JJ Footwear Wide Calf Boots Review

Knee high boots are a must-have item for every woman’s wardrobe. That includes plus size women. Unfortunately it can often be difficult to find quality boots that fit the calves. JJ Footwear, “Dutch women’s fashion boot company”, can appreciate our plight and have recently opened up a website to serve customers in the United States and Canada. They asked me to review a pair of their boots for Five Favorite Things.
JJ Footwear makes “high-end, classic-styled womens boots” that are available in multiple calf sizes. They are “an 80-year old family-owned company based just east of The Hague in The Netherlands” and have been “making quality shoes and boots for over 80 years.” They fit feet 5.5 to 13.5 US (not all boots are in all foot or calf sizes). At this posting the cost for one of the twelve custom boot designs is $295 and there is no extra cost for shipping or returns.
I had such a hard choice choosing from the twelve styles offered as I liked most of them. I finally settled on two pair — the Elin and the Jordaan. To break the tie I did a Twitter vote and the final winner was the Elin in black (seen at right).

Ordering

To order the size I needed I went with a pair a boots I already owned. There was some confusion on my part as the size tag gave US and EUR sizing that didn’t match the website. I emailed customer service for guidance and heard back within a few days along with an apology for the late replay and an explanation on sizing which cleared things up. Once I had my shoe size I needed to measure both my calves. I entered both these numbers and received a final size that the company uses to fit the boots.
The ordering process was simple enough but the sizing had a combo choice which included the one recommended to me and what appeared to be a smaller choice which I found confusing. I continued on but put a note about the sizing with my payment info. As a new customer I had the option of registering or making a purchase as a guest. I chose the guest feature which was pretty quick. I was transferred to Paypal and the deal was done within a few minutes.
The boot order was completed on January 25 at 10:30 pm and the boots arrived on January 29 at 2:13 pm. All the way from Holland! I confirmed shipping details with the marketing people to see if it would be the same for everyone and was told: “3 to 5 days from shipment from our warehouse in Holland – Fed-X came up with some sort of arrangement and it’s been working great. We originally thought it would take from 10-14 working days, but good old Fed-X came through!” They certainly did.
The boots were double boxed. The outside one was damaged but the inside box protected the boots. The boots were stuffed with tissue and cardboard cut outs to help keep their shape in transit.

The Boots

The Elin boot is made from “buffed calf leather” and has a “rounded, pointed toe”. They are lined with felt fabric. Down the back of the calf is a deep elastic. They have a full zipper on the inner calf and there are two adjustable buckles; one on the ankle and one on the calf. The thick sole has some moderate tread embossing.
They are pretty form fitting. Thankfully the elastic back is forgiving on the one leg. Before ordering I was actually concerned that the ankles would be slouchy because I have small ankles in comparison to my calves but they are a good fit. I was a bit impatient to try them on so they were probably quite firm from being cold (it’s -15 C today) but so far I’m impressed.
They have a comfortable but fashionable heel (1 1/4″) that is easy to walk in. This is definitely an everyday boot. There is a thin felt lining that is remarkably warm. At -15 C my feet legs were not the slightest bit cold and on the opposite end they didn’t feel the slightest bit overheated either.
After the first day my left ankle, which has a previous injury, was a bit sore but overall no foot discomfort. They fit my feet perfectly and were comfortable to walk in.
I like the unique design with the buckles and elastic back (see picture insert in left corner). If I could go back and order them again I would probably order them with an extra inch around the calf to accommodate a skinny jean. As it stands they are strictly bare leg or tights. I don’t want to cover them up with pants because they are too pretty.
Overall, I’m quite happy with the Elin boots from JJ Footwear in terms of fit, wear, and fashion. If you have any questions about these boots please feel free to ask and I’ll respond in the comments.
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