Although I generally avoid Naturalizer boots because they favor wider calves, I took notice of their Naya Quail boot a few weeks ago. Naya is Naturalizer’s eco-friendly line and is quite a bit more expensive than regular Naturalizer shoes. The Naya Quail boot stood out to me because the expandable partial zipper in the back looked like it would accommodate smaller calves as well as bigger ones. They probably expect that most women will wear the boot unzipped to expose the sweater lining, but I wondered whether zipping it up completely could mean a more snug fit on the calf. One aspect of Naturalizer’s website that I really appreciate is the Q&A option, where you can ask about topics that aren’t mentioned in the product description. They state that the circumference for a size 6 is 14.5”, with an additional 3/16” for each additional half-size up. I hoped that this referred to the unzipped circumference and tried my luck.
Fit and function - I ordered the Bordo color, which is a lovely dark red-brown much like the picture on the Naturalizer website. My true size 6 fit best. A 6.5 was too roomy even with socks. Plus, I doubt I’ll have to wear thick socks with these since their entirely leather shaft means they’ll be pretty warm. I’m 5’2” (hence the blog’s title!) and the shoes hit about 2” below my knee. The leather is very soft but the boots do stay up pretty well, aside from the unfortunate wrinkling around my ankle. They’re also very comfortable, which is pretty great given the 3” heel. The shoe is a little noisy because of the buckle, but I suspect that will be less of a problem for those with slightly bigger calves, since the buckle doesn’t rest snugly on mine.
In addition to Naturalizer, the boots are also available at Endless
, Amazon
, Zappos, Planet Shoes, Shoebuy, and Piperlime.
The result - I’m very happy! Although the fit isn’t perfect, it’s pretty good, and certainly the best fit I’ve experienced in a long time given that I have a 12” calf. I think this boot would be wonderful for those of you with 13-14” calves. My one major annoyance is that there is quite a bit of gaping for me in the ankle. Of course, I have very slim ankles (6”circumference) so I hope this isn’t an issue for most of you. But honestly, I do wish that companies would realize that women with slim calves probably also have slim ankles, and craft their boots to accommodate that. I might consider taking the boots to a cobbler if I can find a trustworthy one, to explore whether the ankles can be taken in.
Naturalizer Naya Quail in Bordo
Fit and function - I ordered the Bordo color, which is a lovely dark red-brown much like the picture on the Naturalizer website. My true size 6 fit best. A 6.5 was too roomy even with socks. Plus, I doubt I’ll have to wear thick socks with these since their entirely leather shaft means they’ll be pretty warm. I’m 5’2” (hence the blog’s title!) and the shoes hit about 2” below my knee. The leather is very soft but the boots do stay up pretty well, aside from the unfortunate wrinkling around my ankle. They’re also very comfortable, which is pretty great given the 3” heel. The shoe is a little noisy because of the buckle, but I suspect that will be less of a problem for those with slightly bigger calves, since the buckle doesn’t rest snugly on mine.
In addition to Naturalizer, the boots are also available at Endless
, Amazon, Zappos, Planet Shoes, Shoebuy, and Piperlime. I hope this helps! Feel free to add your comments if you have this boot or if you have any questions for me!
Little Contessa
Thanks so much for your blog. I have skinny legs also. I am in love with these quail boots. I'm gonna wait and hope i can catch a good sale during the holiday season. I also have small ankles. I usually wrap one of mu husbands socks around my ankle to take up some space. Thanks again for the blog.
ReplyDeleteI have 13" calves and 9" ankles. Since one is soft tissue and the other is mostly bone, there's probably a lot of variation in relative sizes.
ReplyDeleteHi! I am considering buying these, however, I have a relatively large calf, probably more like 15". Do you think these will be way to narrow for me?
ReplyDelete@heidsHi heids! I measured the calf of my boot unzipped (stretched out) and it was about 14" even. I'm a size 6 and the Naturalizer website says to add 3/16" for each additional half-size. So it depends what shoe size you are. If you're a 6-7, then I don't think it would work. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your help! Once I can find my measuring tape (I just moved) maybe I'll revisit it and order through Piperlime since I can return for free I they don't fit.
ReplyDelete@heidsHi again! If you decide on the shoe today, Naturalizer is having a 25% off sale plus free shipping. The downside is they don't have free returns so if you're not close to a store, it's a gamble.
ReplyDeleteI've also noticed that the smaller your foot, the smaller the calf size on some boots so I'm curious what size you tried on because I'm a 12.5 calf with a 8.5 foot.
ReplyDelete@Daniigirll I'm a size 6 (that's the size of the boot in the picture). The Naturalizer website says to add 3/16" for each additional half-size. So an 8.5 would be almost one inch larger in circumference than the size 6. It might be doable but I think the width of the full shaft and the ankles might be a bit wide. Hopefully you can try them on in person to get an idea of the fit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review of these boots!
ReplyDeleteI've purchased these boots last year when they were the latest fashion. Although I have, what I would call, an athletic calf, these were a perfect fit for me. I've had trouble with many Naya tall boots, but have no complaints as far as my calf fitting into these boots. However, for me, the heel height together with the lack of proper arch support was a killer for me. After only wearing the boots for 30 minutes, my toe and arch area were killing with excruciating pain. The pain was so sharp that it went right throughout my whole body. I was bitterly disappointed to say the least. I absolutely love the quality of Naya, but these were a bitter sweet disappointment for me.
ReplyDeleteHeard a lot about Naya... That was the time when there was boom of naya boots, whats its status today in this fashionable era??????
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for creating this blog! I was able to find the Naya Quail on ebay in an 8 1/2 narrow and it is the only boot that has ever hugged my calf! Love them!
ReplyDeleteThat's great! My Naya Quails still fit great (although they're too loose in the ankle) and I can't figure out why Naturalizer doesn't make similar options anymore. I did find that after one season, the boot heel felt very hard and it was challenging for me to wear them for long periods of time but that could also just be me not being used to wearing high heels :)
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