Bed Stu Manchester

From the first two photos, this probably looks like a happy slim calf story, right? Indeed, from the front and back this beautiful Bed Stu boot -- the Manchester -- is a narrow calf dream come true. The catch is the side view, sigh. Scroll down and you'll see what I mean.

First let's accentuate the positive, as the old song goes. The Manchester is a style I've been wanting to try for years, almost since the start of my skinny calf boot reviews. I thought it had been discontinued and was pleasantly surprised to see it restocked recently. Even better, the color options have expanded to satisfy both both edgier and more classic tastes.

Like the Bed Stu Glaye, the Manchester rewards you with a heady leather fragrance the second you open the box. Ahhhh. And it's got that artisanal, non-mass-produced feel that is this label's stock in trade. I'm a fan.

Finally, this style uses a super clever back-lacing system with an inside panel that allows a truly custom fit at the top. I tightened the boots up easily to a top circumference of around 13" -- if not a bit smaller. Those of you who have been stopping by this blog for a while know how rare that is.

The ankle circumference is pretty good, too. At 11" it's not a record breaker, but we've seen much baggier. We can work with this.

If only the rest of the shaft were cut narrower, or the lacing system continued farther down the shaft. The fit, for me, got weird at midcalf, where the circumference of 14" in shoe size 8 couldn't be shrunk. Perhaps a consistent 14" up top (if I loosened the laces and lived with a gap up there -- what's new, right?) and 14" midway down would look okay, but my customizing to 13" at the opening made the boots bulge out awkwardly midway down. 'Cause no, I didn't get calf implants since my last post ;) -- those midcalf curves you see are just empty leather where these otherwise long, lean, lovely boots puff out.

For shorter folks, the shaft height might also cause problems. At 18" it's tall, especially if you've got proportionally short legs. I'm not sure why, but most narrow shaft Bed Stu boots seem best suited to the statuesque. You can see in the top photo that the Manchester borders on too tall for me, and I've got long limbs for my 5-foot-4 height.

To circle back to the Manchester's assets before I wrap this up, here are a couple closeups to show the super-pretty "Dark Scarlett Rustic" color, which happens to be half off as of early July, along with at least one other shade.

Enjoy the summer boot steals before they blow away with the first leaves of fall!  

Rating:
Beauty/style: ****/5
Value: ****/5 at sale price
Calf slimness:****/5 with laces tightened up top

In numerous cool finishes. Find it at:
Amazon
(tip: check the reviewer pix to see how fetching these boots are on many different legs :-)

See also:

The Burnley is a new offering from Bed Stu, with a longer lacing setup -- yea! -- for full-calf customization, plus a shaft height that is kinder to us non-models :) Find this one at Nordstrom (which is advising us to order up, as this boot runs small). 

Bed Stu Glaye

The best-smelling narrow calf boots I've ever worn also feature a genius design to conform to skinny calves while also accommodating those with average-sized legs. It's the Glaye by Bed Stu.

Made in Mexico like today's Frye boots, this style combines sturdy construction, bold distressing that bumps the hip factor way up, and buttery soft leather -- including the lining -- that feels great on the leg.

Besides the full zip for easy on and off, there's a cute little partial zip in back (this is the genius design part) that hides a panel of very soft leather. Thinner folks can keep it zipped for a relatively small, though certainly not tiny, circumference of 14.5 inches, while those with fuller calves can unzip for an additional 2.5 inches around.

Leave unzipped for fuller calves, zipped for skinnier-smart, huh?

I wish Bed Stu had made this about an inch smaller around, for a top circumference range of 13.5 to 16 instead of 14.5 to 17, but as it is I think it still looks pretty cute, and not horribly gappy, on my just-under-12" calves....especially since the midcalf measurement is a wonderful 12.5" - yea!

They've gone out of their way to help us with our skinny ankles, too, providing a functional buckle that decreases the ankle circumference from 10.5 on the loosest setting to 10" on the tightest.

The Glaye also gets my vote for coolest sole. How fun is this cherry red?

Shaft height in the size 8 is about 16 inches, which should work fine for all but the tallest or shortest among us.

Important sizing tip: Reviews saying the shoe part of this boot runs small are absolutely correct. The tricky part is figuring out whether you need to order a half size or full size up from what you normally wear. I am between a 7.5 and 8 shoe size, and I took this one in 8. Partly because the rounded toe is forgiving on my right pinkie that tends to get pinched by narrower or pointier-toed footbeds, the 8 felt good on me, both with light stockings and with thin(ish) socks. With thick, heavy socks, I'd probably need an 8.5 -- but I don't think I'd want to subject these beauties to a Chicago winter. I see them more as a 3-season style.

Rating:
Beauty: *****/5
Value: ***/5 (or better at sale pricing)
Calf slimness: ****/5



In "Tan Rustic/White" as shown here, plus a very cool distressed blackish color -- and, as of early November '16, Amazon has a pretty "teak" shade as well!

Find it at:

Amazon (great discounts on the darker color as of mid May!)

image = screenshot from amazon

p.s. I'm impressed with this brand and was also drawn to its stunning Cambridge style (at right), with its lovely perforation and bit of back lacing for a custom calf fit. My only concern was at 5'4" I might be too short for the Cambridge's 18.5"-tall shaft. Well worth a look for taller boot lovers...

photo c amazon

p.p.s. - Spring 2018 quick update:
I have no idea how long this sale will last, but Amazon is offering big discounts on the gorgeous Bed Stu Weymouth, at left (could it be named after bass heroine Tina? I'm gonna go ahead & decide yes, as she would totally rock this boot) - which, based on my research around the web, is also a narrow calf boot. Quantities very very limited...