At 62, the tall boots that look smart and do not hurt
At 62, the tall boots that look smart and do not hurt
Six things that make the Aoibhe the perfect boot for autumn, from a woman who is not a fashion writer.
Caroline Richards · Customer · Nottinghamshire · 5 min read
Let me be plain about who is talking. I am Caroline, I am 62, I live in Nottinghamshire, and I have never once sat down to write about a pair of boots in my life. What I have is a love of a proper autumn boot and a pair of feet that had rather given up on them, because the smart ones hurt after an hour and the comfortable ones were frumpy, and with any sort of heel I no longer felt steady on a wet pavement. So this is not a review. It is a woman who found a tall boot that looks lovely and does not hurt, saying why.
The pair I am writing about is called the Aoibhe, from Nottingham Boutique, a small boutique that has been quietly dressing women our age for a few years now. They are a lovely tall boot in a warm tan, the classic riding sort, but properly cushioned inside and set on a low, steady heel. When the boutique later asked if they could put my letter up for others to read, I said yes, on the condition I could be completely honest in it.
I pulled them on and walked into town that first crisp morning, and for once I got home without once wishing I could take my boots off. That was the moment they won me over. Read on.
Here is the little defeat every autumn used to bring. I would put on my smart boots, feel wonderful for an hour, and then spend the rest of the day counting the minutes until I could get them off, pinched and rubbed and sore. So I would give up and wear the flat frumpy ones, or my dull old shoes, and feel neither smart nor quite myself. Comfortable or smart, and never, ever both.
The smart boots hurt after an hour and the comfy ones were frumpy. These are cushioned like a trainer and look like a proper boot.
The Aoibhe is the first tall boot I have owned that looks smart and lets me forget my feet, and having barely had them off since, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
The morning they arrived. Such a warm, lovely tan, and softer and lighter than I expected.
CUSHIONED ALL DAY, NO MORE ACHING FEET
This is the heart of it. They are cushioned all the way through, soft and supportive underfoot like a good trainer, so I can be on my feet all day, in and out of the shops and up and down the town, and my feet simply do not ache. No counting the minutes until I can take them off, no sore heels of an evening. For anyone whose smart boots have started to hurt, this alone is worth it.
The low steady heel, the grippy sole and the little buckle. Comfort and a proper boot at once.
Smart boots that do not hurt, at last. Cushioned like a trainer, I am on my feet all day and they never ache. Wonderful.
Christine B., West BridgfordA LOW, STEADY HEEL, FLATTERING BUT SURE
The heel is low and steady, just enough of a lift to lengthen the leg and feel pulled-together, but sturdy and sure under me rather than a wobbly high heel. I feel graceful without feeling precarious, which at my age matters more than it used to. A little lift where I want it, and steadiness where I need it.
Just the right amount of heel, enough to feel smart but so steady on my feet. No wobbling about. I feel confident in them.
Margaret E., SouthwellA GRIPPY SOLE, STEADY ON WET AUTUMN GROUND
The sole is a proper grippy, treaded one, so on a wet autumn pavement or a slippery pile of leaves I feel steady and sure instead of picking my way along carefully. Feeling sure on my feet when the weather turns is worth a great deal to me now, and these have quietly given me that confidence back on the greyest, wettest morning.
Steady on a wet autumn pavement. Sure-footed, whatever the weather.
The grip is marvellous. I feel steady on wet pavements and leaves now, no more picking my way along. Such a relief.
Dorothy S., BeestonA CLASSIC SHAPE THAT GOES WITH EVERYTHING
It is the classic tall riding-boot shape, so it looks smart and pulled-together with everything I own, my jeans tucked in, my trousers, even a dress and thick tights when I make an effort. It never looks like a comfort shoe or a clumpy thing, just a proper, elegant boot, so I reach for them every day and they always look right.
By the door, ready to pull on. The first thing I reach for now the mornings have turned.
They go with everything, jeans, trousers, a dress. Such a classic smart shape. I get compliments every time I wear them.
Pauline H., ArnoldA FORGIVING FIT, FOR NARROW OR WIDE FEET
They are cut with a comfortable, forgiving shape that settles around the foot, so whether your feet are narrow or on the wider side, as mine have become, they sit right rather than pinching or gaping. There is a rounded toe with room for your toes to sit naturally, no cramming. Comfortable from the very first wear, with no breaking-in required.
My feet are wide and awkward and these fit beautifully, no pinching. Comfortable from the first day, no breaking in at all.
Eileen T., NewarkTHREE LOVELY COLOURS, AND HONEST SIZES
They come in three lovely colours, my warm tan and a dark brown and a classic black, so there is one to suit whatever you wear, and the sizing runs honestly from a UK 2 up to an 8.5. I chose the tan for the autumn, and I am rather tempted by the black for the winter as well. At half price, a proper pair of boots for this is almost unheard of.
Lovely colours and my size fit perfectly. So pleased I was brave with the tan, it goes with everything. I have ordered the black too.
Maureen C., BinghamThe Aoibhe, against the smart boots that hurt
You can have a wardrobe of lovely boots and still spend the autumn in dull flat shoes because the smart ones hurt. I know, because I did. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
Look lovely, hurt after an hour
Hard soles, aching feet by lunchtime
A heel you feel unsteady on
Or flat and frumpy instead
Smart or comfy, never both
Cushioned all day, no aching feet
A low, steady heel, flattering and sure
A grippy sole, steady on wet ground
A classic shape that goes with everything
Smart and comfortable at once
About the price
The Aoibhe is £42.95 at the moment. It was £86.00.
I will pass on what the boutique told me, which is that the middle sizes are the first to go, and with the autumn sale on they are going quickly, so once a size has gone it can be a wait for it to come back. Their words, not mine. What I can tell you from my side is that half price is usually where I start asking what is wrong with a thing, and for a boot this comfortable and this smart, I have found nothing wrong with them.
And I do not trust perfect scores, so I read the reviews before I ordered. Just over three hundred of them, sitting at 4.2 stars, which sounded like real women rather than robots, so I read on. The same six things I have just walked you through come up in them, over and over, in other women's words.
Ready for the next crisp autumn morning that wants smart boots and happy feet.
If you love a proper autumn boot but your feet cannot bear the smart ones any more, this is the pair I would hand you myself, while your size is still there. Stop dithering and go and have a look.
Caroline
AOIBHE | COMFORTABLE KNEE-HIGH BOOTS
- Cushioned all day, no more aching feet
- A low, steady heel, flattering but sure-footed
- A grippy sole, steady on wet autumn ground
- A classic knee-high shape, smart with everything
- A forgiving fit for narrow or wide feet
- Three lovely colours, honest sizes UK 2 to 8.5
- Free UK delivery and 30 day returns
The autumn sale is on now. Middle sizes go first.