Sunday, December 23, 2012

Review: Blondo Louna & Blondo Pasadena

I apologize for not publishing posts recently. It's been a bit tough to do a lot of searching over the holidays. However, since many of you have written to me about your luck with Blondo's Pasadena boots, I thought I'd order them as well and see if they worked for me. I also was emailed by a helpful reader who recommended Blondo's Louna boots and I decided to try my luck with them as well. 

Blondo Louna ($200-$240)

These boots are great! A size 6 fit fine on my narrow feet but I can see how sizing up a half-size might be recommended. Although I measured the calf circumference at 13" or slightly less, I tried them on with tights and liked how they fit on my size 12" calves. The description on Zappos says "The Louna boot is designed to accommodate the needs of women with thinner calves" and I totally agree. The boots are lined with a soft fabric and the upper is a waterproof leather. The foot bed is on a platform so the 3" heel feels much smaller. I was surprised at how easy these were to walk in! The sole is rubber/non-skid-- good for winter wear. I found them at Zappos, Amazon, Shoes.com, and Shoebuy.
Blondo Louna

Blondo Louna
Blondo Pasadena ($170-$240)
Since many reviews said these run small, I ordered these in a 6 and 6.5. The 6 was a little snug so a half-size up is probably the best bet unless you have very narrow feet. Although I measured these at the same 13" as the Louna, I thought these looked slightly larger in the calf perhaps because these were a half-size larger. The quality of these were similar and the 6.5 was very comfortable to walk in. These also have a platform heel with a rubber sole. I tried on both, the black suede option and the black leather and both fit similarly. However, I couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but I think I favor the Louna slightly more. Blondo Pasadena is available at Amazon, Zappos6pm, Shoebuy, and Shoes.com. I recently returned the ones I got from Nordstrom so hopefully those will show up online soon because it looks like they're sold out otherwise. 
Blondo Pasadena (black suede)
Blondo Pasadena (black suede)
Blondo Pasadena (black leather)
Blondo Pasadena (black leather)

11 comments:

  1. Hi, I love your site and the fact that I'm not the only skinny calf woman out there having a difficult time finding boots! Why is it so hard for companies to put the correct calf circumference in their descriptions? I'm 5'3" and have a 13" calf. After a couple of months of online searches I found that Timberland carries some boots for slim calves. The quality and comfort is excellent. I wrote a review for the Stratham Heights boot as they fit perfectly. I also bought the Frye Jenna inside zip tall boot. These also fit perfectly on my 13" calf. Just thought I would give you this info if you want to try them out yourself or post this info on your site. Thanks and please keep up the posts, your efforts are appreciated!

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    1. I'm so glad you've found the site helpful! I'm glad that a couple of readers have had luck with Frye's Jenna. And thanks for the tip re: Timberland's Stratham Heights. Where did you order them from? Some of the results I'm finding have a buckle type thing at the back while others don't. It would be helpful to know which ones worked for you.

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    2. Please review lower heeled boots. Like the Blond eyne boot (Blondo Boot @ Nordstrom's) I have a bad back. Thank you.

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  2. Hi there! Thank you so much for this site. I was having a heck of a time finding boots to fit my calves (13.25") and now I have a bunch of great-looking boots to choose from, thanks to you. I just ordered the Bondo Paulina from Nordstrom. Crossing my fingers they work for me!

    Another brand that has worked great for me is DUO Boots. They're out of the UK, but ship to the US. What's great about DUO is they allow you to choose your calf size, so they fit like custom boots. They're great quality too (I've walked many, many miles in my DUOs).

    P.S. You may want to check in with Amazon, Zappos and Nordstrom to see if you can get an affiliate fee for all the referrals you send their way. You deserve it!

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    1. The Paulina is such an attractive boot and will hopefully work for you given that your calf is larger (for a slim calf). Thanks for the advice re: Duo boots. A few readers have asked if I've ordered from them. Although I haven't, a friend of mine did and sent me some tips/advice that I might turn into a post. Feel free to send along any of your own tips. I think the price and the prospect of paying for return shipping if the boots don't work is what keeps a lot of potential buyers away. But Duo has such a nice selection so it's definitely on my mind!

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  3. I think these boots are not well fitted to the narrow calves. One must try for the more fitted boots for the narrow calf.

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  4. Hi there,
    I wanted to mention my recent luck with la candienne tahra boots, which has a 12 inch shaft. It's a little shorter at 12 in tall but amazing fit and quality. Thank you for your reviews!

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  5. Just as a FYI to Canadian gals, The Bay (online anyway) has the Louna on sale for $168 ($142 if you have a HBC card this weekend) - http://www.thebay.com/eng/shoes-boots-Louna_-thebay/268374

    Just ordered my pair and can't wait for them to get here!

    I also noticed the Coclico Carson on sale on the Coclico website for $414.

    LC, any more boot reviews coming up? There are so many good sales right now... still searching for the perfect small calved riding boot!

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  6. Sooo... fall's coming... which mean's boot season is coming... which means Little Contessa is coming??? hope so!

    Have had lots of success with your boot finds- love my La Canadiennes (Ramona and Dorina - found em both on sale off season) and Blondo Lounas (a bit bigger in the shaft but still look ok with jeans tucked in)!

    Fingers eternally crossed for a small calved riding boot, though.

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    1. Hi! Your comment made me smile and gave me an energy boost! :)
      I do plan to continue with the blog and have my fingers crossed that this season will yield more options for skinny calved ladies compared to last season. I felt so badly that I couldn't provide more reasonably priced options for my readers. I TOTALLY agree with your riding boot comment! Why is it so elusive?? I would be ecstatic if I could find a riding boot that worked for our community.

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  7. Try Sesto Meucci boots! VERY slim calf riding boots. I have a pair in light chocolate brown leather. My calves are only 12.5" around and these boots fit great from the ankle all the way to the top of the calf. The fit is narrow though so may not be so great for wide feet. I found mine on clearance at the Neiman Marcus outlet northeast of Atlanta, GA. My guess is they didn't get many small calf women wearing these boots. I had to size down a full size though. Normally a size 7 but the 6 fit me great. Best of luck small calf ladies!!

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