Sam Edelman Paloma

The first couple of years that over-the-knee boots turned up in celeb photos, I thought they were a showy flash-in-the-pan. But they've shown staying power, and I've slowly warmed up to the idea -- especially with styles out now that don't flare out at the top to make thin-limbed people look like wannabe pirates.

In fact, I've become convinced that some of the best boots for skinny calves out there are now OTK styles -- if you pick the right ones.

Like many of you, I'm sure, I fell in love (or at least deeply in like) with an unaffordable Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee riding boot. In my case it was the soft suede Lowland style, with its narrow calf measurements, tall-enough-not-to-slip-under-my-knee shaft height and adjustable tie at the top to accommodate my thighs, which are not as skinny as my calves but still a fair bit smaller than average.

The Sam Edelman boots I'm wearing in these photos, the Paloma, are of course a much less luxe version of Weitzman Lowland -- for a small fraction of the price (January 2018 update: this style appears sold out most everywhere, so your best bet may be ebay at this point). They're not made of real suede, but a soft suede-look fabric. But to my eye they win big points for style, versatility and fit.

The circumferences are kind of hard to measure, as this boot is so soft, but the Paloma is around 9 inches at the ankle (yea! slim...) and around 12 at midcalf, though I believe it could accommodate a somewhat larger calf too. It's not skintight on my leg, but the lack of the wide swath of stretch goring most of the original OTK styles had is a worthy tradeoff, I think, and the Paloma is snug enough to provide that sleek "boots as leggings" look even on a thin limb.


The top circumference is truly adjustable due to a toggle closure that you can tighten to your calf's content :)

<<<Here's a closer look at that handy closure.






I love the 23" (in shoe size 7.5) shaft height, as I want an OTK boot to stay OTK and not become an "on-the-knee" boot. Under or over, yes, but not right on the knee. And with the Paloma's shaft height, I can't imagine that happening to anyone who is not extremely tall.

Caveat: There's not much grip on these soles, so I wouldn't wear them out in freezing rain. But the soft ultrasuede would probably deter you from that anyway.

Sizing: I am between a shoe size 7.5 and 8 and chose the 7.5 in this boot, with good results. I'd say it fits true to size.

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


See also:

The streamlined style above by Public Desire will set you back only $56. Unfortunately the source, ASOS, tends not to list boot circumference. But the fit looks decent, per video clip featuring what I would call "healthy slender" model legs.

photo c Amazon

Though I haven't yet tried them on, the Sam Edelman Peyton (above) and Dolce Vita Neely
(below) are also reportedly good OTK bets for thin calves, with the Neely listed at an inch taller in the shaft than these Edelman styles -- a plus for the superstatuesque :) And finally -- a little wiggle room looks great, I think, on this model wearing tie-top over-the-knee boots from Anthropologie

photo c Nordstrom

I love the fact that all the boots in this post are so affordable. So if they turn out to be too trendy for the long haul, we don't have to feel too guilty for overspending.

Sam Edelman Paradox

I'm a fan of Sam Edelman, with several of his cute flats & a pair of ankle boots in my closet, so I was excited to try on his taller boots for narrow calves, the Paradox. Indeed there is a paradox involved: Why does this style look sleek on the leg, even with a larger-than-advertised opening measurement  (15" in a size 7.5) and a roomier-than-ideal ankle (11")?

The sleek look probably has something to do with the Paradox's quite narrow (13.25") midcalf measure. But also, the design of the boot really helps. The stretch panels on either side are only 1.5" wide, giving the Paradox the mainly-leather look many of us prefer and making this a standup style (no flopping). Thumbs up on the leather itself, which feels soft to the touch but is still sturdy and has a bit of gloss to it without being "shiny." Absolutely a 24/7, dress-up-or-down style.

Other nice touches: A grippy sole combats the slip-sliding issues that sometimes plague stylish riding boots...

And a cute "SE" logo under the pull tab in back models subtlety. (Other labels, please take note! We don't all like to pay for the privilege of serving as walking billboards....)



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

In black or brown.
Find it at:
Great deals on ebay -- and as of March 2016, I'm not sure where else you can find these particular Edelman boots for small calves