Miracles really do come true

195 pounds

If you believe in miracles, this is the post for you.

After two years of looking for new knee-high boots, I am the proud owner of not one, but two! new pairs of knee-high boots.

This past Sunday, I opened the Target circular that arrives in my inbox every weekend and saw that knee-high boots were on sale this week. The last time I found knee-high boots that fit my calves was three years ago—back in the fall of 2006—when Target carried "extended calf" size boots designed my Isaac Mizrahi. As I said recently in my "These boots aren't made for wearing" post, I love my Mizrahi boots, but they have three-inch heels and are very girly, and I've always wanted a more rugged looking pair that I can wear with my casual skirts and dresses. But even though I've searched high and low for a pair like that, I have not been able to locate a single other pair of knee-high boots that fit my calves.

That is, until this weekend.

I had looked at Target's fall shoe line a month or so ago but not found any extended calf sizes, so I never bothered to try on any of the boots in the store. It had never occurred to me that knee-high boots that were not specifically marked "extended calf" would fit my calves, which at just over 19 inches are a bit bigger the 12-inch shaft offered in most taller boots.

But when I saw that Target had knee-high boots on sale, I couldn't resist calling them up on my computer screen for a closer look. And I was shocked by what I learned when I got there: several of the reviewers said that the Kallista Riding Boot by Merona (pictured above) was perfect for women with larger calves.

And that was all I needed to hear.

I literally jumped up from my computer, threw on a t-shirt and my favorite jean skirt—perfect for trying on boots—and headed to Target.

As it turned out, the reviewers were right. The Kallista Riding Boot is made with elastic that stretches to fit my muscular calves. They were a little more snug than I would have liked so I bought a half-size bigger than normal, but I am not kidding when I tell you that they look absolutely fabulous and, believe it or not, might even make my calves look smaller!

But wait! It gets even better!!

When I went to the three-way mirror to get a better look at the riding boot, I was shocked to see another curvy woman there trying on a completely different pair of adorable knee-high boots—the Kady boots by Mossimo (pictured below).

She was asking her boyfriend what he thought, and he was acting appallingly noncommittal. But I could not keep quiet. I told her they looked simply amazing, and that I was going to immediately go back to the shoe section and find a pair for myself, which is exactly what I did. As it turns out, the Kady boot not only fit, it looked just as good as the first one. Maybe even better. It was like I had died and gone to boot heaven!

Unfortunately, the Kady boot is no longer available online, but they still have some left in the store. The riding boot, though, is available in every size online, and at $30 a pop, it's almost a no-brainer. If you're like me and don't have calves the size of toothpicks, I recommend that you stop whatever you're doing and go immediately to Target to buy these unbelievable boots.* Because for all we know it could be Y E A R S before us curvy girls can find another decent pair.

*Be sure to go up a size or two; if you buy online, you can get free shipping if you spend over $50 by ordering the boots in more than one size and then return the pair that doesn't fit to the store free of charge!