Happy New Year! Any resolutions? I normally don't mess much with those, but in 2014 I deeply regretted not finding us any narrow calf riding boots that deserve a 5-out-of-5-stars rating for shaft slimness. (Not for lack of trying!)
So it gives me extra pleasure to bring you, right out of the box for 2015, the super skinny Vaneli
Vesper.
A quick note on how I rate all these boots: The "beauty" and "value" ratings are complete subjective, of course, with "value" being particularly tricky given the dramatic price bouncing many of these products do online over the months, for those that don't sell out quickly. The "calf slimness" rating, on the other hand, is actually an objective, numbers-based thing. To me, it's not just about the top measurement, 'cause who wants a baggy boot through the calf that tightens weirdly up top? Conversely, a boot that hugs the widest part of your leg -- the midcalf, for most of us -- is wonderful, but not if it turns all baggy and creased at the ankle or flares at the opening. The best method I could come up with when I started this blog was to total the three key measurements -- top, midcalf & ankle -- and set some standards for 5, 4, 3 etc. stars for overall slimness. It's not a perfect system, but along with the photos it should give you a pretty good sense of how these boots all compare.
To get those 5 stars for slimness, a boot has to come in at 36.5 inches or smaller, total, for my shoe size, which is 7.5-8. And with a 13" top measurement, 12" at midcalf and 10" at the ankle, the Vesper sails easily under that line, with a total figure of 35 even. In fact, that ties the 2013 version of the
Kors Arley for the skinniest boot I've written about here so far, with the Vesper & Arley just barely nudging out the 35.25"-total 2013
Solemani Gabi.
If you're opposed to stretch material in a riding boot, stop reading now, as the Vesper's entire shaft is made of what appears to be a decent-quality but non-leather woven material of some sort. The texture is sort of medium-soft but durable feeling, IMO not too rubbery or plastic-like. The uppers are leather, with a pair of cute and (yea!) functional criss-cross buckles at the ankle.
The shaft height is just a hair under 16" in size 7.5, and there's a useful half zip at the inside ankle (see top two pix).
The heel is a manageable 1 5/8 inches, the footbed is lightly padded, and the subtle lug sole adds a few style points without looking too industrial.
Not so subtle -- happily for those of us in four-season areas -- are the treads on the sole....fairly serious for a boot this cute.
One could could argue that the Vesper, and last year's version the Vimy, are knockoffs of Aquatalia styles like the
Urope, but if you don't have nearly $600 sitting around for a pair of riding boots, I'd recommend giving it some attention.
Rating:
Beauty: ****/5
Value: ****/5
Calf slimness: *****/5 :-) !
Find it at:
Jildor
September 2018 update: In a similar vein for fall 2018 is the
Kallena boot (pictured at left) by a brand that is new to me, Aquadiva. Like the Vesper and Urope, it's got a slim (reportedly 13.5" in circumference), woven-looking textured shaft, plus the Kallena is waterproof for those inevitable fall storms.
