Shop This Look

Is there something about yourself that has bothered you since you were little?  The one thing kids always picked on?  Maybe your nose? Your freckles?  Your glasses?  Mine was my legs.  I remember coming home crying because the neighbor girls told me my legs were too big.  What makes me most sad is realizing that was the moment I first saw my body critically and became aware there were supposed “shortcomings” in outer appearances.  That day I learned I was “supposed” to be self conscious instead of just being a kid.  Of course now I look back on pics of those days and my legs looked normal!  They weren’t sticks like so many skinny girls, but I had always been athletic and they were muscular.  I ran track, played soccer, and did any and every thing that was fun and active.

As I became committed to soccer growing up, I was really fast.  That was my thing.  They called me “Thunder Thighs,” and “Flash.” And the insecure person in me sometimes wondered if “thunder” was describing my thighs as “fat.”  That was truly absurd.  They were cheering for me!  What their supportive screams meant to convey to me as I flung toward the goal was that I was “powerful” and “strong.”

To this day I’m a little self conscious of my legs. I sometimes feel they look disproportionate to the rest of my body.  But what I’m working on–and yes, it’s still a work in progress– is embracing every part of who I am and loving it.  You really do get only one body, so why not see it for the good it is?  I’m reconditioning my brain.  My legs aren’t “big.”  They’re strong and they enable me to run and play with my son, ski with my family, and do deep squats at the gym with heavy weights.  And more than anything else?  They’re mine.  So although you probably won’t find me in any hot pants any time soon, I AM going to wear boots.  I am going to wear jeans. And I want to wear them well!  So check out this post dedicated to other “strong-legged” ladies who want to bask in the fashion of boots!

The Metamorphosis of Wide-Calf Boots

Thank the Lord that long gone are the days when the only wide-calf boots you could find were 100 percent stretch boots.  I appreciated them as pioneers, but they did NOT have the same look as “normal-calf” boots.  You weren’t fooling NOBODY.

Then I discovered I could find leather or leather-looking boots at the plus-sized stores.  So there I was, a size four, trying on the only boots that would fit my calves.  But they really didn’t fit very well and were mostly too big.

Then someone finally figured out the wide-calf public wanted LEATHER BOOTS.   So brands began making a hybrid boot.  Leather in the front, but ALL with a stretch panel in completely different material all over the back.  Better, but still not perfect!  It was basically like you screaming, “Hey! My calf is too big to fit in a normal boot.  So check out this panel that stretches to fit me!” Denied.

So FINALLY.  Larger-calf girls rejoice!!  Brands have heard us!  There are SO MANY gorgeous options for us now, all with differing styles, materials, colors, and heels.  The world is your oyster!  There are over-the-knee, booties, mid-calf, and regular height boots that fit a larger circumference of calf.  Check out my starting points for picking the perfect boot and then shop to your heart’s content by clicking on the pics of boots or the links below and commence feeling fab and fashionable!

Tips for Picking the Perfect Wide-Calf Boot

1. 1. Measure your calf.  Most manufactures of wide-calf boots realize we need to know the circumference of the boot to determine if it will work for us.  Measure your calf at its widest part and ensure you will get the fit you desire.  Don’t focus on them being at least an inch or two bigger than your calf.  Leather will stretch a bit, and some styles are intended to be slouchy where some are intended to be tighter.  Depending on how you plan to wear it (under jeans, over tights, just on skin), you can probably wear a variety of sizes.
   2. Read the reviews.  Not all manufacturer descriptions are 100 percent accurate. I always rely heavily on reviews of other consumers to complete my purchases.  Sometimes the calf might fit, but it’s excruciating in the toe box.  Sometimes it claims it’s wide-calf and a reviewer will list her calf size and say it’s a lie! Ha!  Take them all with a grain of salt, though, because there is always that one person that will complain about everything.  Read the reviews and take the general consensus.
   3. Buy from a place with free shipping and returns.  I have been known to purchase five pairs of boots and return every single one.  Boots are like jeans.  You really do not know how they’re going to fit until you zip them up on your own leg.  Buy from a place with free shipping and returns so you have ZERO regrets if they don’t work.  You might have to kiss a lot of frogs, but the end result will be worth it!
   4. Wear the clothes you plan to pair with your boots during try on.  Do you plan to wear jeans underneath the boots?  Just tights?  Leggings?  Skin?  Try the boots on with that exact look.  If it isn’t perfect, SEND THEM BACK!  The perfect pair is out there for you.  Don’t settle!

Naturalizer Dempsey Boot • Naturalizer • $209.95
Brinley Co. Womens Wide Calf Vintage Almond Toe Over-the-knee Boots • Co • $64.99
Brinley Co. Women’s Faux Suede Wide Calf Over-the-knee Lace-up Brogue Boots • Co • $59.99
Brinley Co. Women’s Over-the-knee High Heel Faux Suede Wide Calf Boots • Co • $54.99
Isaac Mizrahi Live! Wide Calf LeatherRiding Boots • Isaac Mizrahi • $78.83
Brinley Co. Women’s Round Toe Faux Suede Tall Wide Calf Boots • Co • $52.64–54.99
Franco Sarto Leather Wide Calf Tall Shaft Boots- Arlette • Franco Sarto • $91.14
Franco Sarto Over the Knee Wide Calf Leather Boots – Ollie WC • Franco Sarto • $225
Franco Sarto Wide Calf Suede Over-the-KneeBoots – Crimson • Franco Sarto • $171.14
Naturalizer Dev Buckle Strap Boot • Naturalizer • $199.95
Franco Sarto Suede Wide Calf Tall Shaft Boots -Christine • Franco Sarto • $85.28
Propet Women’s Tessa Medium/Wide/X-Wide Boot • Propet • $129.99
Frye Jayden Button Tall Wide Women’s Boots • Frye • $279.99
Frye Shirley Over-The-Knee Wide Women’s Boots • Frye • $249
Marc Fisher Suede Wide Calf Tall Shaft Boots -Kimmee • Marc Fisher • $64.10
Marc Fisher Wide Calf Suede Over-the-Knee Boots- Elanie • Marc Fisher • $121.98
Sam Edelman ‘Penny’ Boot • Sam Edelman • $149.90
Brinley Co. Womens Wide Calf Slouchy Buckle Detail BootNaturalizer Jinnie Tall Boot • Naturalizer • $149.96
BELLA VITA Talina II Belted Knee High Boot • Bella Vita • $105–115
Blondo Velvet Waterproof Riding Boot – Wide Width Available • Blondo • $119.97
Cole Haan Katrina Riding Boot (Regular & Wide Calf) • Cole Haan • $119.97
Dr. Scholl’s Brilliance Wide Calf Women’s Boots • Dr. Scholl’s • $115
JOURNEE COLLECTION Journee Collection Tilt Knee-High Riding Boots – Wide Calf • Journee Collection • $89.99
Vince Camuto Patria Tall Boot – Wide Calf Available • Vince Camuto • $99.97
Vince Camuto Bestan – Wide Calf Women’s Boots • Vince Camuto • $117.95
Sam Edelman Penny 2 Wide Calf Women’s Zip Boots • Sam Edelman • $149.85
Dr. Scholl’s Brilliance Wide Calf Women’s Boots • Dr. Scholl’s • $115
Born Poly Wide Calf Knee High Boot (Women’s) • Børn • $239.95
Frye Frye | Shirley Otk Wide Calf | 6.5 us | Black • Frye • $498
Ariat Vaquera Cowboy Boots • Ariat • $229.95
Marc Fisher Locket Wide Calf Over The Knee Boot – Women’s • Marc Fisher • $99.99
Naturalizer January WC Women’s Dress Pull-on Boots • Naturalizer • $98.98
Hunter Women’s Original Wide Fit Refined Tall Boots • Hunter • $165
Hunter Women’s Norris Field Rain Boots • Hunter • $75–150
Hunter Women’s Norris Field Side Adjustable Boots • Hunter • $80–16

 

I hope this post helps some ladies out there who wondered if boots like this existed.  They DO!!  Let me know if you buy any of these and love them and if you find any other ones you would recommend!

XOXO

Elisha