: "do I look like I'm playing dress up in Mommy's shoes?" (See example #1 below.) I have a LOT of trouble with very low shaft booties like #1. They're almost always unacceptably flowerpottish.

#2 is a closer ankle fit. There's still a little gap but it's acceptable. They also come up higher on the ankle.

#3 are very loose but designed to be that way. Also, a higher shaft which for me anyway seems to handle a looser fit better.

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10 years ago

Peri

Veteran

Thanks everyone. I really didn't have a specific pair in mind, but for me, Suz, yes it would be that pair. Now I have to try them on to see how they fit...I don't remember! So far I have only worn them with bootcuts, so it didn't really matter. I think they fit about like always trying's first picture, maybe a little more gap than Diana's second picture.

I really was asking for my sister, a general question because she was complaining about gaps. I will have to tell her, as always...it depends!

10 years ago

bj1111

Veteran

For booties, my preference is to have it close fitting but nor necessarily hugging. Took a long time to find my one and only pair of proper booties bp trolleys in the finds. Covers the ankle about 1inch above the bone. Prefer shooties where the vamp comes up to the ankle and the sides curve snugly under the ankle bone--similar ones in the finds.

Others have different prefernces

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10 years ago

Meredith

Veteran

I think ideally the shaft fits snugly, but a gap is not the type of fit issue that makes me self-conscious. I'm like you. I have a pair of booties with a gap. I bought them pre YLF when shaft fit wasn't on my radar. The next time I'll be more picky, but I plan to wear my booties all the time this season. The gap isn't as visually distracting as high water pants or ill-fitting shoulders and I see no reason to replace something that the average person would view as perfectly acceptable.

10 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sounds like you're sorted. Lets see the booties. xo

10 years ago

rabbit

Veteran

For me also it depends on the style, and what I want to wear them with. Most booties I want to be able to wear with both pants and tights/leggings or bare legs, and in that case the gap usually bugs me if the bootie is designed to look sleek as opposed to slouchy/stompy. All my booties at the moment are lace-up, I love the way they fit.

10 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

These little boots are meant to fit loose, I think. I call them Peter Pan boots in my head. They look good with ponte pants tucked in.

10 years ago

Vix

Veteran

Hi Peri (and Peri's sister) --

For me the question comes down to function over form. Too little gap doesn't let the ankle flex enough when walking; too much gap leaves me feeling unsecured, but I think that's due to foot shape thing (narrow heel, wider forefoot).

As long as the bootie wearer feels like she has a good fit in said bootie, flowerpots are fine with me!

Why not try yours as you're thinking about and see how you feel in them for a day? [ETA -- oops, sorry, forgot you'd be buying new pants. Try with your leggings or tights and see how you feel, knowing you'd have extra mass with thicker pants?]

Photo = I have shooties/booties on right (fit is like model's); booties on left had too much gap for me even though I don't have particularly small ankles.

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10 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

It looks like your booties are quite casual and cut straight up and down like shorter Uggs? If yes, they are meant to be quite loose. My only concern would be if they are so loose that you are at risk for walking right out of them or kicking them off by mistake a la Diana.

10 years ago

Veteran

I had never heard of this until finding YouLookFab either!! Now every time I put my ankle boots on I'll think of a flower pot

10 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

I prefer a fitted ankle but that is just me. I think if styled to look deliberate it works this way too. I dislike it more when there is a big gap with knee high boots.

10 years ago

Anne Zabala

Member

I just moved from a tropical country to somewhere cold and I've never worn boots till now. Bought one which didn't snug on the ankle, this didn't bother me until I saw other ladies wear boots which didn't have gaps. Now I'm conscious, had to research and found this thread. For practical reasons, I will continue to wear my boots but know better what to look for the next time I go shopping for boots!

8 years ago

always trying

Veteran

When I first started seeing the "flower pot " issues on here I became very uncomfortable wearing some of mine thinking that I missed something about a fashion "no, no". then I really started looking on pinterest, other people, etc. and I also found that this fit only seemed to apply on this board. Now I just wear all my boots and booties as I please. line everything else, stuff on here is only the opinion of those saying it.

8 years ago

peacechick

Veteran

Having tried different types of booties and shooties, I would say I prefer a snug fitting shootie (below ankle), and a "flower pot" bootie (above ankle). For some reason, I rather dislike the feeling of a tight ankle boot and would much rather have boots I can pull on and off without using a zipper. That means there will usually be a gap. Only downside is that yes, sometimes, gravel and snow will get in when I'm walking, but oh well.

As for a gap in tall boots, I can only dream of this since I have to buy wide shaft boots for my muscular calves.

8 years ago

rums

Member

Got one recently. Have gaps. Didn't know all these details. Thinking of what to do...should i return or keep it..

7 years ago

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