October 17, 2012

Woes of a chubby calf posseser.

I'm going to be totally honest with you, today I am mourning something utterly ridiculous.

I have chubby calves. This is a fact of life that I deal with the best I can. Really what it means is that I can't wear super skinny pants because my calves don't fit in them. It also means that I can't tuck my pants into my rain boots and that I can't, as a rule, wear tall boots. Looking at my calves you probably wouldn't peg them as particularly large, but they just come in size large. Not extra large, just large. This is my lot in life and I'm okay with it.

Because tall boots are very in vogue, and have been for the past couple years, I had a heck of time finding myself a nice pair of leather boots that not only fit me well and without a heel, but didn't have to compete for air space with my calves. Last fall I did. They were gorgeous, leather, black, a little slouchy, and within my under $100 price range. Factor in the tax and they were hovering just a little over. It was a match made in boot heaven.

I was so excited about my new, gorgeous boots that I may have gushed about them to everyone I knew. I did it! I found nice boots that fit my chubster legs! And they're nice enough to wear to work and with dresses. Ah, booted bliss.

Or so I thought.

The sole of my boots is underneath the boot part. Meaning it doesn't creep up the heel or back of the boot at all. This resulted in some wear on my right heel from driving. No big thing. It's a little inconvenient, but that just means I don't drive wearing my right boot. Easy peasy.

Well, yesterday I began to notice things falling apart. Literally. The wearing on the back of the right heel is getting more and more intense and there's a tiny hole. The left boot has a much smaller version of this wearing. I stuck my hand inside to feel what was going on and I was disappointed when I realized that the lining by my heel is pretty much worn right through. I used the left boot, which seems to be faring much better, for comparison. Yep, righty is starting to die.

I'm so disappointed! I'm even a little upset. I figure I probably need to take my boots down to the cobbler to see if anything can be done (I'm doubtful) to prolong their livelihood. It took my two years to find a nice pair of boots that I thought were going to last me at least two years themselves (at least!), but it turns out they only lasted one.

Sure I packed on the kilometers in them and made sure they got good use, but the wear is in the heel, not the sole. I don't baby my soles (I don't even know if that's possible) but I sure as heck baby my heels. Apparently for no reason whatsoever. Soft leather, apparently, does not do well over time.

The ironic thing is that my mom has a pair of boots from the same store that are roughly the same age as I am. They need insoles because the bottom is doing something weird, but I wear them all the time. Because they're so old they aren't the nicest looking, as in I'm not sure I would wear them to work, but they work great. The toes are a little worn so my feet get a bit damp when walking through wet grass and they could use a good polish (no thanks...), but aside from that they're great. They even have a half inch heel that makes me feel like a giant. When you don't wear heels, anything makes you feel like you're towering.

So woe is me. I need to start the epic boot hunt of 2010/2011 all over again. Luckily this time Karl agrees with me that it's probably worth it to put out a bit more money and get something that will actually last a few years. The irony being, of course, that I have a pair of sandals I spent $25 on three years ago that are still doing great. And yes, they are poor quality. Or that my $25 flats I bought from Aldo around the same time as my boots last year are still in perfect condition. Or, even, that my checkered wanna be Vans that I bought at the ripe old age of 15 are still, more or less, in functioning condition. And they cost me $5. Sure, I wouldn't wear them on a rainy day, but they got me where I needed to be countless times. I probably had six years of hole-free wearing on those bad boys.

Oh price, why don't you dictate quality?

7 comments:

  1. My cousin put out a query on Facebook the other day wondering about boots for larger calves. Somebody linked to this site:
    http://www.roamans.com/Plus-Size-wide-calf-boots.aspx?DeptId=9372
    And somebody else mentioned Addition Elle.

    Also, if you go to the cobbler, maybe you can ask if there is a way for boots to be stretched or something to fit?

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    1. That makes total sense. Calves, like people, sometimes come in bigger sizes.

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  2. Omg I have the same problem!! I don't even think my calves are that huge, they match the rest of my legs. And, it's not like I'm ginormous. Why oh why don't boots fit?! The ONLY boots I've found that fit are a pair of Nine West boots that are suppose to be a little oversized, but are tiiiiiight on me. Le sigh.

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  3. I have the same boot related issue! I would be sad too, wishing you luck on your continued boot search, I ended up with a pair that have super stretchy tops, but I have also heard of ladies having their boots 'stretched' at the cobblers to fit their calves. Good luck!

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  4. This is so true. I just bought a pair from Bakers though that are adjustable on the sides. Might work for you?! Thanks for linking up!

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  5. Hi! I'm a new follower from the walkabout, excited to follow your blog! :)

    Jen @ kyleandjensmith.blogspot.com
    The Adventures of our Army Life

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  6. Hey lady I nominated you for a blog award!!
    It's on my blog today! :)

    ReplyDelete

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