Friday, October 18, 2013

Another Boot Roundup (**updated**)

After writing the previous boot roundup, I came across the following boots that I wanted to mention quickly. Once again, I haven't tried these on but based my notes on the descriptions and reviews. (New boot added-- A helpful reader submitted a promising tip about Nine West's Noureen boots so I added it to the list as #8)

1) BCBG Erinn ($64 - $200)
These have a lace-up back--a nice alternative to the lace-up front. One reviewer sent a pic of how nicely these fit her narrow calves. Thanks :) Available at Amazon, Macy's, 6pm and in very limited sizes at Sears
2) Cole Haan Tenley ($200-$370)
One reviewer said that a size 7.5 fit her 13” calves well. She also noted that she is 5’4” and these came almost up to her knees. Although they're sold out on Zappos, reviewers said these fit narrow calves well. Also at Amazon6pm, and other online vendors. Note that these seem to be pull-on boots. 

3) La Canadienne Ramona ($193-$335)
I thought I'd included these in a previous boot roundup but that doesn't seem to be the case. As is the case with all La Canadienne boots, these are $$$ but it may be possible to get them off-season for cheaper, since this brand doesn't seem to discontinue styles quickly. Reviews seem favorable. Available at AmazonZappos, 6pm and La Canadienne. It looks like 6pm is having a La Canadienne styles currently. 


4) La Canadienne Passion ($250-$350)
The reviews for these boots are relatively positive, although not overwhelmingly so. Be sure to read through the reviews if you plan to purchase these. Available at Zappos and Amazon

5) Aquatalia Unity ($300-400)
There are multiple positive reviews on Amazon for these boots. One reviewer said a size 8.5 fit her 13" calves pretty well and another said the same of a size 7. There were also a few reviewers who complained about the narrow calf--always a good thing for us! Some reviewers suggest sizing up by a half-size for this brand if you plan to wear thick socks. I tend to stick with my true size since calf circumference gets larger with size. As with all Aquatalia boots, these are $$$ so it's a pass for me. 
Update - A helpful reader said her size 7 have a 12.5" circumference. She also said these are warm and comfortable. Sounds like a winner for skinny calves!

6) Ugg Darcie ($300)
There's one review on Zappos that says these have a narrow calf. Zappos lists a size 7 with a 13" calf. Also available at Ugg, Belk, Nordstrom, and The Walking Company. There are a lot of reviews (and a couple of photo reviews) at Nordstrom but I wasn't able to look through all of them.   

7) Tsubo Kynlee ($280)
Zappos lists a size 6 as having a 12.75" calf, so most of us may be sized out. Also available at Tsubo, Nordstrom, and Online Shoes. No reviews yet.    

8) Nine West Noureen ($99-$129) **Newly added**
A helpful reader said a size 7.5 fit her 12" calves perfectly. There are positive reviews on Macy's that reference the small calf and ankle size. That's great news! Lucky for us, these boots aren't super expensive and seem to be widely available at Macy's, NordstromAmazon, and Zappos!
Nine West Noureen


 Have a great weekend!
~ Little Contessa

19 comments:

  1. this comment is waaaaay overdue! thank you little contessa for your awesome blog! thanks to your reviews, over the past year, i purchased not one, but FOUR, narrow calf boots and love them all! yikes! I have the la canadienne Ramona, la canadienne galaxy, simple brrlin and coclico anthropologie wedge. I got lucky with some reasonable deals on eBay and 6pm. they are comfortable enough to wear all day and at work. thank you so much for your blog!

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    1. You're very welcome! Your comment made my week! Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time weeding out boots that DON'T work, that I feel like I lose track of whether or not I'm helping people find boots that DO work for them. So your comment was a really nice reminder that this blog is helpful for the narrow calf community. I'm so glad you found so many boots that work for you. If you'd like to send in your own review and pics from your La Canadienne Ramona and Galaxy boots, I'm sure the readers would love to see them!

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  2. thank you for your blog! I recently purchased these boots at Macys: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/nine-west-boots-noureen-tall-dress-boots?ID=1046884&CategoryID=61660#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D37%26ruleId%3D52%26slotId%3D30

    I wear a size 7.5, and have 12" caves and this 12" circumference fits perfect! I rarely find 12" circumference boots, so I thought I would share.

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    1. That's great news and SO helpful! Thanks for sharing! I'll update the blog post to include these.

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  3. I've tried the La Canadienne Passion in size 5.5 and couldn't zip up the calf, so it may be good for girls in the 13-14" range. I have 13.5/14" calves that hit pretty low (I'm 5'2" and proportionally short-legged).

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  4. I have the Ramona in size 6.5 and have 12.5 inch calves. It fits true to size in the foot. In the calf is a pretty good fit, snug with skinny jeans, and definitely doesn't look ridiculous with tights or leggings. I think the reason why it (and the Dorina) works so well with us skinny calf petites is that the shaft is proportionately shorter than a regular boot (I think it is listed at 14.5"), so the widest part of the boot circumference actually hits at my max calf circumference so it fits. Taller ones, even if they actually measure 13" can gape higher up, since my calf circumference isn't 12.5" at the top of my calf...

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  5. Just wanted to add that Amazon has a promo right now - BOOTSFAM (25% off boots >$100), so got the leather Aquatalia Unitys for just over $300. The suede ones would be cheaper, as they start at $313. Decided to invest in the Aquatalias since others I have tried are awesome quality, and WARM (I'm in Canada, so need it for the winters!) Sooo tempted about the GeeWaWa's, but the lack of tread on the sole you mentioned is not great for my purposes :(

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  6. I tried on the Nine West boots-they didn't work for me. I have 13 inch calves and the size 8 was not fitted enough. The boot was too loose around my 8 inch ankles and although they were ok around my calves-would have looked better with skinny jeans or leggings, because on bare legs I didn't feel they were tight enough.
    I did find that Aquatalia's Star Boots were absolutely PERFECT. They fit like a glove, even in the ankle area. I realize these are quite expensive (I bought them from DSW site) but they are definitely worth it to not have to worry about tightening anything or wearing legwarmers to fill in the gaps. I highly suggest anyone with narrow calves to at least go try a pair on (they can usually be found at Nordstroms). You will won't be disappointed.

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    1. Good to know about Aquatalia Star-- thanks for the heads up!

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  7. I also bought the Noureen from Nine West and found they are among the narrowest but still too narrow for my calves. They are also very slouchy at the ankles. Relatively comfortable for the heel due to the platform base.

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    1. Thanks for letting me know. I'm torn on whether to order them to review. Maybe I'll just update the boot roundup with your comment so readers are aware that they may still be too wide for some women.

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  8. Bummed to mention I'm returning my BCBG Erinn boots tomorrow. I took them out of the box while a friend's 11 year old daughter was watching and she asked if I got them for Halloween... The lace-up the back was great and made for a perfect calf fit. The problem was the ankles were slouchy. Too bad. Thank you for the great blog, I'm so excited to try some boots that might just work!

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  9. Hi there! I just found your blog...wish I had done so long ago! As someone with a size 8.5 shoe and 13" calves, finding boots that fit in the calf has been impossible. I have honestly ordered and sent back probably 25 pairs of boots in the last year. I just ordered the Fitzwell Finley narrow-calved boots after seeing them recommended here---I hope they work!

    I wondered...any recommendations for a similarly sleek high-heeled brown boot? In leather? Finding black alone would certainly still be an accomplishment, but I am looking for brown, too. Thanks!

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    1. I'm so happy you were able to get the Fitzwell Finley! I just wish there were more of them because some women seem to be sized out already. How did you find the blog? I don't have any recommendations for brown boots off the top of my head... maybe Blondo Pasadena? I have been meaning to create a blog post that lists all the boots I featured on this blog that "worked". I'll try to do that in the next week and hopefully one of those will work for you. Don't worry, I'm still searching!

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    2. The magic of Google! :) I'll take a look at those, thanks. I'm also thinking brown riding boots would probably work for my purposes, too. I wish I had $$$ to spend...some of the narrow-calved styles appear to be super-high end. I'll be staying tuned to see what else you find!

      Yes I got the LAST Finley in my size, what luck!

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  10. Just wanted to follow up and say that the Finley are a 100% perfect fit. So wonderfully snug on my calf that I couldn't get jeans under them---and I wanted them for skirts/dresses, so that's ideal. A resounding THANK YOU from me AND my husband, haha. Now if I can just find some in brown for under $200.... :) This has never happened before, I'm so excited!

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  11. Hi! Your blog has been so helpful to me in my search for narrow calf boots! The Aquatalia Unity looks great. Do you happen to know the shaft height for these from your readers? I don't think it is listed on the Amazon page. I'm 5'2", and am afraid they might hit me too high. Thank you again for your blog!

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    1. Hi Anon! I don't have the shaft height but one of my readers who self-identified as petite said these were perfect for her, so I don't think shaft height should be an issue. I'll submit a comment asking for the specific shaft height measurement. She also pointed me to a review of Aquatalia's Drew boots that worked for a petite blogger who is just under 5-feet tall. See the review here - http://www.extrapetite.com/2013/11/riding-boots-for-short-and-narrow.html

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