This page has very important information regarding proper measuring and we ask you to please measure your calf before placing your order to reduce the possiblity of having to return your boots!
The majority of our wide calf boots have a 14" - 15" high shaft and the heights are listed in each description. This refers to the height of the boot from the base of your bare foot NOT including any heels. Using a tape measure, please measure the circumference of your calf 14" - 15" up from the base of your foot to find your correct calf size. If there is a portion of your calf that is wider than that measurement, then please order using the larger of the 2 measurements. Since we have a very extensive selection of wide and extra wide calf boots to choose from, measuring your calf will reduce the likelihood of your having to return your purchase.
For our petite customers - 5'3" or under:
You will need to measure differently since boots are not made in petite sizes and they simply do not fit the same on someone that is 5 1/2 - 6 feet tall as on someone 5 feet tall (as with clothing). Please measure the circumference of your calf at its widest point instead of at 14 - 15" and order a style that is at least one inch larger because your calf is wider at a lower point in the boot than on someone who is taller.
Calf Size Categories
We have categorized our boots into three different classifications which are ONLY appropriate to our website since ours is the only site on the internet that lists the calf size for each foot size. Please remember that the width of the foot (the M for medium, W for wide or WW for extra wide) next to each foot size has no bearing on the calf size.
Each of our boots has it's category listed with it's name and description: Wide Calf - Calf sizes range from 16" for a size 6M to 18 1/4" for a size 12W. This category is the smallest of the wide calf boots and is for those of you that can "almost" fit into a standard calf boot (which usually have an average 15" calf size) but they are very tight on you or they need just a bit of extra room for the zipper to close. Extra Wide Calf - Calf sizes range from 17 1/2" for a size 6M to 20" for a size 13WW. Super Wide Calf - Calf sizes range from 18" for a size 6M to 21" for a size 13WW.
If, after measuring your calf, you find that your size falls between two different categories (e.g., Extra Wide Calf or Super Wide Calf), you have two options: you can order the smaller calf style if you need only 1” more in size and then have them stretched on a boot stretcher (or have the elastic gore enlarged by a shoemaker) OR you can order the next category and have them taken in at the seam by a shoemaker. Either of these choices will customize the boot to your specific calf measurements.
Every wide calf boot already comes manufactured with its own specific calf size and we are the only company on the internet that lists the calf sizes for each foot and shoe size. You cannot order a boot with a different calf size than the one shown for that particular style. Since we have a very extensive selection of wide and extra wide calf boots, you can be sure to find a style that will come as close to your calf measurements as possible.
If your calf is larger than any of the ones shown on our site
there are no boots at all made anywhere with wider calves than we carry unless they are custom made for you and that option is very expensive (at least $800). The majority of our wide calf boots are manufactured for us with an elastic gore near the zippers. A shoemaker can alter them for you by making the elastic gores larger or even adding more leather to the seams. Since our boots already have some of the widest calf sizes on the market to begin with (in calf sizes more than 4" larger than other boots), you don't need to add 6-7 inches of extra leather to a 15" calf boot. This is a very simple and inexpensive procedure and our customers have been doing this for many years.
Different Calf Shapes for Different Boot Shapes
One of the most important factors to take into consideration when ordering your boots is to look at the silhouettes of the boots we show on our site. Our boots are manufactured to offer a varied selection of different calf shapes to fit different leg shapes. By carefully looking at the contours of our boots, you will be able to distinguish which shape will be a better fit your calf.
Many of our customers, especially those of you who have never been able to find boots to fit, are under the impression that their boots should fit close to their ankles but this is not how boots generally fit unless they are stretch boots. These types of boots are the only ones that can fit this way since they conform to any calf shape because they are unstructured. All other boots are made to fit many different calf shapes and may not necessarily be fitted enough for each person's concept of how they should look. Please remember that ideally, all boots should have extra room in the ankles in order to allow room for movement when walking. If you look at pictures in catalogs and even at models wearing "standard" boots, you will notice that these boots do not fit anyone perfectly and if you feel that you want a leather boot that will be a closer fit, the only option you will have is to have a pair custom made for you. This is an extremely expensive ($800 - $1000) and hard-to-find option and you might want to consider having a pair of our boots altered once you receive them and you feel as if they are too full anywhere on the shaft.
The boots that have a more uniform shaft or the stretch boots should fit every leg shape, including those of you who have larger ankles or mid-calves and whose calf outline is more uniform and straight up-and-down. These styles should also fit those of you who have problems getting zippers on "standard" boots past your ankles or mid-calf. All of the boots with straight silhouettes to them and all of the low heeled riding boot styles are meant to have a fuller fit in the lower shaft. Low heeled boots - even in "standard" calf sizes - are not manufactured with smaller ankles.
Any boots that have more tapered and fitted shafts from the ankle through the mid-calf are noted and should fit ONLY those of you that have smaller ankles and mid-calves and those of you who do not have any problems zipping "standard" boots past the middle of the boot.
Since boots are manufactured to fit many different ankle and lower calf sizes, the ankles on ALL of these styles may not fit as tightly against you as you may want unless you have your boots custom made. Please remember that all boots must have extra room in the ankles in order to allow room for movement when walking. If you are interested in a tighter fit in this area, you may want to consider one of our non-structured stretch boots or to have your boots altered by a shoemaker as we mentioned above.
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