dress boots over leg brace??? (light, fashion, buy, cheap)

[catfancier]

hi --
a relative who wears a plastic brace around her calf wants to shop for dress boots with a zipper -- she thinks she'll be able to get them around her brace. she wants to hit the mall....i think this is a very low-percentage play. not to mention she needs a wide width. i really don't want to spend the day going from store to store ....

any ideas on a store that _might_ have something like this? I checked websites for macy's and dillard's and burlington coat factory (i could swear they had shoes but i didn't see any) and i didnt' see anything that might be feasible.

i'm inclined to think she'd have to go "cheap" rather than good leather expensive to make this happen...thoughts? thanks!!!

we're in houston if there's a good option....

[pitt_transplant]

I would call before you go and ask if they carry "wide calves" selection of boots. Some dont and some do. Zappos.com does. but you cant go and try it on really and its not cheap.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to get some flowy big palazzo pants?

[cb at sea]

Just take her and let her try stuff on...then she'll see whether is works or not. After a store or two, go get lunch!

[JanuaryGirl]

She could try plus-size shops with boots designed for wider calves.

However, assuming her other leg is smaller and doesn't have a brace, her best bet is to get a pair without a zipper, made of a decent quality leather, and take them to a good shoe repair shop. They will be able to stretch the one boot slightly and possibly put in a discrete elastic. However, this won't work with vinyl/cheap leather.

[anadyr21]

Seriously, she's wasting her time going into stores. It's hit or miss (mostly miss). Her best bet would be footsmart.com.

[vandi]

Try to be more optamistic about the sitution. Wearing the braces is a feat in it's. there are members of my family who are also required to wear a brace due to a neurological disorder. Try aking suggestions that will make her feel more confident ie. making the shirt she wears stand out, a funky hair cut, and some new makeup. don't call her failure before she even get an opportunity to try!!!!

[gentlearts]

A lot of plus sized catalogs sell wide calf boots.

[vandi]

Try to be more optamistic about the sitution. Wearing the braces is a feat in it's. there are members of my family who are also required to wear a brace due to a neurological disorder. Try aking suggestions that will make her feel more confident ie. making the shirt she wears stand out, a funky hair cut, and some new makeup. don't call her failure before she even get an opportunity to try!!!!

[WyoNewk]

If this brace is only worn on one calf, I think she's going to need to have some custom work done on it to fit that leg. Fashion boots are generally designed for a close fit, and if the shaft is wide enough to go over a brace, it's not going to fit the other leg.

What you might be able to do is find one that fits without the brace, then have a boot repair shop insert elastic goring on the inseam of the one to fit over the brace.

If you shop at a good-quality, established boot shop, you should be able to buy a pair on approval. Then take them to a good repair shop (the store owner/manager can probably recommend one) and see if goring can be inserted.

When I owned a shoe store I knew of a couple shoe manufacturers that could custom make shoes, even athletic shoes, for different sized feet, etc., but I never heard of a major manufacturer who would do that with boots.

If she wanted cowboy boots, of course, that shouldn't be a problem in Houston. Lots of custom boot makers in Texas, but I don't know if any make fashion boots. Maybe you could call around and ask a few....