These Boots are Made for Walking,,,,

 

Boots! Boots! and Boots (and in that order)!

Today, I want to talk about boots! Boots are one of the main reasons that I love fall and winter! I love all types of boots, but my favorite are tall boots. There is only one problem: my calves! I am about a size 12 now, but the last time that I bought boots I was about a size 18 and 250lbs. The average boot will have a calf size of about 14-15 inches. If you are plus size or athletic, your calves are more than likely bigger than this. 

Once upon a time...

At 250lbs, I ventured out on a shopping excurstion to find the perfect boots. My first stop was DSW shoes.When I walked in I was in utter amazement! They had such a large number of choices! I was like a kid in a candy store. How would I be able to decide what pair to get?  Then I started devising a plan in my head on how I was going to convince my husband that I may need 2-3 pairs instead of just one.

I started browsing through the boots, then I started trying some on. The first pair I could not get zipped over my calves, no luck with the second pair, third pair was not a charm and so on and so on.  I probably tried on 10 pairs in a row that did not fit.  

All kinds of thoughts started going through my head: They don't make boots for somebody as fat as me (please don't get offended by my use of the word "fat", I am just recapping what was going on in my head)! What am I going to do this winter with no boots? How will I survive? What am I going to wear? Will I be shoeless?

In panic mode, I began to search frantically for an employee. I found her and explained my dilema.  She looks at me with loving and compassionate eyes and says she can help me. I looked at her with hopeful eyes, I felt like she would not let me leave that store without completing my mission.  She explained to me that a lot of women have this issue. Some that are even smaller than me.  She said she has noticed over the last few years of working at DSW, the manufacturers have starting making the calf sizes even smaller (I am not sure if this is true or not).  She showed me that some of the boots had a "W" on the box, and told me that it means that they are made for women with a wider calf.  

So, I started trying some of those on.  The first pair was a bust, couldn't zip the second pair up.....THIRD PAIR WAS A CHARM!!!! Hallejuah! I found a pair that I could wear and I actually liked them too! I was almost in tears! I wanted to run around the store and do praise dance! So, I paid for them and ran like the wind to my car! I would not be shoeless for the fall and winter! All was right with the world again! Except that my husband thought I was a lunatic after this experience.

After I fell off my cloud and the euphoria wore off, I thought if I have this problem, I know other women do too! Now that it is time for me to buy new boots, I figured it would be helpful if I shared with my other thick legged sisters!

The pair of boots that I bought at DSW (by the way the brand was Chinese Laundry) on that glorious day lasted 2 years. I wore them so much that they probably shouldn't have lasted that long.  I was also so traumatized from that experience that I did not even try to find another pair the entire fall and winter! So now I am on the hunt for new boots! Not just one pair, but 2-3 pairs. And now that I am smaller, I hope that it won't be as difficult. But, I've always had thick thighs, even when I was what would be considered skinny.  My legs and bottom are the heaviest parts on my body.

I started looking for boots in July. I know this sounds crazy, but when I bought boots 2 years ago I waited 'til the end of September and a lot of the boots had already been bought and picked through. So, this year I wanted to get a head start.

Price and Quality

I love me a good bargain! I live for it! However, I do believe that when it comes to boots, you get what you pay for.  The leather, higher quality boots are going to be the more expensive.  There are some good man-made material boots out there, but I do prefer leather. At places like DSW, Macy's, Dillard's etc. the real leather boots start around $90.00. 

Color

If I could only pick one pair of boots for this year, I would chose a brown pair.  It is totally okay to mix brown and black now! I actually love the way black and brown look together. So, a good brown pair can go with just about anything! 

Tell me where to find my boots please!!!

My favorite place to purchase boots is DSW. They have a great selection in the stores and they also have a great online selection. They also have a broad price range. Here are some other places I have found that you can find boots to fit larger calves: 

Some of the places that I have mentioned are more expensive than others, but I think whatever your price range is, you will be able to find a pair at one of these places. You may be surprised that eBay made my list.  Don't sleep on eBay people, it's a pretty good place to shop.  You can find almost anything on there new and used. They have an awesome selection of boots right now!

If you decide to order online, the first thing that you need to do is figure out the size of your calves (duh?). You will need one of these:     

 Measuring your calves is a pretty simple and painless procedure. All you need to do is measure around the widest part of your calf. But here's something you may not know: If you're 5'3" or shorter, you need to add another inch to this measurement. Why? Because, generally speaking, boots get wider closer to the top of the boot. If you're short, the widest part of your calf is going to be down lower than someone who is tall. So will need to  get a wider boot than someone who is 5'8", even if you have the exact calf circumference as that person.  Also, be sure to measure both calves, one could be bigger than the other.  Keep in mind: In most cases, the bigger the boot size, the wider the calf will be. Below is a good chart to go by:

Wide Calf" Shoe Designation	U.S. Shoe Size	Calf Measurement
Narrow	5 - 9	12 - 14 inches
Medium	5.5 - 11	14 - 15 inches
Wide	6 - 12W	16 - 18.25 inches
ExtraWideor Super Wide	6 - 13WW	17.5 - 20 inches

No matter what size you are, every girl deserves a good pair of boots! Thank goodness that we have options! I am no expert, but I wanted to share some of my experience in this area.  I still plan on losing about 70lbs more, but while I am on this journey, I insist on being cute! Can I get an amen?!

My week in fashion....

I wasn't going to put this in , but some of my friends claim that they enjoy it. And I don't want to disappoint:

I really didn't wake up like that, but hey! That green necklace came from Walmart for only 5.00!!! My flats are Rue 21 and they were 2.00. My black and gold braclet is  a gift from Sheryl, owner of my fave store Shery's Hallmark.  I ordred my online from an Etsy shop. And brace yourselfs folks, I only paid 2.00 for the fabulous camo jeans I am wearing!!! They are Jordache and I got them from Walmart.

Fringe necklace came from JC Penny a few years ago.  Sandals are from Old Navy from a few years ago. Bracelet is from JC Penny. Watch is from eBay. And the jogger pants are from Rue 21.

I rarely shop at Goodys, but I decided to go in and see what was going on in there.  I found this beautiful floral top.  My husband and one of my besties did not like it when I showed it to them, but when I put it on and added my accessories all of a sudden they were singing a differen tune. The cute bracelet was a birthday gift from Sheryl's Hallmark. My long bow necklace (5.00) and earrings(2.88) both came from Walmart. 

This shirt is another great find from Goodys! I paid only 4.48 for it!! The necklace I got from an online boutique for 5.00 and my shoes are from American Eagle.

Honey, I love me some monograms! What is better than a monogram? A HUGE monogram!!! I bought this t-shirt at Walmart for $3.00 and took it over to Sheryl's Hallmark and had the monogram put on for only $8.00! Now, that is a steal! I like to mix colors so I added my green Walmart necklace.

I am signing off for now! This is my second post of the week.  If you haven't read the prior, I suggest that you do! Peace, love and blessings!