WHERE TO BUY WIDE CALF BOOTS: MY TOP FIVE FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP

I have been waiting for this season for over seven months and I'm SO thrilled that it's finally BOOT SEASON! For those of us that wear plus sizes all around, it gets even  better because... it's finally WIDE CALF BOOT SEASON!

Basically, it's officially the season of: charmingly chilly temperatures (when you live in Arizona this is a big deal), layered clothing + prints (which means my outfit options have quadrupled), picking up pumpkin spice scones from Starbucks (the literal best) and making BOOTS the star of my wardrobe.

I don't need to wait until the December holidays roll around; this is the "most wonderful time of the year."

Luck has only been on my side once when it came to "stumbling across" a pair of boots that fit me perfectly; a pair of old black cowboy boots, found at Value Village over ten years ago. I still have them (though they're in desperate need of new soles) but as finding $12 boots in thrift stores that fit my 20.5" calves is incredibly rare, I've now become accustomed to shopping for wide calf boots online over the last decade.

In celebration of fall finally arriving, I would love to share my five favorite places to buy wide calf boots just in case you've been on the hunt for a perfect pair as well!



TORRID

I recently visited San Francisco for an event (interviewing Lindy West about Guys Grocery Games on a gorgeous stage... it was fun AF) and while there, the ridiculously talented Mary Lambert requested a brunch date since we were serendipitously in the same city for a grand 24 hours.

She showed up in a red and black plaid t-shirt dress and knee-high boots. An oufit SO babely that quite honestly... it left me speechless, and I wasn't the only one obsessed. I'll never forget waiting for our Lyft drivers outside of the restaurant and having passerby after passerby compliment—not her music or her poetry—but her boots. She giggled each time and then said "Thank you! They're from Torrid!"

I left the brunch feeling giddy (thanks to the hickory smoked chocolate + whiskey drink I ordered, to be sure) with the angelic echo of Mary repeating "They're from Torrid!" still ringing in my ears. I immediately visited Torrid's site and ordered a pair of boots of my own. No regrets; their boots come in Wide Calf and Extra Wide Calf and the pair I ordered fit like a dream.

(P.S. The boots in the header photo are their Faux Leather Buckle Boots that are absolutely amazing and I ordered a size 10 following their size chart. They not only fit my calves but the wide width soles means that I have room to use a gel insert which I always do when traveling with the knowledge that I'll be walking quite a bit.)


AMAZON

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As a fat babe who knows that there's no such thing as "standardized sizing", I live for Amazon wardrobe purchases. Always feeling reassured that returns are fast and free, I feel safe ordering almost anything from them and boots are no exception. Between the reviews and the product descriptions, my choices almost always work out and it leaves me infinitely grateful to have options upon options. I seleced four of my favorites that are wide and extra wide and linked them above (using my lovely affiliate links!) but there are SO many types to look at if you search for the size you need, usually available at an affordable price!

LANE BRYANT

Lane Bryant sponsored my first book tour many years ago and after requesting that I wear their clothing while traveling, I happily ordered several dresses, multiple pairs of fishnets and of course, some gorgeous knee-high boots. Trying them on was the first time that I ever experienced the comfort of boots (wide width and wide calf, no less) purposefully made for legs like mine.

I've since purchased several pairs (looking to eBay once the pair I loved was sold out on their site) and have worn the same style all over the world. From Boston to Brussels (and apparently Seattle one million times), their boots have made more cameos than any other shoe on my social media and are still a staple in my wardrobe.

WIDE WIDTHS

The only thing better than wide calf boots is Extra Wide Calf boots. The only thing better than Extra Wide Calf boots? Super Wide Calf boots and Super Plus Wide Calf boots! Wide Widths has boots for calves up to 24"+ and praise the Boot Gods for that! They also have a great resource guide for measuring your calves so that no matter what you order... you're guaranteed that they'll fit.

HALLELUJAH.


SIMPLY BE

Boots have always been (and still are for me) a sturdy necessity; made to last and endure whatever event they were created for whether it was farming, riding, or enduring the wettest kinds of weather. Simply Be has some great standard styles (I picked out a few of my favs above) but also have an amazing collection of decorative boots that are stylish as well as substantial. Add to that the fact that they offer several calf options: Curvy (19") to Extra Curvy Plus (23") as well as wide widths that range from D through EEEEE... well, you can't go wrong.

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Some close favorites that almost made the Top Five list: Naturalizer (not just for your Grandma anymore + they're super comfortable), Walmart (so many wide and extra wide options; they know how to dress a fat babe on a budget!) and you can even get kick-ass coupon codes here!, and Ariat (in case you're looking for cowboy style boots).

A quick note: If you're unfamiliar with how to shop for—and find your perfect size—when it comes to boots, this guide is incredibly helpful!

Curious if there's a way to make "straight sized" boots fit wide calves? Check out BootBand and their boot extenders. The world is officially your oyster!

Do you have a favorite place to buy wide calf boots that I haven't mentioned? Leave your recommendations below so everyone can find the boots that they've always dreamed of!