BCBGeneration Jericho

The best thing about these simply styled riding boots for skinny calves? Their sale price, as of late December. Real leather, not faux, at about $100! If you're on a tight budget and have slim but not scrawny calves, the Jericho could be a winner.

The ankle on this one is 11.5, but because the leather and fabric are fairly stiff (while not uncomfortably so), I didn't see too much sagging or wrinkling there -- just some extra space. The midcalf measurement on a size 8 boot is 13.75, which is pretty good....12.25 being our "recordsetter" so far on this blog :)

The issue with the Jericho is that it flares out at the top, not in a dramatic or pirate-y way but enough to create some noticeable space around a thin leg. The opening for a size 8 measures 15.5", which obviously is not ideal for slim calves. I think the 13.25-13.75 measurements listed on various websites are either for the top opening in a size 5 or 6 or for a midcalf measurement in the size 7-9 range that most of us wear. I don't object a bit to "circumference" being measured at the midcalf -- in fact, I'm more and more convinced that that's what is most relevant to how sleek or sloppy a boot will look on the leg, and I've seen Nordstrom staff comments, for instance, suggesting this is where they take the circumference measurement -- but I wish the shops would make that clear.


For the sale price, though, the Jericho is a nice pick, and it's simple and classic enough to be styled a million ways. No bells and whistles, just a straightfoward leather riding look with stretchy fabric for its back half.

Two caveats: The shaft is taller in the front (about 17.5 inches) than in the back, a look I found flattering. But I'm 5'4" with somewhat long legs, so if you're shorter or have shorter legs, you might find the front of the boot hits you awkwardly mid-knee rather than just under the knee as it does me. The back shouldn't cause trouble for petites, as it's a couple inches shorter than the front. Second thing, the foot is on the snug side of TTS, so if you're between two half-sizes, I'd recommend going with the larger.

Happy holidays to all you skinnylegs! Hope you find your perfect boot under the tree, even if you had to research, purchase & wrap it up yourself! :)

Rating:
Beauty: ***/5
Value: *****/5
Calf slimness: **/5

In black or brown.
Find it at: Amazon 
(They're practically giving this one away as of mid Feb. '15, with some sizes under $50)

Note: I can't quite believe this, but a moderately priced, promisingly proportioned style from my earlier days of obsessing over boots for skinny legs  -- the Enzo Zeric (under $100!) -- is still kicking around in a few sizes at Amazon. It's styled much like the Jericho, but (though I never tried it on) I suspect probably narrower at the opening, even in non-tiny shoe sizes. Better still, it's priced at only $65-$107 as of early October -- for leather! If your size is available & you're tall enough for the 17 1/2 inch shaft, I wouldn't hesitate on this one. (Update: annnddd it's gone...as of Oct. '15...but if you're open to boot shopping on ebay, as I sometimes do, spot-check for Zerics there, which have at times appeared for under 100 bucks :)