Customer Reviews Aetrex Essence™ Chelsea

These boots are awesome. It is ridiculously hard to find boots when you're both short AND have slim calves. At 5'3, most riding boots are too tall and hit the back of my knee, but these hit at a perfect spot a couple inches below my knee, instead of swallowing my lower legs whole. My calves are right at 13.25 inches and these fit perfect both with pants and without. Just the right amount of room. What is even better is that these come in wide width that accommodates my slightly wide toebox while NOT being too big in the ankle like many other wide widths on me. I wear a 6.5 or 7; got these in a 7W but probably have a little more room than I need length wise. They even have a great feeling memory foam insole. The leather doesn't scratch easily, but I will say the sweater/knit fabric on the back worries me. Have had a few threads come loose (stay away from any small jumpy dogs!) and while the mix adds style I probably would've preferred leather all the way around. Also a bit worried about the sweater material pilling in the future but so far so good. All in all I have NEVER had this success with boots, and am thrilled. If you are short with slim calves, give them a try!

Great boots!My daughter and I had been looking for boots for months. We both have big feet and narrow calves, and it seemed like every pair we tried on that was big enough for our feet would also hold two of our legs. Then we found these! I got them in black and she got the dark brown. Comfortable toe box, moderate arch support, nice detailing.

Liked the look and comfort of these boots. They smelled pretty plasticky, but I'm sure that would have dissipated after they were aired out for a bit. I like the appearance of the sweater knit on the back if the boot, but you can't wear slim-cut jeans under it because if there is any bunching at all of the pants, it is highlighted as lumpiness under the fabric. So they would only be usable for tights. Not versatile enough for me.

Very disappointed in this boot. I ordered the color brown. It appears like a deep, rich color on the web site. However, it is actually a lighter brown leather in the front, with a dark brown fabric in the back. The combination made the boot look cheap and unattractive.

Who's that girl w/the SKINNY legs? That'd be me. Tried several pairs only to have to return some beauties. The Zappos description and the noted 13 1/2" circumference were right on. Thanks Zappos!

Loved the boot but the calf was not 13 1/2 in. In size 8 1/2 wide it was 17 in. Too big for my 12 1/2 in. calf. Very comfortable though. Unfortunately had to return.

They fit my little calves! I have a size 8½ foot and my calf circumference is 12½". The boot circumference measures right around 13½-14". There is a person who ordered a wide width and the calf circumference was much wider, I am thinking wide is for wide calf not wide foot or its for both, just a heads up. There is a little room but nothing that looks bad. Most boots I try on at my foot size measure 16" or more and I look like I am trying on manure boots. They are also very cute and very comfortable. The top of the heel felt stiff when first putting on, but I wore them around the house for an hour and that feeling went away in just a few minutes. The sweater portion is cute, it does show pant lines if they bunch, but not enough with my pants to be very noticeable. I just hope the sweater part holds up and does not get icky if I get stuck in the rain.

This year's boot quest is finally over! I've found the perfect-fitting, comfortable, stylish, waterproof boot. The Aetrex Chelsea boot, for me, hugs my foot AND my tall, slim calves. I have no problem getting the boot on, though I have high arches and it only has a half zip on the side. The grey color is wonderfully neutral and the leather is smooth and very high quality. Perhaps most important for me, this boot really holds my heel steady, so I'm not worried about ankle twists. And my hip and back pain during my daily 4 mile commute have disappeared after only 3 three days. Love them!

Absolutely love these boots. I have searched and searched for a boot to fit my very narrow calves and these fit the bill perfectly. I am tiny (size 00) and every pair of boots I’ve tried have looked enormous on me because my calves are swimming in them. These fit like a glove. The brown color is gorgeous. I love the buckle detail and the half zip is just enough to make getting them on and off a breeze. I was hesitant about the fabric back, but it is a deep, rich brown and does not take away from the leather style at all. I am so thrilled to have found these. Try them if you have a similar issue on boot fit to what I’ve described.

I have a hard time finding boots that fit. I am short and very thin legs. Boots are either too tall or I look like a child with rain boots on because they are so wide on my calves. These were perfect! I wore them all day the first time and they were very comfortable. I love the style, not too much but very classy. I would buy them again.

Finally after returning David Tate's boots, these are awesome! I have flat feet and these Aetrex boots are extremely comfortable. Great traction and perfect fit around the calves. Remember to always watch the video for any shoes you order--this will help you. You can dress them up or down and jeans/leggings/dress pants fit perfectly around the calves.

Well made. Great look with the fabric built into the shaft. Shaft circumference is perfect for women with smaller calves. The only complaint would be that the zipper doesn’t go all the way up to the top of the boot.

I ordered these because I have to wear orthotic inserts in my shoes and Aetrex is typically a brand that accommodates those. These boots fit both my full length orthotics and my skinny calves but I ended up returning them in favor of the Aetrex Essence Kara. The ankle of these boots ended up looking a little bulky and I wasn't going to keep both these and the Essence Kara, so I returned them.

I love these so much i just bought by second pair. Narrower calf than most, which is a clean look. I got the brown ones both times. My daughter has them in black. Super cute, versatile, and worth the price!

FYI, this boot was not made for people with high insteps or not-skinny ankles. Loosening the buckle doesn't make enough of a difference since there is a seam right under the ankle strap. The fabric panels on the pair I received are more truly grey than they appeared in the online image; however, the leather color is brown with a grey wash, kind of a dirty brown, very true to the image online. The "grey" leather has a matte finish that scuffs very easily: every little scratch shows. The combination is pretty cool, actually, and I'd love to know how they will look with a bit of age and wear - they might take on a nice patina early on. I like the style of the boot: a tall boot with a dull finish and ribbed-knit panels stands out from a lot of other styles I've seen this season. They could look great with jeans or tights, but alas, not on me. Mine are going back. (Thank you, Zappos!)

I have been searching for a pair of good boots for the longest time and thought I’d found what I needed. They’re supposed to be the right size, but the toe box width is not wide at all. Too tight for me to even consider breaking them in, a big disappointment, considering their sandals with wide width are truly wide enough. The calf of the boots fit too loosely, even though I’m not exactly very slim. I’m not sure if sizing up half size would help. Sadly, I had to return them. Such a shame as Aetrex makes amazing sandals. hope Aetrex would make the toe box wider - as wide, if not wider than their sandals, for people with wider feet. Meanwhile, the search for the right pair of boots continues.

OK. These are without a doubt the most comfortable boots ever. My feet hurt all the time unless the shoe is perfect and a little forgiving. These are that. I've tried so many boots trying to replace an old pair that had simply had it...I couldn't find one tall enough and slim enough in the calf that was this comfortable in the foot-bed. These are those boots. The heavy knit part looks cool with the black suede and the buckles are stylish. Thanks Zappos for putting up with all my returns to date. I always find what I am looking for here sooner or later.

These boots are great especially for people with foot problems like me: arthritis, high arches, plantar fasciitis. Also if you have skinny calves there are REALLY great! I have so much trouble finding boots for my small calves. They won't fit with a slightly bulkier pair of jeans but great with skinny jeans, tights, and leggings. The strange thing about these boots that I noticed, is that when I first put them on, they felt incredibly tight...then I reached inside to adjust the insoles and realized that there were TWO inserts stacked on top of each other in each boot. I'm assuming that was an error, but if you are thinking they are too small, investigate the insoles and see. I ended up putting my own memory foam Aetrex inserts inside instead as they were a little more comfortable. I'm keeping this boot after I have returned so many others and have had so much trouble finding just the right thing for my feet! I was so glad to know that Aetrex makes boots!

Boots are gorgeous and also fit not-so-slim calves with the stretch insert. Very nice leather.

Super cute. I love the sweater detail. It makes it casual and cute. It is a snug boot. I have average calves and it's snug on me.

I was expecting great things. I have another Aetrex boot that I love and can wear for 16 hour stretch without any issues. This boot is but, just didn't live up to the price. I normally wear a 8.5C shoe. I like a wider toe box and normal heel width. These boots were quite roomy in the toe box area, but didn't have much arch support. The main problem was the leg of the boot. I have a calf width of 13.5. This boot swallowed my legs to the point there wasn't a graceful ankle curve. The boot was made of high quality material, it just wasn't right for me.

These are great boots. Very comfortable and stylish. Just what I was looking for. However, had to return them because they did not have a full zipper. The half zip made them difficult to get on and off, especially while wearing any kind of socks. I really was disappointed but I think Zappos is great.

As a skinny-calved, short, but big-footed girl, I was hopeful that these boots would do the trick and I think they would have if they had been a little wider and the color a little richer. I am 5'2", size 8 with a 13-1/2" calf. The height was good and the mesh fabric was a cool feature that made the shaft fit ok. However, these were tight in the toe box and the Brown color was kind of muted.

It was recommended to me by Aetrex that a size 7.5 should be enough for me, the 7.5 in wide felt tight, so I ordered an 8W from Zappos. Sadly I was sent the wrong colour. Wanted brown, not cognac. The toe box felt tight and don’t quite fit the bill of a pair of wide shoes.

I've been looking for boots off and on over the last few years. I want something stylish that I can wear to work during the fall/winter and comfortable enough to wear all day. Since I have other Aetrex shoes that I love, I thought I would try these out. They are very cute and I really hoped they would work. I tried with various socks, but the most comfortable for me were nylons. I have a narrow calf and the tops on these are comfortable - not too tight, not too big. Definitely not large enough to tuck pants in, but I don't like to do that anyway. There is little to no cushion in the sole and the toe box is on the narrow side. I don't have wide feet or really narrow so I ordered the medium. The toe box is at least high enough for my toes, so it didn't push down down from the top, but my pinkie toe started hurting right away as it was pushed in against my other toes. I thought about ordering a wide in exchange, but I was hoping for the cushy cork feel of the other aetrex shoes in this boot, but these boots don't have that. Alas, my boot search continues.