What constitutes a skinny ankle? - YouLookFab Forum

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What constitutes a skinny ankle?

April

Veteran

From years of YLF-guided boot shopping, I know what constitutes a skinny calf. If your calf is 14 or 15 inches, you'll do great with most boots. If you're above that, you might need to find a "wide calf" variation, and if you're below that, you're in for years of fruitless shopping and will pay through the nose for a properly-fitting boot.

But when it comes to booties, I have no frame of reference. I try to see who's modeling it in the Zappos video ("Hmm, she looks like a skinny ankle girl,") and hope for the best.

It would help if I had a range in mind. So what do you think? What is the ankle equivalent of the 14-15 inch calf?

General

15 replies

Latest reply was from Tina Fisk

Liz A.

Veteran

I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm pretty sure the girls talking in the Zappos videos are not the same girls modeling the footwear. I do love Zappos for the videos though! Sorry I can't help with your question.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I think it's really the spot above the ankle bone that is the skinniest. I'll measure mine if you like, because it is indeed, skinny in shoes. My calves are shy of 12.5" so I suffer with boot fit issues all around.

EDIT: around the ankle bones - 9", above the bones - 7.5".

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You soon know you have low volume ankles when your leg looks like a flower stem in a large pot when fitting on most styles of booties. And I wear a small foot size for my height to start off with - 5ft 6 with a size US 6.5 foot.

I have become very intolerant of booties that swim around my ankles.

April. I don't really know how to answer your question. Like Mo, I have 13 inch calves, so tall boots are hard to fit too. Although I find plenty of slim fit booties.

Anonymous

For science, I just measured.

I generally wear a 9.5/10 US in shoes, I am 5'7", my calves are 15.5" around, and my ankles around the ankle bones are 9.8", and just above are 9.44". So less than an inch difference between my ankles and Mo's around the ankle bone, but her upper ankle is definitely more slender than mine.

K. Period.

Veteran

Ha ha! Warning: Total thread jack ahead! I totally think the Zappos gals are the same most of the time when they model their shoes and talk about the shoes! They have different leg shapes that usually correspond with their body shape. Yasi here is a skinny little thing and has slim calves and wider ankles and Crystal here (Crystal is my favorite because she's built like me! She's slightly heavier, but has the same leg type, so I know when I see her that the boot is more likely to fit me!) has typical curvy legs with thinner ankles.

I'm not sure what qualifies as slim ankles. I don't normally have problems, so I must be within a pretty typical range. I do feel like Stuart Weitzman fit a little smaller and leaner through the ankles than most.

Diana

Veteran

I have 15" calves and 7.5" inch ankles (the left one sometimes measures 8" depending on how bad the residual swelling from my old sprains is). There's very little difference between my ankle bones and right above. I wear a US 7.5-8M shoe and I am a little less than 5'4".

I think I have borderline wide calves and very narrow ankles, and my boot fit issues bear this out. Let me tell you that NOBODY makes boots that are twice as big in the calf as the ankle. The ankle thing is made worse by the fact that I have shallow insteps and narrow heels, so there's often also extra room in the foot area of the boot.

ETA: Flowerpot picture. =P

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Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

My ankles are wide. At the ankle bone, they measure 9.5" and just above the ankle bone, they are 9". And then an inch or less above that, 9.5" again.

I think that the length of the "ankle" might be key in fitting booties. I have hardly any length/space before my calves begin, so I usually don't have the flower pot effect. I like boots and booties that have a little taper at the ankle, because they seem to give the illusion that there might be an ankle under there somewhere!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

My calves are just slightly on the narrow side at 13.5. But they are also shorter than average -- which for me creates a much bigger fit problem. (I could probably get away with 14 inch circumference boots if they fit my calf in the right places...but most don't.) So it's complicated.

I think my ankles may be slightly on the narrow side as well, but it hasn't been much of an issue with booties. One trick -- buy the ones with elastic goring for a smoother fit (or similar, like the leather and neoprene Zara booties that Angie, I, Susie, and Shevia got this year...). Or booties that zip up rather than slip on.

catgirl

Veteran

Suz, what do you mean by shorter? Proportionate to your body or just from knee to foot? I want measurements because I so can't see the difference between your legs and mine....

Anonymous

I have 13.25" calves and 8" ankles just above ankle bone.

April

Veteran

Okay, I'm getting the idea that I have skinny ankles in addition to skinny calves. 12" calves and 7" ankles just above the bone.

(No wonder my average-sized thighs look a little thundery in contrast.)

Diana, good heavens! I thought my boot-fitting issues were significant. I can only imagine what you've gone through.

Anyway, I'm thinking getting a rare pair of heels. (Those of you who run around all day in 4" pumps are no doubt chuckling, but in my world these are heels.)

http://www.zappos.com/rockport.....lack-suede

http://www.zappos.com/vaneli-l.....sims_sdp_1

Seems like the 10" Vanelis may be the better choice in terms of avoiding the FPE. (New abbreviation alert! FPE = Flower Pot Effect.)

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I commiserate on the thighs seeming out of proportion with the thin lower leg, by the way 21" in comparison. boo. Love the FPE tag!

Jewell

Veteran

A little late to respond- I opened this thread on my phone the other day and forgot to come back to it.

Well April, I will be on the lookout for your boot and bootie purchases. My ankles are 7" too and my calves are just under 12" so I find shopping for these items extremely frustrating.

Gigi

Veteran

April, we are very similar. My calves are 11.5", and my ankles (above the bone) are 7.25". I just returned a pair of booties to Nordie's because of the FPE (I love that abbreviation!). I'll be watching your purchases too.

Tina Fisk

Member

My ankles are actually larger, even though I'm petite which is odd if you start to analyze it :). I prefer to wear boots or shoes that accentuate my toned legs vs my calves, going with a stylish boot has worked for me.