Belle Finds The Best Tall Boots

Nov 18, 2014

What do you do when your favorite brand of tall boots are sold to the people at Victoria’s Secret, who promptly start making them out of subpar materials and ruin them forever?  What.do.you.do?

You take your beloved Ciao Bella pair to the cobbler over and over again, until he tells you that it’s time to let them go.  So you order every pair of simple black boots you can find.  You travel to store after store solely to try on boots.

You decide that money is no object.  Cost-per-wear, Belle, cost.per.wear!  But not even the $687 Frye boots you try come close to the perfection of the pair you lost.  And it doesn’t matter anyway, because you need to eat this month…or do you?

Clearly, you’re starting to crack.

You give up.  You wear pumps and flats.  And then, you spot a Corso Como sale on Gilt.  You have credit, why not give their boots a try?

They arrive.  You stare into the box.  You’ve been disappointed so many times.  But you put them on…and they’re perfect.  Cue the angel chorus.

You stare at yourself in the mirror and think, “Am I dreaming?  A comfortable, simple boot for under-$75?  I thought these were an urban shoe myth!”

Snip20141117_20

Corso Como Rena Boots ($69)

But they’re very real.  These boots are simple and elegant–no buckles, no straps, no medallions.  The shaft is a good height, and a good width.  They’re comfortable out of the box.

So you run to your computer, buy the other color and order a back-up pair in black.  You know, just in case.

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  1. Brittnie says:

    Just wondering if you find that they run true to size. Thanks!

  2. JS says:

    🙁
    They are coming up as $119 for me.

  3. N says:

    Had the same issue with VS and also IDEELI sold them as well and they were terrible! About to order this boot but am only 5’3 and legs are on the shorter side. Don’t want them to be hitting my knee without being over the knee boots. Is the shaft so tall that I will have that issue? Thanks!

  4. YouSaucyMinx says:

    I had this moment with Avenue’s flat boots. I have very thick calves, and finding simple, comfortable, flat riding boots is next to impossible when they need to be extra wide width too. But i found them at Avenue for 40% off, and bought them in black, cognac, then an extra pair in black…just in case

  5. Sari says:

    Did you end up ordering a half size up as they recommend? That price seems too good to be true!

  6. Julie says:

    I’ve had the Corso Como boots for a year now. They’ve held up amazingly well after a snowy/salty winter in Maine and are so, so comfortable. Your column has made me consider ordering a “back up” pair.

  7. Rebecca says:

    I bought a pair of these Corso Como boots last year in black from Nordstrom. I love them with my whole heart. Belle is 100% right. I thought they were true to size, but my foot is long/narrow, so perhaps consider sizing up if you have a wide foot.

  8. Amber B. says:

    I usually wear 6 or 6.5 in shoes and they are sold out of 7 in black. How small is small? I don’t want to order and not be able to wear. Thanks!

  9. Katie says:

    Ended up buying boots. I went with a size up and figured I could wear thick socks. Better safe than sorry for me, since they aren’t returnable.

    I have black boots that are passable, so I grabbed them in the Brandy Florence color. Looks kind of like cognac, but other photos show them more brown. Thanks! I’ve been looking for new, tall, actual leather, boots. I have a nice pair of Nine West ones, but they’re heeled so I never wear them.

    Trying not to be tempted to buy more.

  10. Mags says:

    I’ve LOVED my corso como boots for ages- I have three pairs. One pair, I got at costco, about two years ago! They run true to size for me, and they have stood up well. The “gray” colorway is a tan/gray, which I much prefer to the too-orange tan that you see elsewhere.

    What I’m really here to say, however, is that Corso Como and Ciao Bella are from the same comapany! https://www.wwd.com/footwear-news/markets/womens-buzz-tracy-reese-magnanni-more-3044083

    • mags says:

      PS: I’ve never found them to run small! I order my normal size and wear with normal socks– the only reason to size up is if you’re wearing really thick socks.

  11. h says:

    Sold!!! Thanks for posting, Belle–can’t wait til mine arrive!

  12. Own these, love them! They have a wider than standard calf, which works so well for me. Amen!

  13. Sara says:

    Awesome! Please do let us know if you ended up buying half a size larger.

  14. I love the tone of this post because it totally mimics my own mental process when it comes to boots. It’s so hard to find a great pair, and mine are actually just starting to fall apart. And there’s nothing like them on the market. I think I’m going to have to go through the process you just went through to find a new pair as well. If only I had been smart enough to buy a back up pair like you did!

  15. K says:

    Belle, did you order a half size up as Gilt suggests?

    • Belle says:

      I’m in between sizes anyway, but I did order the bigger one. I wouldn’t be able to wear socks with them if I hadn’t.

  16. Alaina says:

    They have them in Cognac too under a separate listing: https://www.gilt.com/sale/women/fall-shoes-1610/product/179128634-corso-como-rena-boot

    I’ve yet to pull the trigger on these because I was unsure of quality, but I am definitely getting them when I get my next paycheck!

    Thanks, Belle!

  17. Layla says:

    Say it ain’t so! The black went back up to $109 and the brandy florence to $99.

  18. Amanda says:

    Yes!! I love Corso Como! I have a pair of black boots from them and a pair of nude pumps. So comfortable.

  19. KM says:

    I have two pair of Corso Como and I always size up in knee height boots. Something about my smallish size 6 foot and normal sized calves seems to work better in a 6 1/2. The 6 1/2 Corso Como fit snugly, but very, very comfortable and the cognac ones did survive the Midwest winter with minimal damage.

  20. Cara says:

    Hi Belle! Love these, wish I hadn’t JUST purchased a similar pair this weekend. Question: how do you care for your boots? The salted D.C. streets destroyed my favorite pair last winter.

  21. Caroline says:

    Got all excited until I saw they don’t come in smaller sizes. 🙁

  22. Amber B. says:

    I ended up buying the Cognac in 7 (sizing up a half size) and now am on the market for a black pair. 🙂 I’m crossing my fingers they fit!

  23. Michelle says:

    Mine came today! They’re definitely comfortable right out of the box, but I think they’re really wide through the ankle (but not the calf) so its a much less flattering shape than I expected. I have to keep them, but I don’t think they’re going to be my end all be all unfortunately. Thanks for the heads up!

  24. Sarah says:

    When I started reading I thought, “Oh I need to tell her to check out Corso Como,” and then I kept reading and saw you figured it out on your own. I got those last year and a slightly different style of light brown. Comfortable, cute, well-made and they don’t break the bank. It’s glorious!

  25. andrea says:

    I am normally between a 9 and 9.5, and I ordered the Rena boots in a 9. I definitely have plenty of room in the toes, but the boot does run fairly narrow. I expect this is fix itself though once I start breaking these in. Very comfy overall! The brandy florence color is a bit lighter than I expected though. Hope this helps!

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