Hi!
I need help! Every year I see tons of awesome calf- and knee-high boots. It seems like each Fall and Winter they come out with new styles…and colors! BUT I have to admire them from afar. I was born a beautiful full-figured woman :)….unfortunately, with BIG calfs! I can’t fit ANY of the boots I find! And the ones I do find are that suede material.

Do you know where I can find some MODERATELY-priced  leather calf- and knee-length boots? HELP!!

Crystal

Apologies to Crystal if it seems like we took awhile to respond on this plea; this is a tough and ongoing challenge for many women and keeping this article informative without going off on tangents has proven to be trickier than expected.

The complaint that boots are not made for gals with sturdy calves is, unfortunately, not news to anyone who has ever been in that same (and very unenviable) shopping position. So, of course, I find Crystal’s frustration to be completely understandable. And, there are many ladies out there who adore taller boots, but have less-than-dainty calves. At 14 inches around, my calves ride the fashion tightrope on whether a given boot will fit and zip.  If you are ambitious, there are even many products for you to attempt to self-stretch your own shoes, should the urge strike you.

Of course, the first requirement for successful stretching is that the boot upper be made of leather.  This is doubly important; Leather is very durable making it easier to get good wear and your money’s worth from your purchase and,  real leather is stretchable when given to a competent cobbler/boot repair shop. When all else fails, purchase and all-leather boot & have your boots stretched. The process will only lighten your pocketbook by $20-$30 and the result is often a perfectly fitted boot.

Now, if you are new to our site, you may have missed an older shoeblog article that focused on  Duo Boots.  Duo boots come in a number of different calf sizes and can even accommodate ladies with the opposite problem of narrow calves since they are sold by calf-size. Of course, at prices starting at UK 120/US $250 depending on the exchange rate, they may not quite fit into the category of ‘Moderately-priced’ to the average consumer. Lately, with shoe prices on the rise, these are definitely nowhere near as spendy as many current mid-to-high end designers that are now charging upwards of $500-$2500 for current-season leather boots; it may be a worthwhile investment for those harder-to-fit folks to spend the $250+ for a long-lasting, well-fitted boot.

Next, as he is the master of most things shoe-related, it is no surprise that ‘The Manolo’ has also struggled with a solution to the wide-calf dilemma. Among his recommendations of boot brands with roomier calf-allowances are: J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, and Church’s boots. More useful, perhaps are actually the comments responding to his article which recommend both Eddie Bauer as well as the (new to me) website www.widewidths.com (self-proclaimed as ‘Your Site for Fashionable Wide-calf boots’).

Finally, no hunt would be complete without a quick search over at Zappos.com to see what options are available on ‘Wide-calf’ site search. OK, that’s 50+ pages of results in varying styles and prices; Among them, a large selection of RSVP boots priced under $200. Of course, many ‘wide-calf’ boots only fit up to about 15 inches around in calf circumference, so some of these results will only be helpful for borderline ladies like myself;  so it’s always good to check the individual shoe stats (Thank you Zappos for such great descriptions).

Well, when my eyes alight on the phrase ‘Extra Wide Calf’, that sounds pretty promising. Way to go, Type Z.

Type Z Catie Extra Wide Calf $190 at Zappos.com (17″ circumference)

Also promising, selections from Ros Hommerson, a brand known for offering a huge variety of widths from extra-narrow to wide on all of their shoe and boot styles.

Ros Hommerson Chanel Boot (Wide - 16.25″ circumference) or Inlet Boot (Extra Wide - 18″ circumference) $198.

A few other options include widening a boot search to include boot-cut Western Styles as well as Lace-up boots and adjustable Granny styles.

Some options in this category are:

Dan Post Snowflake Ostrich $309.

Frye Veronica Slouch Black Patent $332 (15″ circumference).

Frye Page Buckles $382 (15.5 circumference).

Mark Nason Iris $574.95 $310 (14″ circumference). My own experience with Mark Nason is that the lacing give more width allowance than the base measurement indicates).

Etienne Aigner Kraft $ 148.95 $97 (14″ circumference).

Shoes for Lovely People Anthia $216 (14.5″ circumference plus added stretch gore panels).

This information is merely a starting point for those on the hunt for a more accommodating boot shaft, and some styles will work for some ladies and not others (But I have found that to be true of all shoes). Like any shoe hunt, it takes time and patience to find the right item at the right value. Hopefully I have provided some tools to help you along the way.

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Well, it’s official, Michelle Obama is going to be the next First Lady of the United States of America.  And, regardless of what you may think about her husband’s politics, you’ve got to admit the lady’s got style.  Just look at the Spring 09 Narciso Rodriguez dress she wore on the night of the election.  Sure, it’s gotten mixed reviews from the fashion critics (I come down firmly on the side of “She’s Working It!”), but it’s not a boring choice, that’s for sure.

Me, I’m over the moon that the soon-to-be First Lady of the USA has an interesting fashion sense, as you can see from a few examples here.

Boogying with Ellen DeGeneres.

In a dress from Thakoon’s Resort ‘09 line.

In J. Crew separates and a Moschino shirt dress… both with super cute shoes.

And that brings me to what we love most over here, of course… shoes.

Because, yes folks, you’re eyes do not deceive you.  That is Michelle Obama wearing flats.  She’s a flats kinda woman.  She’s more often shoes under 3″ than in anything higher.  And I couldn’t be happier about it!

A curious reader wrote us asking about Ms. Obama’s footwear choices, and… well… to be honest, I have yet to figure out what those black flats she wore on election night were.  But the woman has some seriously cute pairs of low-heels and flats.

Might I suggest she stick with this plan of comfy and attractive shoes.  Much like Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has done (with great elegance and panache).  We need more high-profile women who know they can be confident and stylish without the super-high heels.

So, instead of going for the 8″ Louboutins that are on their way, how about sticking with something equally chic, but easier on the body, like these tortoise-shell ballerinas.

Since those look like they’re only at the UK version of Netaporter, here’s a Taryn Rose alternative: the Bion.

Or maybe these Chloe purple pointy-toe numbers that are cool and classy, but with a nice hit of style at the same time.

There’s a classic Tod’s skimmer (the Biscuit, in this case) … can’t go wrong there.

Or, for something a wee bit more daring (and yet, totally still something I could see her wearing), there’s this totally adorable Joey McMakin pump.

Tahari’s got these Tessa flats.

I could go on and on and on.  But instead, I will leave with one more suggestion.  Because, for something sporty and supportive, she could go for these Keds skimmers, just one of many Obama shoe designs available here, for those so inclined.

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Isn’t it nice when a shoe hits most of the major trends of the season in one convenient package? In the case of these J. Crew heels, I count four: brogue, peep-toe, patent, color-blocking. And to tell you the truth, I’m liking it. A lot.

I’m having a hard time picking a favorite–I love all the color combos. So what if the nude one reminds us of the Miu Miu pumps Galligator just blogged about? They’re still delicious. The Penelope pumps are $225 at J. Crew.

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