Are my calves abnormally huge or something?

I am not the biggest person. I am 5'4", 160 lbs, US size 10 (give or take). Chubby? Yes. Huge? Nope - my height and weight are pretty much the American average. So why can't I find tall boots that fit my calves? I see far larger ladies wearing cute boots all the time!

I just measured my calves, and they are about 16.5 inches in diameter. Am I a freak? It's ok, you can tell me. Is there a special store that caters to my monster-calfed needs? Because I want some boots ****.

google wide calf boots.

i havent bought any but ive got the SAME issue.

running a lot has helped tho....

...Diameter? Wait, do you mean circumference?

Haha, yeah I'm pretty sure she means circumference. 16.5 inches in diameter would look awfully ridiculous.  :P

I just measured my calves at the widest point, and they are apparently 14 inches. I dunno what that means, or if that's average, but I fit into knee high boots no problem.

I've seen some pretty ginormous ladies in boots, so I think it's just a matter of finding the right "cut" of boot. The taper of the boot has to match the taper of your leg.

It's like buying pants- Sure they may be your "size", but that doesn't mean they will always fit. They might be tight in the waist but loose in the thigh or too long or not flattering, etc...

Original Post by whodoithinkiam:

...Diameter? Wait, do you mean circumference?

Oops! I'm a little out of it today. I can't correct it in my original post though, so I guess I will have to keep on looking ignorant!

I think she means circumference. And don't worry, I didn't buy any freaking boots either, but found some that are SO awesome recently. I found them on sale for 23 bucks a pair, so got a pair in black and brown.

They're made by a company called Sporto, and they work GREAT and my calves are around 15-16 inches too. I can't find any images online of them sadly :( They're just under my knees, and tight enough around my ankle to not sag and bag too much too.

I, too, have huge muscular calves.  Try Silhouettes.com or, sometimes, Naturalizer.com.  Shoeline.com carries several brands like Sofft or Softspots that may also have boots for the more generously sized leg.

Thank you for all your responses - I have checked out your suggestions, and was surprised to find that even some of the "wide calf" boots will still be too narrow! I do have a few options though.

I guess this has answered my question - clearly my 16.5" circumference calves are a bit on the freakish side :)

Now I feel special!

I have the SAME problem.  Boots NEVER fit me no matter how skinny I get (I'm 5'6" 153).  I just measured and mine are 16 inches.  *theholla, you are not freakish.  And if you are, then so am I! :)

My tall boots are super duper tight in the calves because I love working mine out and love the look of healthy calf muscles. Fashion is designed for girls with skinny legs, not real people. It's rare for me to find a pair I can fit into. (5'4" 137lbs, sz8 here.)

don't worry i am the same way. i think it is just the way people's bodies are built. i also run too so maybe that could be it? but i am 5'4" around 132... and i hate those boots that i cant zip up lol

I think I remember reading a post on the fitness forum where someone asked how she could make her calves smaller. The response was that calf muscle is largely a product of genetics - some people are just predisposed to have more than others.

Anyway, it's nice to know that there are plenty of us muscle-y calf women out there! I just wish they made more boots for us.

Mine are 15" and I still have the same problem (I believe 14" is the cutoff of 'normal' boots), I only lost 0.5" on them after losing 20lb, they're just mainly muscle. The only tall boots I own have laces, which still barely cover the tongue of the boot. The only pair I could zip up (barely) was one that had elastic material down the back of the boot. I always get a little annoyed when I see girls who can fit their jeans inside the boot too :/

I can definitely relate!  When I was in high school I competed in horse shows (before gaining weight, I was about 145-150 at 5'9") and had to special order the "wide calf" boots because tack shops didn't carry ones that fit.  Luckily, they stayed the same size even when I got up to almost 180 in college

Original Post by theholla:

I think I remember reading a post on the fitness forum where someone asked how she could make her calves smaller. The response was that calf muscle is largely a product of genetics - some people are just predisposed to have more than others.

Anyway, it's nice to know that there are plenty of us muscle-y calf women out there! I just wish they made more boots for us.

According to my sister, they do in the UK.  It's just North America that insists that we must all look like skinny 16 year olds to fit into nice clothes.

Though I did find some very nice wide-calf boots at my local leather shop.  My calves are 15" circumference, but the boots are loose enough that I'm pretty sure they could handle an extra couple of inches in the calf.  So, keep looking.  Cool boots that fit are out there!

I'm 20, but I have the opposite problem! My calves are teeny! I can't find boots that stay up; it's so hard to find ones that just hug nicely. My THIGHS are 17.5" in circumference.

I think they should make elastic-boots, or something like that so that they can stretch to fit all of us...we'd probably feel a lot better about ourselves!!

At least they are not abnormally small like mine...

18" 

I wanna' wear tall boots too!!! 

its okayy, mine are 15-16 too.  the boots that fit me are uggs, so i wear my uggs. but those slouch vintage boots.. they don't really. so i stray from them. dunno what to tell you.

Granted Ive edema of the calves but Im still  optimistic about a just finding jeans that will fit over my calves.  
Thighs 27"
Worst calf 21". 
Bootcut and wideleg still not enough room.  Waiting for bell bottoms to come back in fashion.

I have 17 inch calves, so I feel your pain.  I always look for boots that lace up, which give you a little more leeway on the calf width, and aren't too big in the ankle.  You can also have an elastic gusset put into boots by a cobbler if you find a pair you really love.