Overview
The Good: faux fleece lining for warmth, good tread for winter, flat laces for snug fit, low priceThe Bad: The back of the ankle area is a tad on the short side
Conclusions: A great ankle boot that I would recommend to anyone. It gives you: warmth with the faux fleece lining, a snug fit with flat laces to keep heat in and snow out, stability with the reasonably thick tread in the sole for walking on snow and ice, and style with distinctive details. However, while the lowered back section of the boot makes slipping your foot into the boots easy, it also makes it easier for snow to get in if not tied tightly.
Aesthetic
Criteria
|
Score
/5
|
Performance
Criteria
|
Score
/5
|
Overall
Style
|
4
|
*Warmth
& Comfort
|
4.5
|
*Versatility
|
4
|
*Traction
|
4.5
|
*Design
Workmanship
|
4.5
|
Ankle
Support
|
4.5
|
An (*) indicates the field is discussed in more detail below on the received criteria and score.
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5
---
*Criticisms*
(Versatility, Workmanship, Warmth & Comfort and Traction)
Versatility - While the brown leather looking boot might look great on the streets, the detailing keeps it from being worn in a formal setting. Why?
- The ankle area: the extra padding by the ankles makes it look like that it's meant to be worn with the pant leg tucked in. Unless you want to look like the Michelin man with a puffed out ring by your ankles, I'd avoid trying to wear the pant leg over the padding. (See photo above)
- The rugged textures: mixing fleece like fabrics and trims into the design of the boot takes away from the chic leather look commonly worn to fancier events in the winter time - a more appropriate choice would be a sleek leather Chelsea boot. (See photo below)
---
Design Workmanship - I've got to say the detailing on this boot excites me in a very meticulous way. If you do a side by side comparison of this budget Steve Madden boot to a more expensive pair bought at Callitspring, you can see the difference in how wear is shown on the boot.
 |
| (Scuff mark comparison) |
What you're looking at is how scuff marks show up on the boot. With this pair on the left, the scuff marks aren't shown as easily against the surface on the boot because the slight thickness of the stitched fabric trim around the boot hides marks better. (See detailed photo below)
 |
| (Trim Detail) |
Additionally, looking back to the first photo in this section, you can see that the 7 shoelace holes extends further along to the the front of the shoe for the pair from Steve Madden. What this does is provide a tighter fit all along the feet with flat shoelaces to keep your feet held flush and warm.
---
 |
| (Faux Fleece Lining) |
 |
| (Direct comparison of Steve Madden on left and Call It Spring on the right) |
---
Traction: this pair of boot has a detailed and thicker thread than the conventional boot from common retailers now at a similar, if not slightly higher, price point. Traction is very important, especially in the winter when you're running to catch a bus and walking/running over slippery patches of ice and snow. You can see a detailed comparison against the higher priced black pair from Call It Spring below where again, Steve Madden's boot provides better practicality, function and fashion.
 |
| (Direct Comparison with Steve Madden on the Left and Call It Spring on the right) --- |
Disclosure Information: I have no material relationship to any brand mentioned in this post. I was not asked to write anything about these products and was not provided compensation of any kind. All opinions I express regarding Steve Madden's and Call it Spring's products are my own.
