How to Choose the Correct Wide Calf Boot Size

This page has very important information as to how to find the correct wide calf boot size to fit you, especially if you are petite (5' 3" and under - please read below since if you are petite we recommend choosing a boot style which is an inch larger than your calf size). We ask you to please measure your calf before placing your order to reduce the likelihood or frustration of having to return your boots.

In order to measure your calf, you will need a tape measure to find the circumference of your calf at it's widest point. Please make sure to measure BOTH calves since one may be larger than the other and use the larger measurement to choose your boot category. If you do not have a tape measure, you may use a string or ribbon which you can mark at the correct circumference. You can then measure the string or ribbon with a ruler and use that measurement.

We sell 3 Calf Size Categories:
Our boots for wide calves are custom made for us in three different categories of calf sizes: WIDE CALF BOOTS, EXTRA WIDE CALF BOOTS and SUPER WIDE CALF BOOTS. These are ONLY appropriate to our website since they are made to our specifications. WideWidths.com is the only website on the Internet that lists the calf size for each foot size and width because we have tried to make it as easy as possible for you to choose the correct boot.

Foot Widths
Our boots come in foot widths ranging from mediums (M) to extra wides (WW). The letters next to the shoe size refer to the width of the foot NOT the calf:
M = Medium (regular) width foot
W = Wide width foot
WW = Extra wide width foot

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.

Every wide calf boot already comes manufactured with its own specific calf size and you cannot order a boot with a different calf size than the one shown for that particular style. If the style you are interested in has a smaller or larger calf size than you need for the shoe size you wear, you will need to choose a style in a different calf range. 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.

The calf size category is listed for each boot in it's name and description:
Wide Calf Boots - Calf sizes range from 16" for a size 6M to 18 1/4" for a size 12W. This category is the smallest of our wide calf boots and is for those of you that can "almost" fit into standard calf boots (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. The boots in this size range are generally made for us by Naturalizer and they do not make boots in larger calf ranges than this one.

Extra Wide Calf Boots - Calf sizes range from 17 1/2" for a size 6M to 20" for a size 13WW. The boots in this size calf range are generally made for us by David Tate and by Ros Hommerson.

Super Wide Calf Boots - Calf sizes range from 18" for a size 6M to 21" for a size 13WW. The boots in this size calf range are generally made for us by David Tate and by Ros Hommerson.

For our petite customers - 5'3" (160 cm) or under:
We recommend that you choose a calf size differently than a taller person since boots are not made in petite sizes and they simply do not fit the same way on someone that is 5 1/2 - 6 feet tall as on someone that is shorter. It is the same concept as the fit on ladies clothes that are not made in petite sizes. Please measure the circumference of your calf at its widest point instead of at the top of the shaft (at 14" - 15") and we suggest ordering a style that is one inch larger than your measurement because if you are petite, your calf begins to get wider at a lower point in the boot than on someone who is taller. This recommendation is based on our retail store observations from 1988 - 2006 and feedback from tens of thousands of customers since we began to sell wide calf boots online in 2001. It is accurate 95% of the time. If your torso is shorter and your height is in your legs, then you can choose a boot based on your actual calf measurements.

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) to the top of the boot. 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 calf boots and extra wide calf boots to choose from, measuring your calf will reduce the likelihood or frustration of your having to return your purchase.

If, after measuring your calf, you find that your size falls between two different categories (e.g., Extra Wide Calf Boots or Super Wide Calf Boots), 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.

If your calf is larger than any of the ones shown on our website 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 - $1000). Virtually all of our wide calf boots are manufactured for us with an elastic gore near the zippers which will expand and give you extra room and more comfort. A shoemaker can alter your boots 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 over 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 or shapes of the boots we picture on our website. 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 for your calf.

Many of our customers, especially those of you who have never been able to find boots to fit you before, are under the impression that their boots should be a "perfect" fit. Few, if any, women have a "perfect" fit in a boot. If you look at stars on TV, women wearing boots in the streets (yes, even those in "standard" calf boots!), pictures in catalogs, magazines and even at models wearing boots, you will notice that these boots do not fit anyone perfectly and wrinkles and gaps are commonplace and completely normal. If you feel that you want a leather boot that will be a "perfect" fit, the only option you will have is to have a pair custom made for you. This extremely expensive and a very hard-to-find option and you might want to consider having a pair of our boots altered once you receive them if you feel they are too full or tight for you anywhere along the shaft.

Please keep in mind that only a stretch boot can fit close against the ankles because they conform to any calf shape since they are unstructured. It is commonplace for the ankles in any pair of boots to be wrinkly or loose (baggy). Most riding boots almost always have straight silhouettes and the ankle therefore cannot be fitted whereas a boot with a dressier look to it (and most always one on a heel) has a more tapered ankle. All 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 on them. Please remember that ideally, all boots should have extra room in the ankles in order to allow room for movement when walking and wrinkles and gaps at the ankle of your boot are totally normal.

Boots that have a more uniform shaft or stretch boots should fit almost 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.

If any of our boots have more tapered and fitted shafts from the ankle through the mid-calf this will be noted in their descriptions and they should fit ONLY those of you that have smaller ankles and mid-calves and those of you who have no problem zipping "standard" boots past the middle of the boot but need the extra room at the top of the shaft.

Loose Fitting Ankles
Boots should always be a bit loose around the ankles and no boots should fit tightly against them. In order for the boots to fit you comfortably when you walk, you need extra space in them to move freely. If the boot is tight against your ankle they will dig into your ankles and they will hurt when you walk in them. The ankles on "standard" calf boots are also loose on women who wear those sizes. Since boots are manufactured to fit many different ankle and lower shaft 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. 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.

For those of you with athletic calves
At WideWidths.com we realize that many women who run, ride bikes, dance, etc. have well developed athletic calf muscles that make it hard to find a boot to fit them. Our entire collection of plus-calf knee-high boots is geared to all of you who do not fit into a "standard" boot and who need boots for athletic calves. All of our knee high wide calf boots can accommodate athletic calves and we ask that you follow the measuring instructions on this page in order to choose a pair of boots that will fit you perfectly.