Cole Haan Lexi Grand Knee High Stretch

Are these the year's best riding boots for skinny calves? If you don't have a $500+ budget , I'm arguing they may be.

(The Seychelles Dramatic
boot can be made even snugger through the calf, thanks to full-length corset lacing. But to me its less-comfy footbed and taller shaft gives the Lexi the nod this year for all-around champ of our, as usual, all-too-slim slim-calf boot pickings in the knee high category.)

The name of this style's a mouthful, yes. But Cole Haan's Lexi riding boots for thin calves are a great find for fall, especially in this versatile "Cordovan Leather" color.

The adjustable buckle up top doesn't do a ton to narrow the opening circumference, but at 14.25 inches around (in shoe size 7 1/2), it's not bad.

More impressively, the Lexi at midcalf has a very slim 12-inch circumference, and to flatter our skinny ankles, the ankle circumference is only 9.5 inches!

The way I rate for relative calf slimness is to total up the top, mid and ankle measurements -- and this boot's narrow mid and ankle numbers push it into the 5-of-5-star slimness category, which is rare indeed. 

You can see the boots flare out a tiny bit in these front & back views, but not much, right? Nowhere near sloppy-galoshes or pirate boot territory ;)

The fit and style are sleek enough for an office environment, but not too fussy for casual outings.

The shaft height is 16.5 inches in shoe size 7.5 and hits just the right spot under my knee. For reference, I'm 5'4" with longish legs for my height.

The stretch panels are significant and may be a dealbreaker for hearts set on an all-smooth-leather look.

The fabrication and feel of these panels are tricky to describe, but they are comfy and calf-hugging, somewhere between a faux leather and spongy, stretchy, fairly substantial fabric. Bottom line, it's a cute look if you're open to some stretch.

I love an almond toe shape like this one. Comfy and pretty. I would say the Lexi runs a tad narrow in the toe area, though it seems true-to-size in length. Cute contrast stitching adds some visual interest. 

Inside, the footbed is lightly but not flimsily padded. Again -- comfy.

For klutzes like me, the basketweave texture on the sole will help with slippery surfaces.

The stacked wood heel is just shy of 1.5 inches, super manageable for adventures on foot.

There's a dash of shine from the small, functional gold-tone buckle up top. Nothing that will look dated a year on, or two or three...

All in all, this is a keeper!

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

In three colors: cordovan (shown here), "British tan" and black. Find it massively on sale (as of mid June 2019) at Cole Haan


See also:

This variation on the Lexi Grand goes all-in with the textured calf for a long, lean, almost sock-like look that could be especially cute with skirts. On sale as of mid Dec.

Finally, Cole Haan's Galina, pictured at right, features a textured stretch calf on the back side and subtle, non-tacky hardware. In brown and black, still discounted at Macy's.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale - Skinny Calf Finds 2018

Hello all!

Per tradition, I interrupt your summer to bring you the narrow-calf angle on Nordstrom Anniversary Sale boots.

To be honest, I'm not that thrilled with the three boot styles that Nordies' search engines deem narrow calf.  What I am excited about is the anniversary sale's inclusion of one of my past favorites, the La Canadienne Stefanie (pictured at left).

Unfortunately I don't have on-leg photos of this one, but a department store clerk brought it to me years ago, in the early days of this blog, and not only the shaft but the ankle fit like a dream.

This is one of those relatively rare times a label has kept a classic slim calf style in rotation over a long period of time. And I suspect they're still making it from the original pattern. From new "good bad reviews" on the Nordstrom website -- you know, complaints that the shaft is too tight -- I have reason to believe the store is listing the Stefanie's top circumference at about an inch larger than it actually is. But do comment & share your experience, if you get a chance to check this one out in person.

In leather or suede. Find it at:
Nordstrom, of course -- before the sale price expires!

Sofft Wheaton

If the Sofft Sharnell and the Freebird Wyatt had a baby, it just might be the Sofft Wheaton boot, pictured here in the "whiskey" color, size 7.5, on my small calves.

I love this boot and think you might too -- especially at the bonkers price it has dropped to (!!) in the very short time since I purchased it for almost $100 more. (And frankly, this adjustable, full-grain leather boot was a decent deal even at what I shelled out.)

Elephant in the room: At 3", this is just about the tallest heel I've showcased on this blog. My sweet spot is usually around 2.5" -- walkable, but so flatteringly leg-lengthening -- but these heels work for me thanks to the strategically "pillowed" footbed, just like the Sofft Sharnell's.

The Wheaton laces all the way down, from the very top of the shaft to the ankle. So it's easy to custom-fit to your calf. Without straining the laces, I was able to tighten the top circumference to 14" (though it looks smaller, doesn't it?), the midcalf to 12.75" and the ankle to 10.75 inches around.

Once you get these cuties adjusted, the full inside zip allows for quick on and off without retying each time. 

As with virtually all skinny calf boots that lace up, you will be left with long laces in the back. Not sure what to do about that. Small price to pay for a great calf fit, no?

If looks and comfort weren't enough, Sofft gave us a nice textured sole for slippery surfaces. They've pretty much thought of everything!

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

In black, dark brown & whiskey. Find it at:
Amazon (yes! just checked, and this can still be snagged for under $100 in many size/color combos as of early Sept :)

Pretty Little Thing Studded Boot

On a quick NYC trip last month, I saw studded footwear everywhere...studded pointy-toe shoes, studded ankle boots, lots of studded styles that for better or worse, took me straight back to the '90s.

I'm not a big stud person in general, but I have to admit the look started growing on me after a couple of days. Hence the Pretty Little Thing boots offered up here for your consideration -- a fresh take on the classic Western-tinged riding boot with a pointed toe and bit of heel.

As always with the trendier, of-the-moment looks, I've chosen a modestly priced style. Very modestly priced, in fact, as these $87-retail cuties will currently set you back only 39 bucks, with free shipping! Of course, they're made from a soft suede-look fabric and faux leather, not actual stretch suede + leather; they lack serious treads on the sole; and they feature an only slightly padded footbed. But again -- 39 bucks! :-)

It's tricky to measure circumferences with such soft material, but at the very top, this style is about 16" around. Bear in mind that's for the thigh, not the calf. My thighs, while not scrawny, are smaller than 16" - but with tights I feel like this boot  doesn't look crazy baggy.

At midcalf the circumference is about 13" -- not bad -- and at 9" around, the ankle is about as narrow as we ever manage to get.

No half sizes, unfortunately, but I am always between 7.5 & 8, and the size 8 in this boot is very comfy over midweight tights.

Bonus points to Pretty Little Things for the leg-elongating pointed toe that is, to me at least, much more comfortable than it looks, even on my fussy right foot. That's not easy to pull off.

The heel is a manageable 2 and 1/8 inches, within my comfort zone, and with over-the-knee styles I prefer a bit of heel, as long as it's not spiky!

At nearly 25" tall, the shaft nicely avoids that ambiguous "knee boot or OTK?" height zone that I hate (I always feel that's the manufacturer just being cheap with materials...), falling solidly in the OTK camp even for tall folks.

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


Find it at:
ASOS

See also...

For a flatter heel and rounder toe, this $72 style from RAID >>>

<<< Or -- hold the studs, you say? Fine, be that way. This $56 pair from Public Desire looks promisingly fitted on slim model legs in the video clip.

Seychelles Dramatic

So excited!

It's only January, and I've found us a *****/5-for-calf-slimness boot! When adjusted, that is. Unfortunately there aren't a ton of sizes left (sure wish I'd spotted this one sooner), so act fast if you like what you see.

It takes a minute to get this hip style -- the Seychelles Dramatic -- fitted to your leg, but worth it for that sleek, calf-hugging look we're all after.

This is a tall boot. In the size 7.5 I'm wearing in these photos, the shaft is 17.5 inches tall. That will put the Dramatic, unfortunately, out of the running for shorter folks, who will likely find it hits 'em right on the kneecap -- not ideal in terms of comfort or style. For those of us either of average or taller stature or proportionately long-limbed, it's a keeper.

I was easily able to tighten the back laces on these skinny calf riding boots to a 13" top circumference, 13" at midcalf, and 10" around the ankle. Seems it could tighten further, to your comfort level, at top & midcalf, though perhaps not much more at the ankle.

What to do with the laces themselves, once tied to the desired fit, is a bit tricky. For the photo at left, I tried tucking the (long) loose ends for one boot and, for the other one, doing them up in a bow. Which do you prefer? Or maybe there's a better solution I haven't thought of.

The leather is soft, smooth and supple. The stretch panel that runs all the way down the back of the boot, underneath the laces, is nice and silky, though I doubt it would do well in more punishing winter climes.

The half zip is super helpful, and in fact -- always a great sign vis a vis shaft slimness --  I couldn't get my legs into these boots without unzipping.

No tread to speak of on the sole further supports my view that these cuties are made for fashion, not rugged outdoor pursuits. But fashionable they are!

The foot is a bit more rounded than the standard "almond" shape, so expect your feet to look a little smaller in these. Not a bad thing, unless you're self-conscious about your teeny feet! (Not my situation ;)

And speaking of feet, there's one other caveat with the Dramatic besides its fairly tall shaft height: The foot on this one runs small. If you’re between half sizes, definitely go with the larger of the two. And if you consistently wear one size, consider ordering up by half a size, especially if you plan to wear thick tights or socks of substance under these.

Rating:
Beauty: ****/5
Value: ****/5 or better, depending on sale price you snag
Calf slimness: *****/5

In black
Find it at:
Amazon (limited quantities as of early December 2018, but still a decent selection of sizes available)

Nordstrom (any chance they'll restock? it's happened before w/ Nordies.....)

Tip: Zappos is out of stock on this boot, but you can still watch the shop's video clip of the Seychelles Dramatic on fairly slim legs: