The (Happy) Ending to My Riding Boot Saga

The most read post on this blog, by far, is my review of the Tory Burch 'Brita' Riding Boots. Apparently, other people can relate to the trials of boot shopping (that or people just really enjoy others misery). What I haven't shared is that this has not been my only boot-buying failure. It's almost as if, in some universe, I looked at a pair of boots wrong and someone decided I would have to suffer a 7 year month dry spell. (That or boots are just really hard to shop for. But, I prefer the karmic, universe boot-slap theory)

I tried the J.Crew Field Boot, but it's as if J.Crew mixed up the patterns and made a leather wellie instead of a riding boot. Next up were some House of Harlow boots that were oddly tight, even on my small calves (though if they work on you, you can snap them up on Last Call for a ridiculously good price). I'm pretty sure there were some late night impulse purchases that I later returned once I saw them in the light of day. And so on, and so on . . .

In my desperation, I even tried to justify these Loeffler Randall Matilde boots (not at all appropriate for a student's budget). Then, I saw these:

Cole Haan Russell Boot

Petite friendly 14.75 inch shaft? Check

Slight heel: Check

Nice cognac color: Check

Could they ship in time for the polar vortex? Check

I'm not going to say that angels sung when I put these on, but it was pretty close. Miracle of miracles, they are the first pair of boots that I've put on that I could really see working. Some little touches that I like: There is a bit of hidden elastic on the shaft, which means that they stretch to accommodate additional winter layers or thicker pants. The soles are leather, but include rubber inserts which helps protect the soles in winter weather and also provides extra grip when you're walking. (Important if you're like me and tend to slip and fall a lot). Also, I like the ankle straps, which the Tory Burch boots also had.

How do they compare to the Tory Burch boots that stole my heart? In all honesty, I would say that between the two, if the Tory Burch boots had worked on me, I would prefer them--I think the styling is a little more classic and the leather did look nicer. And, like all first loves, they're hard to get over. However, these Cole Haan's come pretty close. They meet all of my criteria in terms of color and fit and are within my price point. Wearability is also a big plus. It helps that I can actually sit down in these.

In terms of style, the color is a little lighter and less lustrous than the Tory Burch boots. The styling is also less formal. One thing that I prefer about the Cole Haan's is that they feel more like a casual everyday boot, but they can also be dressed up. In contrast to the Tory Burch's which definitely felt a little dressier.

And, in case you want to compare the picture to how they look on a real person (excuse the poor lighting and the quality of my iPhone 4S, but I didn't want to distort the color).