Blondo waterproof boots - worth it? - YouLookFab Forum

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Blondo waterproof boots - worth it?

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Has anyone tried the Blondo 'Mady' waterproof lace-up boot? If so, what can you tell me about the fit (true to size? Or size up for my UK 5.5D (slightly wide) feet?) Are Blondo booties actually waterproof (not just water resistant), & comfy out of the box (or do they require insoles & breaking in)?

These tick all my HEWI boxes for practical dark brown ankle boots with gold hardware (but also a little casual 'edge') for a while now, so these are very tempting (weatherproof but with an easy side zip? What sort of (comfortable!) sorcery is this??) but I would prefer not to have to pay international return shipping charges for exchanging the wrong size
https://www.nordstrom.com/s/bl.....en/5950177

PS - It seems Blondo also has an all white leather ankle boot at Nordstrom (the red laces should be easy enough to swap out, though I'm sure some would be happy to leave them as is - looking at you, Angie ). Just a PSA for those of you who like white soles on your shoes
https://www.nordstrom.com/s/bl.....en/5794310

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24 replies

Latest reply was from Zaeobi

Staysfit

Veteran

I have found Blondo has inconsistent sizing: I have ordered my size in one style boot and it fits perfectly, when another style will be too snug and a third style too wide. If it says waterproof as opposed to water resistant, they do the job of keeping feet dry fairly well unless they have side zippers and places where water can seep in when you step into a deep puddle (which we have all the time). I do not recall if Blondo uses a gortex like sock liner to prevent this problem….

I have owned many pairs of Blondo boots in the past, but stopped buying them because of the sizing issues. I became frustrated with returning so many……

Anonymous

I was looking at some blondos too, so was wondering about the quality.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I have a pair of Blondo's. They are relatively comfy, but have no real arch support.

Helena

Veteran

I have three pairs of Blondos, but not this style, so take it with a grain of salt. I find them to be completely waterproof and snowproof. I have a black pair that I've owned for 4 years probably and worn almost daily through fall/winter, and they still look relatively new. I've worn them through every possible weather condition and they take it all.

I do find them quite comfy out of the box; however, to add to what April says, they are definitely a bootie and not a comfort shoe per se. That said, I walked all over London for 3 days in them and was totally fine! Mine have a heel to them, so I suspect the pair you are looking at would be more comfortable.

JAileen

Veteran

I have a few pairs and the sizing has been consistent for me. They have been waterproof as promised. They are not my most comfortable booties, but they are not uncomfortable, IYKWIM. The white pair is pretty amazing looking. I hope they work for you.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for weighing in, @Staysfit. That's what I feared re: inconsistent sizing, based on the reviews of their other products. The Nordstrom description says they're 'true to size', so I'm debating whether to buy US8.5 (just a half size bigger). Would prefer not to have to buy both the US8 (my usual size) & 8.5, only to then have to return one...

I don't see any mention of goretex specifically, but from the photos it does seem as if there's a 'backing' around the zip area to prevent leakage (thanks @Helena & @JAileen for confirming Blondo boots really are waterproof, not just water resistant - do you spray the leather to seal it, or is it waterproof right out of the box? ).

@chewyspaghetti (April?) Hmm I see - I don't have very high arches but not flat ones either. I teach, so I do need something in which I'd be comfortable standing on my feet for most of the day... I'm wondering whether inserting my own insoles would work better (if so, how much I should size up to accommodate them?) Decisions...

Suz

(website)

Veteran

As Staysfit says, the sizing can be inconsistent, or at least can differ between different styles. Also, many are made for a winter climate, so do keep that in mind if you are purchasing. The boot may not be lined with furry stuff or have a lot of insulation, but typically there will be a warmish fabric liner of some kind on the boot. In other words, they are not rainboots for hot climates.

I agree with what Staysfit says about permeability. No boot is completely waterproof if it has zippers, eyelets, etc. But they work pretty well -- as well as my (much pricier) Aquatalias. It's waterproof out of the box. No need to spray it.

You'll see below, I found one style they put out a few years ago to be particularly useful for urban life! The heel height was just right for me in that boot. These have all held up exceptionally well. Granted, I barely wore them last year, but they've all had a lot of wear and look pretty much pristine and my feet have not got wet even in the wet Pacific Northwest.

Blondo Cayla Waterproof Chelsea Boot

View Info

Top Pick

7

Blondo Elvina Waterproof Bootie

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16

Elvina Waterproof Bootie

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35

View Info

Blondo Blondo Elvina Waterproof Bootie (Women) | Nordstrom

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Top Pick

18

Suz

(website)

Veteran

ETA, the last on the pointed toe booties is perfect for the slop of my foot (which need some arch support) and does the job. On the flatter boot, I have added a special insole -- I didn't size up (in fact, those are a half size smaller) -- but my feet are medium, not wide.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Blondos are VERY popular with my clients for good reason! What Suz and Staysfit said.

I haven't met Blondos that work for my own feet, though. They run short in the toes, and I have long toes!

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I had a pair of Blondos that I wore out. They were my go-to boots for rainy weather. I currently have a pair of tall boots that I also like. Along with some others, I've found the sizing inconsistent, and I find that for me they are often more comfortable with a Superfeet insert for arch support. That's how I always wore the ones I wore out, and they were good for lots of city walking. I felt they were a good value, though I think I got mine on sale at NAS.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for chiming in, everyone - I'm leaning towards ordering the US8.5 not 9, if it should be able to accommodate insoles...

@Suz Thanks for the detailed advice! I do live in a subtropical humid climate, but my plan is to wear these in the winter. Whilst we may not get much winter rain here, there's still the odd puddle & errant AC drip to be aware of outside Plus I'm sure they'll get even more use in the UK - I'm not from too far up north in England, so don't have to worry about thick snow (from the top-down Nordstrom photos, it seems as if the side zips have leather panels behind them - so I suspect they'll be a bit more water-resistant but of course not fully snow resistant).

@Angie How do you determine if you have long vs short toes? Pointed toed shoes often pinch, but I suspect this is due to my wide forefoot rather than my toes...

@Firecracker Thanks - city walking will be my main activity here! A waterproof tall boot is also on my list, but I think I'll need to try those on in person since I have annoyingly in-between calves (16" calf circumference - so neither 'straight' nor 'plus' sized, lol).

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The same way sleeves and pants are too short

You wear a shoe, and everything fits except that the toe box is short. Width is fine. Length is the problem.

Plus, I look like I have fingers on the end of my feet.....

Ginger

Veteran

It's an interesting question! (Length of toes) I guess I would also be wondering with Zaeobi why it's specifically that the toes are long, and not just that you're a certain size shoe.

My own two cents is that I think I have short toes, but a long arch. So I tend to fit a size 9/9.5 but the higher the heel, the bigger the gap between my foot and the shoe. My foot only touches at the heel and ball. It's not just a high arch.

JAileen

Veteran

I have long toes, too. Normally I wear size 10. In Birkenstocks, though, I wear size 42, which is 11-11.5. Because my toes are so long, the ridge needs to be far enough away from the front of the shoe. For me, that’s a size 42.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I can see why you picked out the Fluevogs you did from the assortment I posted—there are strong similarities to these. Not sure where you are in your decision-making or even if they have a style similar to this, but Aquatalia, which is often mentioned in the same breath as Bondos, is having a 20% off sale right now.

Helena

Veteran

Zaeobi, right out of the box I believe! But never a bad idea to spray. I sprayed after purchasing, but never since.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

@Angie That makes sense - it's funny you say that though, because in Urdu the translation for toes is literally 'foot fingers'

like @Ginger, I'm not sure how to gauge the width being off Vs the length. They both just feel tight to me, lol! So @JAileen do you feel your toes bunching up if the ridge isn't far away enough?

@Stagiare Fash - Sorry I guess I was subconsciously shopping for myself rather than you when I commented that, lol! Aquatalia are (is?) on my list to watch too, but unfortunately they don't have a dark brown colour (only some tans).

@Helena That sounds like the perfect level of upkeep for someone as lazy as me, lol Thanks for your endorsement.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

A little late but just wanted to update you all that I finally pulled the trigger on these boots! I ordered a full size up, so fingers crossed they end up fitting my wide feet...

Tanya

Veteran

Good luck with boots and let us know when they arrive.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*fingers crossed*

Minaminu

Veteran

keep us posted!

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

They arrived - just in time as well, since I just moved house! I'm very glad I listened to my intuition & sized up a full size instead of a half size (like the SAs recommended) - I have medium to wide feet (D width) & so they fit but not too snug (I might not be able to wear them with very thick socks, but I have some merino wool ones with which they still work). The padded tongue & ankle means you could wear them with shorter socks too, without cutting up your legs.

Anyway, I'll post a separate review with photos once I'm all settled in the new place & have taken them for a test drive. So far so good, though!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Cool!
If they’re a little snug, they might give a little, such that you can wear thicker socks next year.
Happy cocoon-spinning in your new place!

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

@SF
Going up a size means they've thankfully got enough space in them already that my toes have room to wiggle I went on a ~7 hour walk yesterday & they only started to feel a little heavy towards the very end. It seems they're on sale right now at Nordstrom!

For anyone else who's still interested, there's a mini review at the bottom of this post:
https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....user-jeans