Looking for the perfect fit? Autumn boots made for everyone
Fed up of not finding boots in her calf size, Erica Davies took matters into her own hands, she tells Caroline Leaper
Another autumn fashion season, another batch of must-have boots hitting the shops. Yet for many British women, myself included, it is usually easy to eliminate around half the choices on offer because of one specific design factor. Buying knee-high boots (or higher) presents many of us with a fit issue – a Cinderella story, except the trouble isn’t with the size of our feet, but rather our calves.
The average calf circumference on a pair of boots sold on the high street is 38cm, according to specialists Duoboots. The average woman, however, wears clothes in a size 16 – my own size 12-14 calves, for example, are 40cm at the fullest part.
It just doesn’t add up. There are no industry-wide standards when it comes to measuring boot shafts, and designers have to consider multiple variables because foot and calf sizes do not correlate. That said, the brands don’t help their customers. Most fail to specify a calf circumference in their online product descriptions, in the way that they would a heel height. It inevitably leads to uncomfortable yanking, followed by disappointment and, ultimately, returns from disgruntled shoppers. Enter Erica Davies, the former newspaper fashion editor turned influencer and author, with 179,000 Instagram followers. Last autumn, after trying on and sending back several pairs of boots, she shared her dilemma online, asking: “I can’t be the only one having this problem, can I?”
“I had a very specific idea of the fashion-forward boots I wanted, but I just couldn’t get something that fitted me,” explains Davies. “There were some 1970s-look Arket ones that were amazing, but I could literally only get them halfway up my leg. I’m a size 14 and I thought if I’m struggling, it completely cuts off anybody who wears a size 16 and over.” According to Davies, she was inundated with messages from other women who had also faced the same conundrum. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a response like it,” she says. “A lot of the replies were really moving – people saying it’s depressing and embarrassing to not be able to get boots on in a store, or being shamed by shop assistants telling them to look in specialist shops,” added Davies. “Some got in touch to say they have always had larger calves due to dancing, swimming and other sports; others would say, I’m a size 12, or an 18, and I’ve just accepted knee-high boots are not for me. I thought, there is a huge gap in the market here. People who really want boots, but are currently left feeling bad about themselves.”
Davies collated all of the feedback she received and researched what else is available on the market, before presenting her findings to the footwear buyers at John Lewis & Partners – one of her favourite retailers, and one she had worked with previously on a charity campaign.
Having heard off the record from buyers at other brands that most companies simply consider it too costly to cater to multiple leg sizes, Davies was unsure whether John Lewis might be receptive to the idea either.
The pitch, however, was a success and the resulting collaboration
‘I had a specific idea of the boots I wanted, but I just couldn’t get something that fitted’
launches nationwide next week on October 5. Davies’ collection comprises eight knee-high and two ankle boot styles, with comfortable block heels, or flat soles, chic almond toes and glossy coloured leathers.
“It’s easier to find traditional black and brown boots, but what I felt was missing was these gorgeous autumnal shades such as maroon and khaki, plus leopard and zebra prints that still go with everything,” says Davies. “It’s predominantly knee-highs, but the ankle boots have elasticated sides too, to allow for larger ankles.”
Smartly designed, the styles incorporate hidden stretch elements and the calf circumferences all measure 10 to 15 per cent larger than
the average John Lewis designs. Davies’ boots are also competitively priced, between £69 and £149. At the bespoke and designer end of the boot market, change is also afoot. Duoboots, founded in Frome in 1974, has for a long time been the only retailer making sleek boots that offer calf width choices between 30cm and 50cm, with prices starting at £155. As Davies points out, Duoboots is a destination for classic style – black riding boots and stretchy suede block heels.
This year, the brand hired Mary Alice Malone, of coveted shoe label Malone Souliers, as its new creative director to freshen up the offering. “I find it strange that size-inclusive companies are still considered niche,” says Malone. “Making lots of different sized boots means you have to carry a lot of stock, which is really hard for a business of any size to accommodate. “It’s also virtually impossible to make products that fit all body shapes because height and shape vary a lot from person to person, and that’s probably why more brands don’t do what we do,” she continues. “Personally, I love the technical challenges of perfecting the fit. For me, joining Duoboots is an amazing opportunity to create a product that meets the needs of more women.”
For those currently on the hunt for their perfect autumn boots, I can now reel off a list of must-haves that, I promise, will fit your calves. From Davies’ range at John Lewis, I’d pick the glossy blue Valerias and team them with a coat in just about any rich jewel colour. At Duoboots, Malone’s new Audrey riding style would look particularly good with indigo jeans tucked in, in black, or in wine mock-croc finish.
There are a couple of rarities to take note of elsewhere. Carvela’s Comfort collection has two surprisingly stylish black riding boot styles that are adjustable, and Marks
‘What I felt was missing was these gorgeous autumnal shades’
and Spencer has a lug-sole knee-high Chelsea boot, with a smart elasticated gusset down the side – a design feature that doesn’t always look good, but in this case has been well applied.
Davies says that posting about the impending launch of her collection prompted a further flurry of messages from followers who had previously struggled to find stylish boots that fit.
“People are really invested in this,” she says. “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a much more inclusive shopping experience.”