Better in Boots

Welcome to Boot School!

Here is some information on boot sizing, basic styling tips, how to walk in high heels and how to avoid buying counterfeit boots, followed by a little boot history for true afficionados.

SIZING
There are three measurements you’ll be interested in when you buy a pair of boots: heel height, shaft height and calf width. There is a fourth category which is very important to some of you, and that is foot width. Finally, for those buying overseas brands, you’ll want to know your size conversion for boots, particularly for those made in the UK and on the European Continent.

Heel Height: A standard “high” heel is around 3 inches. Whether you go higher or lower depends on your preference and comfort. A few things to keep in mind: Heel circumference is a factor, since, for most women, 3-inch stilettos are more challenging to walk in than wider 3-inch stacked heels. Also, the under-the-toebox platorm is extremely popular these days. So if 3 inches is as high as you’re comfortable going, a boot with a 4-inch heel and a 1-inch platform under the toe will still feel like you’re walking on 3-inch heels.

Shaft Height: There are three basic categories of boot shafts 1) Ankle boots and booties, which hit anywhere from just below the ankles to over the ankles. 2) Mid-calf to knee high boots, and 3) Over-the-knee boots. Ankle boots and booties are pretty simple since you don’t have to worry about how and where they hit you on the calf. The second two categories are different. Now that we can buy boots over the internet, you will save time and frustration if you know the length of your own legs! Sit down with your knee bent at a 90° angle and measure your leg from the bottom of the heel to your knee. A boot’s shaft height is, by definition, the length of the boot from the bottom of the boot (not including the heel) to the top of the shaft. Most companies give the shaft height of the boot so you can tell in advance where that boot is going to hit you on your leg.

Calf Width: You will save yourself much time and frustration if you take 5 minutes, sit down and, using a soft tape, measure around your calf (the circumference) at its widest point. Measure both legs, and if one is wider, use that number as your final. If you regularly wear thick leggings or jeans inside your boots, eather wear them while measuring or simply keep this fact in mind when you buy your boots. Standard knee high-boots have a shaft with a 14-inch circumference and again, most online stores list this number with the boot. When buying, keep in mind the boot material. Good leather will stretch a bit and some boots have elastic material near the shaft. Other boots have buckles and other closures that allow adjustment of calf width. Much like clothing, you will find that different footwear designers tend to favor different calf widths. Even if a boot is listed as having a 14-inch circumference, these things are often not exact (much like a size 6 dress from one company is often larger or smaller than a 6 from another). If your calves are roughly average in width, it will just mean finding the designers that tend to fit you. If your calves are extra thin or wide, the you will want to look for labels that cater to this, or even look into custom-made boots.

Foot Width: People with narrower or wider than average feet obviously find it more challenging to buy footwear they like. The width of your foot is taken at its widest part when you are standing. Most women’s footwear comes in a standard medium width size “B”. For whatever reason, narrow shoes are labeled “AA” and wide shoes labeled “C”. Some stores and designers carry different widths and, where possible, that is addressed in this site.

Size Conversion: US sizes have a different scale from those in the UK, which are different from those in Europe and other parts of the world. Follow this link to Overstock.com for a full convesrsion chart.

HOW TO WALK IN HIGH HEELS

Nothing ruins a beautiful pair of high-heeled boots more than a poor gait. Boots were made for walking, and the video below will show you how!

BOOT STYLES

How Far We've Come: The "Valenki" boot was a felted boot worn by Russian peasants in previous centuries. They required rubber gloshes when the weather was wet.

Boots have evolved over the centuries and today, different designers use counless names and terms to describe the style of boots they offer. But just as the history of art is important, so is the history of fasion. Not only important, but interesting. As they say, “if you don’t know where you’ve been, it’s hard to know where you’re going!” Following are the basic boot styles:

Chelsea boots:
Tight-fitting, ankle-high boots that originated in the Victorian era, and were originally associated with horse riding. (Also referred to as paddock boots or jodhpur boots). The most notable feature of the Chelsea boot is its elastic siding, running from the heel to the top of the shoe.

Cowboy boots:
A specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. There are two basic styles. The “Western” or “classic” have a rounded to pointed toe, high shaft and an angled “cowboy” heel usually over one inch high (to hook over the stirrups!). They are made of cow-hide but sometimes exotics such as alligator or lizard. A newer design, the “roper” style, has a short boot shaft that stops above the ankle but before the middle of the calf, with a lower heel.

Go-go boots.
Women’s boots which first became popular in the early 1960s. Up until that time, women typically only wore tall boots for activities such as work, riding, or going out in inclement weather. The idea of a tall women’s mainstream fashion boot was revolutionary. André Courrèges is often cited as the originator of the fashion go-go boot: a low-heeled, calf-high boot made of white plastic with a clear cut-out slot near the top was featured in his Fall 1964 collection. The term “go go” is from the French “à gogo” which means in abundance or “galore”. The term referred to some thing that was all the rage–and at the time it was min-skirts and these new-styled boots.

Mukluks.
Soft boot traditionally made of reindeer skin or sealskin and originally worn by Arctic aboriginals. Mukluks weigh little and allow hunters to move very quietly. They may be adorned with pompons and beads and may be lined with furs such as rabbit, fox and raccoon. Modern designers have borrowed the style of these traditional boots for their fashion lines, and they have rivaled Ugg boots in being a popular casual boot for winter.

Hessian boots.
With origins in Hesse, Germany, this style of boot became popular in the 18th century. Initially used as standard issue footwear for the military, especially officers, it would eventually become widely worn by civilians. The boots had a low heel, and a semi-pointed toe that made them practical for mounted troops as they allowed easy use of stirrups. They reached to the knee and had a decorative tassel at the top of each shaft. The Hessian boot would evolve into the rubber work boots known as “wellies” and the cowboy boot.

Wellington Boots.
Also known as rubber-boots, wellies, or rainboots are a type of boot based upon leather Hessian boots. It was worn and popularised by Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, becoming a fashionable style emulated by the British aristocracy in the early 19th century. The boot thus became known in British English, as the “Wellington”.