Deja vu... (a.k.a. gold zipper boots, the 2014 edition) - YouLookFab Forum

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Deja vu... (a.k.a. gold zipper boots, the 2014 edition)

Diana

Veteran

So it's that time of year again... when I start obsessing over black boots with gold zippers. I never did find any that I liked last year.

Anyway, the new crop of knee high boots has just about made it to all the stores, so here are a few I've collected. Any opinions or particular favorites that you think I should try? Or if you've seen anything you think I might like that isn't in this collection yet, please let me know! I'm specifically looking for black leather (not suede), gold zippers, 15" calf circumference, ~16" shaft height, heel no higher than 2", and skinny ankles.

A couple of notes

--The Jimmy Choos are the holy grail. He makes a pair of gold zippered boots seemingly every year. Unfortunately they would need to be reduced by 70% for me to consider them.

--The Steve Maddens were at NAS. I think SM shoes are poor quality for the price so I will not consider these unless they are heavily discounted.

--What do we think of the quilted style? It seems to be popular this time around.

--The Dibas are OTK boots, which I do not think I want, but I collected them anyway just for variety.

Calvin Klein Giada

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3

Bandolino Carsononia

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1

Steve Madden 'Northsde' Quilt Back Knee High Boot (Women)

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1

J.Renee 'Blingiton' Leather Riding Boot

$234.95 $114.90

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3

Isolá 'Aali' Tall Boot (Women)

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1

Vince Camuto 'Faris' Tall Boot (Women)

$268.95 $134.50

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2

Jimmy Choo 'Doreen' Boot

$1,095.00 $766.49

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1

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2

Shopping

17 replies

Latest reply was from Diana

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It's all in the fit! Time to order away and see how they work on your foot and leg! I like the Bandolinos quite a bit. And the Calvin Kleins, and the Diba.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

bj11111 has the Choos, I think.

A 16 inch shaft sounds FAR too high. My 6ft plus clients wear those lengths, Diana. You need a 15 inch shaft at its highest.

I'm no help because I like them all from the pics. It's all about fit and comfort once you pop them on.

I look forward to seeing you try them. xo

Diana

Veteran

Angie, my Blondos are 15". I would actually like them to be slightly taller. In any case, I find that boot shaft height measurements are wildly inaccurate online so the only way is to try them. (I personally measure along hte inside zipper.)

ETA: I think I like my tall boots taller than most though.

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Janet

(website)

Veteran

I agree with Suz -- while there seems to be a good selection of them, I think it's time to bite the bullet and order a few (yeah, the credit card will groan, but if all goes well, you'll return all but one!). It is all in the fit.

I like the pointy toe on those JRenee ones, but I have no idea what that brand is like, and I suspect the other more rounded toe styles might have more longevity. I like the quilted styles -- I probably would not wear them myself because I already have a quilted black bag, plus I'm usually choosing footwear with less detailing these days. But they do have a nice look. If you're getting a pair to wear for years to come, though, do you want the quilted style, even after it is not a trend?

Good luck! I think this is your year to find the HEWI gold zippered black boots!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You might like them taller, Diana - but they won't fit unless the shafts are made of very stretchy fabric that moulds back onto the curve of the calf, if that makes sense. OR, they are OTK boots. The Blondos just fit at 15 inches - and are leather and a regular flat riding boot style.

Diana

Veteran

I get your point, Angie. I guess what I'd love is something that dips in the back of the calf (like the Bandolinos or the VC) so that they'd fit but the sides and front come up higher. Might be impossible though.

The pic below is some boots that were a whopping 17.5" tall along the outside edge. I LOVE the look, but unfortunately they hit the back of my knee. I guess what I'd love is not actual OTK boots, but OTK style boots that just come to my knee. I think that doesn't exist though.

Regardless, I would be happy with 15" too.

Janet, yeah, I know nothing about J Renee either. I'm a little concerned about those because the sole looks very thin (potentially no traction or arch support) and I'd probably wear them out in no time flat. Also the back crinkly part is suede, which I don't really like.

Found the Bandolinos for sale on amazon so I will probably order those at the very least.

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cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I have the ankle version of the isola and find them to be quite well made and comfortable. They are a lovely dark brown too.

ETA: I know the choos are your holy grail but they look like they have little shaping in the ankle. I find for a dressier style, a bit more form at the ankle can be more flattering.

Isolá 'Abril' Chelsea Boot (Women)

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2

Diana

Veteran

I agree, Dianthus, especially given that I have super skinny ankles (as opposed to the rest of my leg). Actually the holy grail is last year's Choos, which were more shaped, but I can't find them online right now.

Thanks for the review of the Isolas! I am seriously considering those too.

bj1111

Veteran

pssst...i got mine at an unbelievable discount at nordies a week after tgiving last year, added a 10 point day and shazam...choo affordability. i'll take some photos later and tell you what i like and don't like. it's not perfect.

bj1111

Veteran

back to comment on the shoes you selected.

actually, i like the dibas if you were going quilted. the camutos seem over done with the TWO gold buckles AND the quilting that WRAPs around the front.

the bandolinos will have staying power because of the round toe and the (relative) lack of ornamentation and the flat top of the shaft. i like these too. i haven't had much luck fitting my foot into bandolinos shoes though. haven't tried boots. i have high volume feet with small bunions.

the isolas round out my prefs. i like the detail at the heel.

Joy

Veteran

I like the Calvin Kleins or Banolinos unless you want an over the knee boot. Banolinos shoes fit me well (average feet). I like the quilting.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

Diana, I did a search for the J Renee boot to see other pictures and it looks much wider at the ankle in the pics on shoes.com. The material on the back half of the boot also looks a bit shiny which I don't think is your thing (I could be wrong on this though).

http://www.shoes.com/en-US/Pro.....+Boot.aspx

I noticed that the Diba pair have only the partial zipper. I have a pair of Sam Edelmans like this and although I love them, they are hard to tuck slim pants into. Is this a factor for you?

Diana

Veteran

Thanks for all of the suggestions and insights, ladies! Very helpful.

Janet, I think your point about the quilting being possibly too trendy is a good one. I do want these to last at least a couple of years, so I don't want anything too trendy. I think of the quilted ones, I like the CK best because the quilting is more subtle (more like a herringbone texture than classic quilting). I also worry a little about it adding thickness to my calves!

BJ, you're the best! I would love to see and hear about your Choos. I agree with you that the VCs seem overdone.

Dianthus, thanks for the extra photos of the Dibas. Wow, I did not realize how wide they were at the ankle. Definitely won't work for me. You are also right about the shiny crinkly part. I do think that would be too OTT.
About the partial side zip... I've had boots with it in the past and they were fine to get on and off over skinnies, but they weren't OTK boots. In any case, I don't think I'll go for the Dibas b/c I still don't think I want a true OTK style, plus I think quilted+OTK = a whole lot of quilting.

So, FWIW, the ones I am seriously considering are the Bandolinos (classic style, nice, clean lines, although I'm not sure about the multiple small buckles), CK (subtle quilting, clean lines, plus the back zip style tends to be less galoshy on me although sometimes they rub), and Isola (although I wish the zipper were more gold and less bronze).

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I apologize for dominating your boot thread but I am a bit boot obsessed these days so I have been looking at a lot of boots.
Here is another Steve Madden pair with a gold zip. The zipper looks like a double so it is more obvious without being over the top. I also like the way it angles and although there is a buckle, it is only one.

I am eyeing the brown version myself. I hadn't noticed they were on sale until I added them as a find. Bonus.

ETA: I looked more closely at the pics of the CK pair and it looks like the zipper itself may not be gold. I couldn't find any reference to the zip color though so it could be my monitor.

Steve Madden 'Synicle' Boot (Women)

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kkards

Veteran

i hope you find what you are looking for this year….i must say, i love the calvin kleins.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I like the J Renee ones best because of the pointy toe. I have had one pair of their shoes before. It was a combination of hair calf and textured snake look leather, both of which can go very wrong if done cheaply, but the quality was good.

Diana

Veteran

Update: ordered the Bandolinos and the CKs from Amazon as they are currently having 20% off boots. Will let you know when they arrive...