Do your tall black boots look gigantic? - YouLookFab Forum

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Do your tall black boots look gigantic?

Quietgirl

Veteran

I have large feet....10 Wide. Of course, I have height to go with those feet.

I have a pair of black boots, rounded toe. no heel. They would be considered tall but not knee high. ( I don't wear heels or pointy- toe shoes because of foot issues.)

These boots make me feel so "foot-conscious". I feel like I am wearing combat boots. My brown ones are not as bad because they look like a pair of Frye boots. Still, l feel "clompy" in them.

My daughter loves her boots and her foot is the same size as mine! What am I missing? Is there a solution to my large boot problem?

Shopping

25 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

rute

Veteran

I say wear it with pride!
Sometimes we are too conscious of problems that are not that important!

April

Veteran

Any tall boot that fits my narrow calves makes my (size 7) feet look like canoes. It's a proportion thing.

Since it can't be helped, I just say, "Oh, well."

Neel

Veteran

Are they sleek or stompy? Patent leather? These could affect the way they feel and look? I find tall boots enormous on me too. But the ones I tried weren't sleek enough. I am still on the hunt.

Quietgirl

Veteran

They are not sleek, Neel. I would say stompy. Would patent be sleeker in your mind?

Neel

Veteran

I think so quietgirl. The shiny leather just feels more polished in my head. I wonder if it would look too blingy though.

Anonymous

I always think a slight heel that angles the foot adds to the effect of making shoes look smaller due to the fore-shortening effect. Could you manage a bit of a heel? Even if it's less than 2"

Aquamarine

Veteran

Agree with Diane...a slight heel will make your foot look a bit smaller. Completely flat shoes just elongate the foot to my eye...one of the reasons I do not like converse or any flat sneaker.

A sleeker boot style will also help, but that might not be what you want in a boot.

Diana

Veteran

Some suggestions:
-a small heel as mentioned above
-a slight point or almond toe - the taper really helps visually shorten the foot
-some sort of horizontal detailing on the foot, like lacing or brogue/wingtip designs.

Quietgirl

Veteran

Diana- horizontal detailing would be good.

Aquamarine - what is sleek to you?

DianeG- probably 1.5" would be max

Neel- I did wonder about bling with a patent boot-especially with a size 10 LOL!

April- rute: The boot just feels sloppy. Maybe I need to focus more on fit than on price!

Laura

Quietgirl, first off, I should say that I envy you. Being tall means that you can wear all sorts of clothing and look awesome! That is why most designers choose very tall women to be super models. Tall boots look really really good on tall women. I myself love to wear tall boots but I am only moderately tall. If you are afraid of them looking too big, get boots with embellishments, like a buckle and find ones that have a bit of a wedge heel on them to offset the horizontal length. I find wedges are much easier to walk in then high heels yet they still give a bit of a lift.

JAileen

Veteran

I wear size 10, too. Unfortunately, I'm not as tall as that might suggest. I'm very careful in picking my shoes so my feet don't look big. I'm pretty successful - most people don't believe me when I tell them my size. I've had big feet forever. I wore size 7 in third grade. When I was very young, it seemed only freaks had such big feet. Now, lots and lots of people do. Of course, most if them are taller than me.

Here's a great article about "owning" your big feet:

http://www.manrepeller.com/201.....-feet.html

Desmo April

(website)

Veteran

I wear a 10 as well, with the addition of a wide calf. On their own my boots do look big but when I'm wearing them they are proportional to my body. As long as they fit well and aren't gaping and slouching I'm guessing they look fine.

Some boots will look and feel bigger than others. I LOVE my combat boots, they are black with a relatively sleek toe shape and sole; I think they look great. Put me in a traditional pair of Timberland workboots and I feel like a clown. The lighter color with the thick sole and bigger toe box combine to make my feet look huge. I know my examples aren't tall boots but most people have a visual reference for them.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

Having a heel that angles forward even a small one makes a big difference in the perception of show size. I wear an 8.5 and had a pair of boots that a friend thought were a 6. They had a 2" heel that was narrower at the bottom and angled forward from the bottom of the boot to the ground.

I am not sure of your age, but I am early 50s and when I grew up, being petite was considered more in fashion than being taller/bigger so I too was self conscious of my feet since all my tiny friends wore size 6 -7. Some of these childhood insecurities stay with us for a long time.

bj1111

Veteran

i could suggest other body parts to be conscious of, rather than feet. who looks down there anyway? have you ever looked at some and said, "wow those are some big feet?" --well on a woman anyway.

now manhands...thats a real problem!

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Reading about your woes with size 10 I am laughing out loud right now looking at my size 12 feet! I would LOVE to have your problems!
Seriously though I find that the shape of the shoe is the most important for me to feel good. I love my flat cream oxfords even though they do nothing to reduce the visible size of my feet. However they are so refined with thier almond toe and wingtip detailing that they look good anyway (at least to my eye and this is the most important thing)
And here we come to the most important point - it is not as much how they look but how you feel. I was always self-consious about my big feet. Lately I made more peace with them but still was not happy - until I saw an ad picture with Ines F. weqaring flat shoes which looked very big and still beautiful. That was a light bulb moment for me - I don't care that much anymore.

On the other hand I have tried slip on shoes and could not stand them AT ALL! They made my feet look huge and shapeless and did not have the refine factor I really like now.

L'Abeille

Veteran

11 wide here.

I think a lot of our perception of clunkiness comes from the perspective of looking down on our own feet sticking out. You don't have that view of anyone else's feet to compare with. More important I think is to look in a full length mirror and make sure the proportion of the entire outfit works -- sometimes you need to change the position of the hemline (either up or down) and then it looks right.

Your feet are probably in perfect proportion to your height. I am only moderately tall (5'7") and I wear mostly lower heels and rounder toes, And people are astonished when I tell them my shoe size. And sometimes I see tiny-footed women in really small shoes and wonder how they don't fall over!

The only "rule" I pay attention to any more is, no T strap shoes--they really do make my feet look longer. And I won't wear pointed toe shoes with a long tip unpopulated by actual foot; why would I want my footprint to be any longer than my foot? But I have no problem with wearing white or red shoes (today I am wearing red round-toe ballet flats, and black ankle pants so you can't miss them).

I think some of those old rules for flattery seem so quaint and Victorian--eg assuming we all want to look like we have tiny feet and hands and little hourglass waists. I used to be self conscious but what is the point? I found the David Kibbe analysis and categories very freeing -- with my big-boned features I used to feel it made me clumsy and awkward, but embracing my shape "Flamboyant or Yang Natural" has led to silhouettes that flatter, and that make me look more, not less, feminine -- most of the supermodels share that shape (well not my apple tummy). I will never look like Audrey hepburn (gamine), but I can aim for Katherine.

rachylou

Veteran

I wear size 10 too, and don't have the height to go with. I have noticed a few things:

1. White boots are even worse. Giganto things at the end of my ankles.
2. The current mantra I'm working is *Country Punk*, but I look terrible in Doc Martens. I'm either too girly for them, or it makes for too much boy.
3. Maybe both styles would work better if I were pixie-like, slighter of frame - then you'd have stylish juxtaposition. Or more sturdy, in which case there'd be a match. But I'm simply medium.

Quietgirl

Veteran

Now I am laughing with the other girls who wear large size shoes! Maybe it is all in my head. And maybe this needs to be the one item that I invest time to "shop it!"

L'Abeille- Yes, I wear those red flats with black pants. You are right,. I don't look straight down on anyone else's feet! I do tend to think of Audrey Hepburn, not Kathrine, as a style icon so the boots do look a little clunky on me. So maybe I need to watch proportion.

Dianthus, I will start looking for that heel

Sveta- Full length mirror, check! My daughter above ALWAYS uses it!

bj1111- Very good! No man hands here! Thanks for the laugh!

JAileen- thanks for the link! I can't wait to read.

Laura- you are right. I rarely have to worry, "will this fit, will it look good?" It usually does. I guess I am spoiled and will have to spend more time looking for these boots.

Desmo April- good point about Timberlands! Yes, the boots probably are proportional to my body. I just don't SEE it.

L'Abeille

Veteran

I just read JAileen's link. Audrey Hepburn wore size 10.5. Who knew? (And where on earth did she find them?)

Runcarla

Veteran

9.5 and I need the lower heel for foot comfort. I'm medium tall at 5 ft 7.5' but basically I just stomp with pride!

Anonymous

I think a round toe boot, especially if it has a bit of a hump over the toes make my feet (size 11, sometimes need a 12) look much bigger than they are. Like aquamarine, that's why I stay away from converse...that big white toe makes me look like I have clown feet.

I agree that some boots look more sleek on the foot, but I'm not sure that makes them look that way. Maybe an almond toe?

I have a pair of boots that are a little clompy-looking with a chunky heel, but I love to wear them anyway. I'm much more self-conciuos of my other "too big" body parts.

Runcarla

Veteran

*sorry* double post

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Also size 10 feet. I wear ALL sorts of footwear. I have a firm grip on terra firma.

Style Fan

Veteran

I don't think I have ever looked at any person's feet and thought that they were big (or small). I don't actually check out people's feet. I do look at footwear. In yoga class occasionally I notice the colour of someone's polish or a tattoo.

Gigi

Veteran

I wonder if it's just this particular pair of boots? Sometimes small tweaks in design can make a boot look larger or smaller. I would go to some large shoe stores and try on different styles to see how they look on your feet. Then maybe you will get an idea of whether a particular design (e.g., pointier toe) would look better than your current pair.