Since this conversation I’ve thought through what kind and color of otk boots I want. Going through my closet and my shoe rack, I note that I have 3 pairs of tall dark boots already—2 black, 1 chestnut brown. More of that isn’t what I need. Thinking through the outfits I want to make, I realize that thigh-high, not simply the front piece that’s a little taller than the back, is what I want. And having seen cherry red and midnight blue versions, and thinking things through, I want green. Not sage or olive, which look sickly on me, not yellowish grass-green. Not pale mint or bluish petrol. I want green, green, green. The green equivalent of navy blue, or something a little brighter, but not as bright as Christmas green.

Looking at the prices on the ones I saw in stores, though not in my size or color, I’m convinced they must exist somewhere at a test-drive kind of price, but where? I’ve checked yoox, zalando, lyst, missguided, nasty gal, berschka, esprit, H&M and Zara, some of them multiple times. I might be just a little obsessed.

Can anyone spare some time to put their google-fu to work to conjure up these boots for me?

Here is an example of what I’m looking for in a different color, but the style, heel height and price are right. https://www.zalando.de/nly-by-.....b-q11.html

These might work, but they are a little darker than I want, and the price is way too high. https://www.zalando.de/mjus-ov.....lsrc=aw.ds

These would be great, except for the heels. I plan to wear them with short skirts, so they need to be flat. https://www.eschuhe.de/overkne.....lsrc=aw.ds

I’ve seen some (not green) for 12-15€. They’re basically novelty items. That would be perfect for this little experiment.

Can you find some in a different color that you could dye?

Nemosmom, I like that idea! I suppose that would mean finding some in a light color. I haven’t seen white or cream, but looking for them should at least triple my chances. Are there charts that would help me figure out the right dye?

Nemosmom, thanks!

Angie, my comment at the top of page 2 summarizes what I learned from this thread until that point, and what I’ve decided I’d like to get.

FYI I think dying that amount of leather will be difficult to get it even. You might get a cobbler to dye it for you.
I don’t think you’re going to find exactly what you want in the current market. You might consider other options. Or used, deadstock etc ( eBay)

ETA, looking at the ones that are too expensive for you, I think that’s a decent price for the product.

I’m with annagybe on this. Seeing how long you hold onto things, don’t you deserve quality items? Especially footwear?

Annagybe, I *am* nervous about dying them—not sure I can calculate the colors correctly or get it even. You make an excellent point about fair prices as well. Considering I’ve scarcely bought a thing in two years because I’m concerned about equity, etc, I should pay attention to that.

Carla, also an excellent point about how long I hang onto things and the quality that requires. Thank you.

There are a couple pairs I’ve actually been toying with ordering from Amazon, which I don’t usually support, or electric blue from eBay. I’m not worried about the insole, because I have orthotics now too. But that won’t change the crafting of the rest of the boot, or the sourcing of materials and labor to go into them.

https://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/.....#038;psc=1

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Women.....-low-heel-

Then again, I bought my loafers for around $25 as an experiment and they became my #1 shoes, worn constantly for 2+ years. The uppers are stretched out, but the foundation, the shoes themselves, are still in good shape. I may pull them out today to wear with socks.

Looking from that direction, fabric boots with velvet uppers and simple rubber soles I can put the orthotics into don’t sound so bad.

Reasonable or am I making excuses? Somebody come back at me, please.

I personally have bad experiences with cheap shoes. I don’t understand how you could wear your 25$ loafers so many times and they haven’t yet fallen apart ;). I also find it easily shows: faux suede really does look faux to my eye. If you have no problem with that look, you could try the Amazon pair... are they returnable?

Btw I adore the MJUS pair but would be hesitant to pay that amount for suede. Then again I am pretty neurotic about my shoes (all but the most casual pairs) looking spotless.

Um, green velvet boots scream Christmas costume to me

Long or tall boots are really expensive - I got mine on sale three years ago and only have the one pair. Even a less expensive pair will still be pricey so I would go with a classic colour and style and look to other outfit components for the details and colours. I think green could work but I would lean to browns or tans or blacks for something like this.

Annagybe, very funny. I will have to be very careful about what shade of green! But cobalt blue would probably also work, and (as far as I know) has no elven connection.
Sal, that’s probably why so many of them are made only in those “safe” neutral colors. But Nuancedream’s dreamy colors really captured me—a color that is clearly in my palette would really make it clear these boots were mine. (Burgundy is in my wheelhouse, but ho hum, and could be harder to coordinate with various berry shades than green, which is a much more minor color but still very present in my wardrobe).
Liz, very interesting point about the quality of color/dye job!
Liesbeth, I think the longevity of those $25 loafers speaks more to the quality of the Call it Spring Brand than to anything else. Certainly it is very possible to get crap quality at that price (or at any price, but more likely when it’s so low). You are most likely correct about faux suede, which is why I said velvet—but then see Annagybe’s hilarious comment.

I’m being lazy today I was doing a mixture of style images for tall green boots and actual product
Found this, but it’s sold out
https://us.vestiairecollective.....abetta-fra

Honestly I feel what you want will be pretty limited in styling/mixing with your existing wardrobe
Have you ever tried on OTK or thigh/high boots? No matter the color, they are a statement in themselves, and this is from someone who had/has more than one pair.

Over your price point, but they customize. Marketed to Cosplay
https://www.etsy.com/listing/3.....ome_active

Some input on dying and creating a custom color (sorry, this is gonna be long!):

https://www.ritdye.com/color-formulas/

RIT does color charts that show the combinations of their basic dye colors, and proportions that you need, to achieve more custom shades. I mean, obviously, you're not going to use RIT dye on suede boots (!) BUT, dying a ratty old tee you were going to toss or donate, could be a very useful way to experiment with color and figure out what shade of green you really want, and how to get to that color, if you're starting with a boot color that isn't already on its way to the color you're after.

Let me give you an example: I once bought a light grey - almost silver - J Crew cotton pencil skirt at Goodwill. Beautiful, but not my color. I thought how much I really wanted a true violet-blue shade, but I didn't know how that dye would interact with the silvery color that was already there. So I found a raggedy old tee that was a similar grey to the skirt, cut it into pieces, and worked with RIT dye in shades of blue and purple, until I got the color that I wanted. Then I dyed the actual skirt, and the color was gorgeous. (and then I sold it on eBay because, as it turns out, I loved the color .... but not against my pasty white legs).

I have a pair of greenish/khaki nubuck bootie-pumps.... ("shooties"? I get lost in the lingo)... that I've been thinking about dying navy blue, but they have a fabric sock component that is also khaki. If I eventually try this, my plan is to thrift a garment in a similar shade, work out the RIT dye proportions to get to the navy I want, and then try to similarly mix leather dye for the shoes.

However... I agree that OTK boots are a big project to take on! I would search for a highly-reviewed cobbler in your area, and take dyed color samples of fabric you've worked on, so they can really see what it is you want.

Also, I think green is really only Christmas-sy if you're wearing red with it, or white faux fur, or both.

@Annagybe I am dying over how beautiful those Elisabetta Franchi boots are.... /sigh

A quick search on eBay yielded these. The prices look pretty good, but I don't know what the shipping costs would be to your location.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Women.....e-high-Boo

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Women.....uede-Shoes

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Women.....asual-Shoe

Annagybe, that first pair is interesting—too small for me, but I’m thinking them through. It’s hard to tell exactly how bright that green is, but I think I’d like them if it’s dark enough. The cosplay ones are labeled pirate boots and lok. like it, but I can’t figure out why. They don’t have the cuff that I thought would have me walking the plank.

Black is beyond ubiquitous in Berlin. If I had black boots, they’d basically disappear. Dark green (or maybe cobalt) would coordinate with a lot of things in my closet. The blue would be more of a problem, because it would match. If I tried them with this sheath, I’d feel like The Blue Grimace, lol (but I wouldn’t think any color thigh highs would work with that dress—OTKs might, idk)

Some of the things I think they’d work with are in these finds and pix. I’m especially thinking the botanical print, 4th from left in the pic here but really any of the neutral/patterned skirts in this post https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....-inventory The wIw photos aren’t all exact outfits I’d add the boots to (some are) but more items I think would work well with them. Based on having worn them, do you think that’s realistic?

I’ve tried to try on a couple pairs in stores, but they were too small. You might be right that it’d be too much “look”. That takes me back to wanting to try an inexpensive pair first.

Honestly this is what comes to mind in your search

Speed will definitely not be part of this search! Needing the lower price means taking even more time than if I was only thinking about the boots themselves.