Before I order - which bootie do you like best? - YouLookFab Forum

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Before I order - which bootie do you like best?

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I bought the GAP Long and Lean jeans this weekend, and they're just a tiny bit too long for most of my winter shoes/boots. At the same time, I'm also wanting to get some "booties" to wear with a grey sweater dress that I bought last year - as per Angie's updated sweater dress formula posted recently. I figured I'd try and get something that will work with both the jeans and the sweater dress.

I'm about to order one of these two - but wondered which one you liked better. Photo #1 is the Clarks Water Row in grey leather, and photo #2 is Clarks Buena Vista.

I am not used to wearing 3" heels, so this is a bit of a stretch for me, but I've had good luck with Clarks shoes in terms of comfort, so hoping these'll work out. I think the Buena Vista might be half an inch shorter. Do you think the half inch might make a difference?

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23 replies

Latest reply was from nancylee

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I think #2 looks more comfy. 1/2" will make a difference, in my experience - I have a pair of 3" Clarks that I had to gradually train up to wearing.

I think #1 looks more rugged; and I'd think it'd give a rougher edge to a more sweet outfit - I'm not sure if this is something you're looking for

Claudia

Veteran

I like #2 better. But both are nice. I have had good luck with Clarks, too.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

For my feet, #1 was more comfy - although the heels on both of these darlings are too high for me.

Amy

(website)

Veteran

I like the look of #2 better, but I'm a sucker for buckles.

I've been a loyal Clark's fan for years, but this year, had a huge disappointment in a pair of Clark's boots. The sole is far too thin and I can feel every little bit of gravel I step on. If you do end up getting the Clarks, check to see if that's going to be an issue before wearing them outside, so you can return them if necessary. That's not something I even considered before running around in my pretty, but uncomfortable boots.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I like #1 better.

Jjsloane

Veteran

I agree completely with Lyn - depends on the look you are going for. I have had only good luck with Clark's, mostly the Artisan's.

Queen Mum

Veteran

I much prefer the look of #2. and yes, 1/2 inch makes all the difference in the world for me.

qfbrenda

Veteran

I like #2 better.

Anonymous

I just ordered #2, but when they arrived I found the leather a bit stiff and uncomfortable, so they are going back

KeepCalmAndCarryOn

I love the crisp "sleeve" around the ankle in # 1...but I suspect that after a few wearings, that sharp look will be sharp no more. So I second #2--which is lovely and classy.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Thank you for the speedy response! I'm a little leery because, as I said - I am not used to wearing 3" heels, but I'm willing to at least try them. I might have to train 'up' to them as Lyn* suggests, but here's hoping I can make them work for at least a 'night out' kind of shoe/boot.

Meanwhile, it's turning out that the Buena Vista is described on different sites as being either 2.5" high or 2.75" high.

I think I'm going to do something radical and order them both. Wish me luck in being good about returning whichever bootie(s) works or doesn't work.

Next up - taking jeans I like to a tailor to have them hemmed to work with shoes I already have and that I'm comfortable in. I have a funny feeling that this is what's going to happen - but I'll order these and see how I do first.

The Long and Lean jeans are just a hair too long for the type of shoes/boots I wear during the winter, but they are also the best looking jeans I've tried on in months. I have a funny feeling I'll be spending the money to have the jeans altered, despite the fact that they weren't very expensive jeans in the first place.

Ok - off to order both pairs of booties.

Thanks again

Isis

Veteran

Great idea to order both!

It's really easy to hem jeans yourself and keep the original hem. You could even hand=sew the hem. Here's one version of directions:

http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com.....-keep.html

Claudia

Veteran

VC, if you found great jeans that work for you, you should buy two pairs and hem a pair to wear with your flats, and one to wear with heels. Obviously you might need to buy more jeans (3) if you wear a lot of varied heel heights like flats, low heels and high heels. Its worth it to have a great pair of jeans that are PPL to wear no matter what shoes you have on that day.

Isabel

Veteran

I LOVE the second pair !!

catgirl

Veteran

Claudia is a wise woman and has some great advice!

Kari

Veteran

I have not tried the Buena Vista booties, but I found the Water Row booties insanely comfortable - to the point that I wore them traipsing all over the mall with the Toronto YLF crew yesterday, and wore them again today. They are proving to be VERY comfortable heels to travel in! To me, they feel lower than the actually are, and very stable. The footbed is more padded than the average shoe (most Clarks Indigo shoes are.)

The only thing that I initially wasn't sure about was that the bootie was tight across the instep due to the placement of a seam - I run high in the instep (the top part of my foot.) But that quickly softened up and stretched after the first day that I wore the boots (before my Toronto trip.)

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Thank you for chiming in Kari - good to know the Water Row booties worked out well. Whew! I'm relieved

I've got both on order, so we'll see. I'm not one for heels much over about 2" so this'll be a bit of a test, but I've found Clarks shoes/boots to be extremely comfortable, so here's hoping these work out for me.

And Claudia - you're onto something - maybe it's worth altering jeans to fit different pairs of shoes. Have to admit, this isn't something I've done yet - but it could be a whole lot easier than ordering umpteen different pairs of shoes to work with a favourite pair of pants. Seems kind of silly that I'd order new shoes to fit a pair of pants, and haven't considered the maybe $20-$25 (guessing) alteration fee for fixing a pair of jeans to fit the shoes I actually wear.

Thanks again everyone - I get the two new pairs of booties on Wednesday sometime.

In the meantime, just curious - what's a reasonable price to pay to have your jeans hemmed/altered?

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Isis - thank you so much for the 'how to' instructions for how to hem your own jeans - bookmarked, saved and one of these days, I just might try it - thanks!

Kari

Veteran

For the record, 2-2.5" heels are my happy spot, and the Water Row booties *feel* like they fit right in my comfort niche.

Freckles

Veteran

Both are fabulous booties. Good luck.

ME2KRI

Hi, I ordered the Water Row booties last week and unfortunately returned then I found the heel height too high (I usually wear 2-2/12" heels). They looked really nice, but I couldn't get used to wearing them for extended periods of time. So it depends how long you intend each use to be.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Just wanted to report back - got my booties, and the Water Row style is more comfortable for me than the Buena Vista. Love the look of the Buena Vista, but I have a high instep or something and found the vamp on these to be uncomfortable somehow. They are going back.

The Water Row *is* higher than I'm used to wearing, but I'm going to keep them. They may turn out to be 'sitting' shoes (as Angie might say), but so far, they are quite comfortable given their height. They look great with the new GAP Long and Lean jeans, and especially with my orphaned (or rather, never actually worn yet) grey sweater dress from last year.

I'll see if I can work up the nerve to take/post some pictures this weekend.

Thanks again for your help with the booties.

nancylee

Veteran

I'm really drawn to #2. They would look good with dressy or more casual looks. The buckles are an interesting detail.