Oh my goodness it feels like I’ve climbed my Mt. Everest!  I’ve been searching for a pair of cognac riding boots since 2012.  The only pair I’ve ever liked was my BP. Runway boots and nothing has ever come close.  I’ve probably purchased hundreds of pairs and they have all failed in one way or another.  Why is it THIS difficult to find a decent pair of petite friendly boots?  The struggle is REAL.  Also, I’ve been on the hunt for a pair of leopard flats to replace my beloved J.Crew ones that I have literally worn into the ground and I think I may have found a replacement!  So lots to share today!

Before we get into that, here are a couple of good weekend sales.  Get 50% off right now styles and 50% off sale styles at Ann Taylor with code: FALLCOLORS.  I’d recommend these Frannie suede bow pumps and these Carlene over the knee boots (have both and love).  Loft is having free shipping all orders plus get 30-50% off almost everything with code: HOORAY.  I ordered these modern skinny jeans to try.

Now on to these boots…they aren’t perfect but they are pretty darn close to what I’ve been looking for.

Measurements: Shaft = 15.5″, Circumference = 15″

The shaft height isn’t perfect and I wish it was 14 or 15″ but honestly after 6 years of searching for a good pair of cognac riding boots, I can look past it.  The circumference isn’t ideal either (prefer it to be 14″) however it looks pretty good over jeans.

SIZING/FIT

Sizing runs small which is weird for me to say about Ann Taylor shoes because they typically 1/2 size too big for me.  These boots fit me perfectly so I’d recommend sizing up 1/2 size especially if you want to wear thicker socks.

MATERIAL/QUALITY

I was shocked when I first opened the box and felt the leather.  OMG they are so soft!  I couldn’t believe it.  The leather is very high quality and after inspecting all the stitching and seams, I was thoroughly impressed.  Very well made.  I love how simple and classic the style is.  No crazy heel or clunky buckles.  It has a back zip with snap closure which makes it very easy to take on and off.  I also wanted to point out that the ankles are NOT baggy like most boots so this alone was a major win.

COLOR

I love love love the color.  I am SO picky when it comes to boots and these are the perfect shade of cognac.  The online photo has more of a glossy leather and hint of red but in real life, it’s way better.  I was hoping it wasn’t going to be as shiny as the stock image and luckily it wasn’t.  I can say without a doubt that these look 100% better in person.

COMFORT

There has never been another pair of boots that have come close to being as comfortable as my BP. Runway boots.  No joke, nothing!  I can usually tell right away whether or not my feet will hurt just based on walking around my house.  These seem very promising and I’m excited to wear them out once the weather cools down.  The footbed is padded and there’s no pinching or tightness around the toe area.  I have a feeling these will be very well loved.

My rental has the worst natural lighting so wanted to show you the true color of these boots without any editing.  This angle also gives you a good idea of how much gap there is around the circumference.  It’s a little hard to tell but it’s not bad when worn over jeans.  I have yet to try them on with bare legs but I’m guessing the gap will be more noticeable.  We shall see…

Boots: c/o Ann Taylor Adalie leather boots (size 5) | Jeans: Topshop (size 24×28) | Sweater: Maison Jules stripe bow trim sweater (size XXS)

I’m posting this photo of Milan photobombing me to show you why I get nothing done. LOL 🙂  I wanted to review these over the knee boots that I got recently (currently 50% off) but clearly I couldn’t get to it.  Ha ha!

Ok so leopard flats….second hardest thing to find besides boots!  My feet are weird, they hate flats. LOL I have very small feet and it doesn’t help that I’m in between a size 4.5 and small 5.  This makes finding flats impossible because they have to fit perfectly or else I will have blisters or the back slips off when I walk.  I’ve worn my J.Crew leopard flats for so many years and have never been able to find anything close.  I love them so much and hope they last just a little longer.  I came across these Marc Fisher shoes randomly when I was searching for something for Milan.

I was afraid the front would have too much toe cleavage but it’s just right.  Sizing runs small so size up 1/2 size.  If size 5’s fit me, then I always recommend going up 1/2 size.  They seem pretty comfortable and they don’t slip off when I walk.  The only downside I could find is that the leopard print is the only man made material out of all the available options.  All the other colors are either leather or suede.  The leopard print isn’t obnoxious either which I was pretty pumped about.  Love and would recommend!

Sweater: Maison Jules stripe bow trim sweater (size XXS) | Jeans: Banana Republic (size 24P) | Shoes: Marc Fisher Analia leopard flats (size 5)

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