A thoughtful reader -- I'll call her M -- wrote to me recently about her experiences searching for narrow-calf boots. I found her advice and reviews so informative that I asked if I could modify her email into its own post (I added additional product links when I could find them). It's quite a long post, but chock-full of useful information. Thanks M for being so incredibly helpful!
Hi Little Contessa,
I'm one of your blog followers and I wanted to let you know that I've had some success with Coclico boots for my narrow calves (they measure just a touch over 12 inches). I recently tried on a few pairs of these boots. Unfortunately, this brand is expensive and not as widely available but they sometimes appear on sale on eBay or flash sale sites.
1. Coclico Frost - These are not a perfectly snug fit but they are contoured enough to the leg that they don't look sloppy. I'm 5'3" and have short legs in general, so I expect the gap at the top would be smaller if I were a little taller. These run a little small. I sized up from my normal size of 6.5.
2. Coclico Danann - I tried on these boots but couldn't find a link to them on sale any longer. These fit very, very snugly on my calf. They were great in that regard. Even though the Danann appears unavailable, the Coclico Ramona ($535) looks like the most recent season's version of the same boot, so I think they may fit similarly.
3. Coclico Miller ($300) - These weren't as snug. They looked pretty fine with jeans, but I wanted to be able to wear them with tights as well, and the gap was too obvious with tights or leggings.
Also, you might look into boots by Blondo. I tried on two pairs from that brand and was pleased with the quality. I think they might be comparable to La Canadienne in a lot of ways. Unlike Coclico, Blondo seems to offer waterproof leather and rugged rubber soles that provide better traction. Although they're still expensive, they are definitely cheaper than Coclico and seem to go on sale at far greater discounts.
4. Blondo Pasadena - I found this boot on sale in a dark brown and although I was looking for boots in a different color, I kept these because they fit so well and the quality was so great. They'll come out in the worst of the winter weather because they're pretty sturdy. In fact, if I ever find them on sale in black, I'd be sorely tempted to purchase another pair. I sized up by a half size and find them quite comfortable. [Also available at Amazon, Nordstrom].
5. Blondo Paulina ($180-$240)- I tried on these boots and they were gorgeous. The color was exactly what I wanted, but the goring at the top of the shaft made the boot "kick out" at the top, if that makes any sense, and leave a really awkward looking gap. That being said, I think these could be perfect for someone either a little taller or with slightly larger calves (or both). Also available at Amazon, Nordstrom, Shoes.com]
6. Coclico Windy Boots ($558) - After receiving M's email, I (Little Contessa) spent some time myself looking for Coclico boots online and came across their black Windy boots, which are listed as having a 13" circumference. I found one pair in a size 36 Euro at Anthropologie, where one of the reviewers said a 39 Euro fit her 12" calves perfectly and attached a pic (scroll down the Anthro product page to see the review). They are also available at Shopbop, Coclico, and other online vendors that I'm less familiar with. I'm planning to visit NYC in a couple of weeks and will try to visit the Coclico B&M store and let you all know what I find.
Thanks for staying with me through this long post and thanks again to M!
Until next time,
Little Contessa
Hi Little Contessa,
I'm one of your blog followers and I wanted to let you know that I've had some success with Coclico boots for my narrow calves (they measure just a touch over 12 inches). I recently tried on a few pairs of these boots. Unfortunately, this brand is expensive and not as widely available but they sometimes appear on sale on eBay or flash sale sites.
1. Coclico Frost - These are not a perfectly snug fit but they are contoured enough to the leg that they don't look sloppy. I'm 5'3" and have short legs in general, so I expect the gap at the top would be smaller if I were a little taller. These run a little small. I sized up from my normal size of 6.5.
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| Coclico Frost ($260) |
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| Coclico Danann |
Also, you might look into boots by Blondo. I tried on two pairs from that brand and was pleased with the quality. I think they might be comparable to La Canadienne in a lot of ways. Unlike Coclico, Blondo seems to offer waterproof leather and rugged rubber soles that provide better traction. Although they're still expensive, they are definitely cheaper than Coclico and seem to go on sale at far greater discounts.
4. Blondo Pasadena - I found this boot on sale in a dark brown and although I was looking for boots in a different color, I kept these because they fit so well and the quality was so great. They'll come out in the worst of the winter weather because they're pretty sturdy. In fact, if I ever find them on sale in black, I'd be sorely tempted to purchase another pair. I sized up by a half size and find them quite comfortable. [Also available at Amazon, Nordstrom].
 |
| Blondo Pasadena ($216) |
6. Coclico Windy Boots ($558) - After receiving M's email, I (Little Contessa) spent some time myself looking for Coclico boots online and came across their black Windy boots, which are listed as having a 13" circumference. I found one pair in a size 36 Euro at Anthropologie, where one of the reviewers said a 39 Euro fit her 12" calves perfectly and attached a pic (scroll down the Anthro product page to see the review). They are also available at Shopbop, Coclico, and other online vendors that I'm less familiar with. I'm planning to visit NYC in a couple of weeks and will try to visit the Coclico B&M store and let you all know what I find.
Thanks for staying with me through this long post and thanks again to M!
Until next time,
Little Contessa
OMG I cannot thank you enough. I just ordered the Blondo Pasadena boots and cannot wait to get them. You have no idea (oh yes you most likely do LOL) how many boots I have ordered, tried on, returned and these look like they'll work AND they're waterproof. Great site and thanks again
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie - I'm so glad! But really, kudos to M for her detective work. Feel free to drop a line about how the Blondo Pasadena boots fit. I'm sure others would love to know. Perhaps I need to figure out how to allow commenters to post pics. I TOTALLY understand about the endless ordering/returning. I go through quite a few rolls of packing tape during the winter months :) Soo thankful for free shipping & returns!
DeleteThanks M and LC for this post! I have heard great things about both those brands but never any detailed firsthand (or secondhand) reviews - this is fantastic! I think the $150-300 price point is probably minimum for a good quality, comfy, slim fitting boot, and look forward to hearing more about these lines in future blogs!
ReplyDeleteAs another option, I recently tried on the Timberland Stratham Heights knee high boots and they fit well - my calf is 12" and it wasn't skin tight but fit well with jeans tucked in. I passed because it is a high heeled boot (although very comfy!) but has that rugged look that doesn't totally go together... I think the casual look of the boot would be perfect with jeans tucked in though. http://shop.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11618420
Another line to look into is Aquatalia by Marvin K - reg price is $400-700, but often sales put it in the $250-400 price range. The (discontinued) Rapid boot has a 12" calf which fit me very well, but the shaft height was 16.5" - was a bit too tall and still baggy in the ankles. For the price I paid for the boot I didn't want to risk taking it to the cobbler for shortening of the calf. Back to the store they went. Here's a post with someone else wearing them: http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/woo-hoo-patience-is-rewarded-i-finally-found-my-perfect-boots
Aquatalia seems to appear regularly on Nordstrom's narrow calf boot listing and I think you're right about being able to find them on sale somewhere. I liked the Timberland boots and I wonder if they're a good option for those of us with 13-13.5" to wear with skirts. What's your size? If they were flats, they'd be such a good riding boot option!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks to you recommending the Blondo Pasadena Boots and posted a picture of it, I went ahead and order one for me as well, after two weeks of thinking should I or shouldn't I order. ^^
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I got the boots and it fits!!! I was surprised that it would fit my calves so well so thank you for doing this blog. :)
Here's my measurement, I'm 5'0 feet tall, my calves are 12.5", and bought a size 6 shoes. I'm a true 5.5 but reading that you went a size up, so I size up as well, and thank goodness I did. Although, it still feel a bit tight for my feet so hopefully it will stretch out with time as I wear it more often. So this boots will definitely fits narrow calves, and if you have a medium or wide feet, it would be wise to size up 1/2 or a whole size so it won't pinch your feet. :) Mine's medium and it feels a bit tight.
Thanks for recommending the Blondo Pasadena, especially the picture posted. I just ordered a pair from Nordstrom and am looking forward to getting them. I'm typically a size 7.5 with 13" calves but ordered an 8. Hopefully they'll be perfect. I'm so tired of looking for boots that fit snug. These are expensive but if they fit, the price will be worth it
ReplyDeleteYou ladies are really making me covet the Blondo Pasadena! I'm so glad they worked for you. I might cave and order them as well but since I'm a size 6 and 12" calf, I'm worried they'll be too bit still in the calf. I'm considering the black suede as a birthday present :)
DeleteUpdate- I just got the boots today and was a little skeptical that they'd fit. To my surprise, they were perfect! And super comfortable. They fit my skinny calves perfectly and can also fit my pair of skinny jeans into them easily. Love these boots!
DeleteI'd suggest buy them and try them out. Even though expensive, if they fit, you won't regret it. Otherwise you can always return it to the store. I found them cheapest on Nordstrom versus Amazon or Zappos
Thanks for the update! I'm so tempted by the Blondo Pasadena. I have received quite a few emails / messages about how good they are so I agree that they seem really worth it.
DeleteI purchased a pair of Coclico boots on Gilt which were called "Dana" but are exactly same as the "Danann" boots in your pictures. I am wondering if Gilt misspelled the name. In any case, I love the boots! I have 12 inch calves without tights or pants on. They are snug around the ankle and calf with no ankle slouch or significant gap at the calf. I have been looking for a brown pair ever since. I want the Ramona boots but they are too expensive, so I will wait for them to go on sale. However if anyone is interested in a black pair of these boots, Gilt still has EU 36.5 on sale for $279. They say to order a half size up. I mainly wear US 6 and occasionally 5.5 in some brands, so I might be a smaller size 6, but I bought an EU 36 and they are a perfect fit. Hope that helps! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add that to find the Dana/Danann boots Google Coclico and Dana boots and that will be the first thing that shows up. It's a little pricey, but worth it for high end, well made, comfortable boots that you will wear for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you got the Dana/Danann boots on sale! I really liked them but it looks like Gilt is sold out :( I signed up for their alerts though. Also, I got an email from Coclico saying that they're having a 20% off sale from Nov. 23rd to 25th with the promo code "Friends".
DeleteHere's another vote for the Blondo Pasadena, which I ordered from Zappos. My calf is 12.5 inches and I wear a size 8, and these boots look beautiful on me! The scrunchy detail at the ankle is really flattering--makes my ankles look tiny and my calves more shapely.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this blog!!
Susan
So happy the Pasadena worked for you!
DeleteThat anthro reviewer on the windy with the 12" calves is me! *waves* ^_^
ReplyDeleteI'm always so thankful when reviewers include their calf measurement in reviews :)
Delete