Cardigan Empire

Salt Lake City Fashion Stylist

Dear Empress: How Do I Find Boots for Wide Calves?

Dear Empress,

“My calves are 17” around. Regular boots don’t fit and plus sized boots are way too big. Help!“

-Made for Boots
(aka Samurai Mom)

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Dear Made for Boots,

The standard boot has a 14 inch leg opening and plus size boots can extend up to 20 inches. Your stalwart stems deserve better than droopy enclosures or asphyxiation by vinyl. Below is a solution to your in-the-middle mire:

one. Measure your calves. While you’ve obtained this vital integer, many buxom gams are uncounted. The squishy definitions of wide calf or plus size are highly ambiguous, so you’ll need to arm yourself with specifics.

Find the widest rim of your calf and discover how many inches surround it. Measure both legs and use the larger of the two. This will act as a generally helpful guide. However, if you’re investigating an explicit boot, find the boot’s shaft length and measure at this height on your own leg. This is particularly important if you’re investigating an over the knee or a shortie boot, or if you’re petite since the boot will most definitely enclose a completely different section of your lower limb.

two. Shop virtual. There are vastly more flexible soles online than in retail stores. Armed with the information gathered above you will be able to remotely assess fits prior to ordering. For best results search specifically for wide calf boots and explore the diversity available at both online shoe emporiums and the shoe area of plus-size merchandisers.

three. Opt for stretch. If your dream boot is just shy of your ideal, all is not lost. Following repeated wear, real leather will stretch. Other swelling options include gusset panels and lace ups which can be re-laced with longer laces.

four. Alter as needed. If they’re only an inch or two shy of perfection, take your booties to your local cobbler. A moderate adjustment can be made on the boot stretcher, more extensive enlargements may require the addition of gore gussets or panels of new leather at the seams.

Suggestions

Endless.com offers an a filter specifically for wide calf boots:

Here were a few of my favorites for you:



Best to you in your boot hunt,
Empress

Feed me fashionably fresh

Comments

  1. Now I have to conquer the heel part and I am set to wear all those cute boots like your sisters wear. Love you and Coco!
    Any problems with this post will be credited to Lan-Lan.

  3. I have been looking for lace up boots like the first picture. Can you share who sells those?

  4. Do you know if you can have boots taken in? I can never find boots to fit my slender calves.

  5. Excellent post. With my own 18″ calves, I know how hard it is to find a good pair of boots that fit, but it certainly is do-able. After months of searching I now have a pair that will probably need resoled soon because I wear them so much.

    May I also recommend:

    http://www.widewidths.com/

    and also this UK-based store:

    http://www.duoboots.com/

  6. There’s a British company called duoboots.com that does wide AND skinny fit boots. They can be a bit breathtakingly spendy, but the pair I have are really nicely made.

  7. Thanks for these tips! I needed them, because my calves are 16 inch. wide.

    Love the laced-up boots!
    -FringeGirl

  9. Natalie dear,
    If after measuring you are unable to find a match online, you can indeed have a cobbler take the width of your boots in.

  11. What about those with slender calves? Say 12-13 inch around…. Are there ANY of those our there or do I need to take up running? 😉

    Chelsea

  14. Very nice article about wide calf boots & how to get best quality, and affordable boots.