I would like your opinion on dressy boots - YouLookFab Forum

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I would like your opinion on dressy boots

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I want to wear my skirts and dresses in winter but I found that I don't really feel them with my flat riding boots: I need low heel dressy boots for them.
Unfortunately I have been looking for dressy boots forever without success because:
- I want low heel - 2.5" or lower;
- They need to be waterproof;
- the sole has to be slip resistant and at least 1/3" in thickness
If these conditions are not met I won't be able to wear them in out winters!
In addition I need size 12 which really comes in extremely limited selection.
Now you know why I could not find this HEWI in 4 years!
Anyway I popped into LTS store today and found that they have some Blondo boots in the new arrivals - and one pair was fitting my criteria (see pic 1).
I tried them on and they were comfy and good height for me. I liked how they look as well, my only reservation was that they were 0.5" loose on my calf. However because of the shape of the top it was not very noticeable - I think.

Anyway, they are a strong contender. I will take pictures in them as well, However now I did some online search and found the same model in leather (pic 2). Both are waterproof but which one looks dressier?
I also found a couple of other Blondo dressier boots on Amazon:
- Evelyn - available in dark brown only;
- Daisy - in black and brown.
There are also a couple of other options in Nordstrom; however I am not sure how winter-proof they are:
- Clarks Cardy
- Earth Rider
- Trotter Signature posh - well this one looks not winter-proof to me...

So style wise which would be your preference for dressy boots for me?
And if you saw Earth or Clarks models or have experience with the brand - how winterproof they are (we are talking mild days of winter with several inches ( not feet )of snow on the ground and temps to - 10 C).
Thanks!

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Blondo Women's Evelyn Knee-High Boot

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Blondo Women's Daisy Knee-High Boot

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Earth 'Rider' Stretch Tall Boot (Women)

$189.95 $129.90

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Trotters 'Signature Posh' Boot (Women)

$274.95 $164.96

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15 replies

Latest reply was from Sveta

Aubergine

Veteran

I completely sympathize on the annoyance of finding dressy boots that work! I can't get through winter without them, and they're a pain for me to find too since I also want a low-ish walkable heel and I have analogous fit/size issues, only they involve being short instead of tall. So it's probably not a surprise that I've held onto two different colors of a style that looks frumpier to me with each passing year just because they at least work on me.

Anyway, my first instinct is that I like the Blondo Daisys and the Trotters best because they look the cleanest and most refined. But I think any of them would work if they're the one that fits you best. My least favorite is the Earths because I'm not crazy about the hardware, but that may just be me. For the ones you tried on in person, I think I like the suede better because it adds a little more interest and texture, but I'm not sure which is dressier.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

Of the Blondos, the Daisy are better. I don't like the ruching on the front of the others. I wouldn't count on anything being weatherproof unless it's definitely presented that way. It has been a long time since I had Clark's booties, but the pair I had definitely let water in.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What Aubergine and Ummlila said. I like the Daisys (assuming a fit) and would worry about the weather proofness of the others, although I still think they may be worth trying on, given the serious fit issues and the type of days you would wear them. It is not as if you would be tromping through snow banks and you can always spray/ wax them.

Actually, the more I think about it, considering their purpose, fit and looks might even trump impermeability.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Thank you. Looking at the measurements I think Daisy may be too wide on the top for me. I am not sure if the back elastic can betaken in by the cobbler...
Suz, they need to be waterproof and have a thicker sole or my feet would freeze in them even getting from the car to work. I have well fitting dressy boots and cannot wear them at all when the ground freezing because the sole is too thin for my feet and they get cold very quickly.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

II prefer leather over suede for a dressy look. like the looks of the Trotters best--I like the simplicity and refined look of them. The leather looks shiniest in these, though perhaps that's just photography. Of the Blondos, I like the Daisy best. Any of these choices look like they would meet your needs, style-wise, though, Sveta. I would think leather would work for the requirements you pose--polished, it will hold up to the mildly wet conditions you describe.

Gigi

Veteran

Practically speaking, I would nix the Trotters because the heel does not have much surface contact with the ground. When it gets just a little icy out, that can be really dangerous. I think you need a more substantial heel.

I don't know about how warm the Earth Rider would be. I was in Macy's the other day looking at their boots, and I picked up a pair (I think by Michael Kors? can't remember) that had the stretchy back panel. Well, that panel was THIN. I remembered thinking to myself that if I had bought a pair of boots like that to wear in the winter, I would freeze to death. So that might be something to find out before ordering those: how thick is that panel?

I think that I would go for a shiny leather rather than suede because it's much easier to wipe leather off when it gets wet or salty or dirty. I think that over time, dirt might accumulate on suede and be difficult to remove.

One last consideration has to do with the material of the heel. Stacked heels look like glued-together pieces of wood but really aren't—it's really a very thin leather wrapping around usually plastic, I think, and that leather wrapping has very fine striations in it to make it look like wood. Then the leather is buffed to a high shine, which further makes the heel look like wood. (Maybe other people know this already, but I didn't, and when my cobbler told me, I was incredulous and forced him to prove it!) Anyhow, this thin leather is very difficult to maintain when it repeatedly gets wet, regardless of whether the boot is touted as weatherproof, and the leather heel covering will get cracked and dried out and faded (that's what happened to my Aquatalia Rhumba boots after I wore them out in the snow maybe five times...and it wasn't even like I was stepping in snowbanks—just a couple of inches of snow here and there!). My cobbler told me that he wouldn't recommend anyone wear such a leather-wrapped heel in snowy or wet winter conditions. I think if you do wear that kind of heel in a wet environment, you will have to wipe it off right away, before it dries, and be conditioning it extremely often.

Anyway, now I've probably made you not want to buy boots! Based on my novella above, I would say that the Clarks is probably the only one that would fit all the practical points, because both the Blondos look like they have a stacked heel. From what I can see in the pics, the Clarks looks to have a synthetic heel.

Feel free to tell me to go take a hike!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I'm so not knowledgeable about tall boots! Still, the Blondo Evelyns are my favorites.

frannieb

Veteran

You can't go wrong with Blondo's I have a pair that are 3 years old they are a great winter tall boot. When I purged all my tall boots they are the only pair that stayed.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I vote Daisy and Trotters. xo

Eliza

Veteran

Sveta- I get this dilemma. There are a lot of competing demands here and each variable is both mission critical and hard to achieve. I have to forego even my 2- 2 1/2" heels due to injury and of course, have 3 weddings and an unusual amount of more formal events to complicate things this year. I have given how to get dressier in spite this some thought.

On a completely different note, are there flat boots that have a dressier, more current, less equestrian vibe? Perhaps with a pointed/pointier toe and rich, sleek leather? I can't help but wonder in this year of the low heel or flat shoe there might be options that didn't exist previously. I think even low heels forfeit stability and though I know there is really no substitute for the leg-lengthening properties of heels, you have that base covered beautifully. I'll post if I see any of these as I have yet to look.

Zibbets

Veteran

The Blondos and the Trotters are both lovely. I think the stacked heel on the Blondos will hold up better than the covered heel of the Trotters. Perhaps you are more careful than I am, but I have had sad luck with boots that have a covered heel. I ruined one pair walking across a grate and another on steps.

ETA: I realized I wasn't specific enough. Blondo Daisy!

lyn67

Veteran

Great shape and style for dressy boots in your posted nr 1-2 picties, aka Blondo). I always preffer suede for dressy boots, they seem more elegant to my eyes, for a matter, but that is my only private, nonexpert 2 cents.

Laura

Sveta, I am just like you! I love to wear my winterized skirts and sweater dressed in the winter as well, and like you, I need several pairs of dressy boots to go with my dresses.

Of all the boots you posted, I like the "Earth Rider" the best. You asked which pair looks the most dressy and to me, that pair seems to fit the description the best

I noticed that you took the wise choice of choosing low block heel boots. Have you ever consider going with a wedge heel boot? I have a pair of knee high wedge heel boots that I have already been wearing regularly for the past few weeks and they are super comfortable! I have even tried them in ice and snow because as a marine biologist, when I go into puffin or penguin habitats, it is cold and ice is common there.

Do you wear your dress boots at work all day? ..... I know some of my co-workers, wear riding boots to work and change into boots with a much higher heel when inside the office.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I have no idea if they go big enough for you, but do you have access to anywhere that sells Valdini boots? I just got a high pair of black suede, with low heels. They are very dressy, and totally winterized. I got higher heels a couple of years ago by them and really love them. A local store here has them in several styles, they are lovely.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Thank you for your help!
I decided to skip Trotters - they are dressy but not for our winters and this is really what I need these boots for. I like how they look but I ma being practical here!:-)
Gigi, you just confirmed that buying tall boots is a pain and not just for me
My Blondo flat boots have this stacked heel too: the last 1/4" got scuffed after 2 years but the rest of the heel is fine. Maybe Blondo has them waterproof as well?
Eliza, I do have a pair of flat riding boots and love them but not with midi skirts. This is why I want dressy boots with a low heel - to wear with midi skirts.
Laura, I would consider wedge too but all that was available was higher than I would like - maybe another time?
Elizabeth, thanks for the tip on Valdini, they look lovely. Unfortunately I was not able to find them in my size anywhere