Ecco’s Brussels Boots: Nay

What’s inside the Zappos box sitting at the top of the stairs for me to take to UPS tomorrow? Those pretty Ecco Brussels boots in Ascot Patent (see 11/13/08 post). It was a fun fling for a few days but then they let me down.

Here’s my scorecard:

•LOVED the gently pointed toe and narrow foot. They really fit my feet perfectly.
•LOVED the mottled gray color, and would have kept them even though I originally wanted a brown boot.
•LOVED the shiny, crinkly patent leather. It is very unusual.
•HATED the wide calf. This boot taught me about calf circumference (mine is 12.5”!!!). In the Zappos picture, the boot's calf looked pretty narrow, but was 15.5,” putting it on the larger side. Most boots seem to be 14" or 16." I took a (crappy!) picture of the gap between my calf and the boot. Maybe if I’d been planning on wearing them with pants stuffed in them. But I don’t have skinny jeans and was hoping to wear them under boot-cut pants or even skirts. As a backup, a British website (duoboots.com) offers 21 calf sizes, both thin and wide.

•HATED the heel. I don’t like clackers (from Devil Wears Prada). I go for rubber so I can sneak up on people – kidding! I like shoes that allow my foot to feel connected to the ground. These boots are hard rubber on the heel and softer rubber on the outsole. The Zappos description? Cemented, single-density latex outsole ...

My search for brown, thin-calved, rubber-soled boots continues!