What do you think about these boots?

[Tombola78]

Hi,
I really need a new pair of winter boots to wear with jeans and dresses. I want them to be leather as my suede ankle boots are not warm enough and are not waterproof. I already own knee high boots..

I am quite petite, under 5.1, and I don’t think the chunky look suits me, so I try to steer clear of block heels, DM style, big buckles etc.
My budget is around £100

I saw the below pair, what do you think? Any other suggestions?

www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_56308+000063458_-1

Any opinions/suggestions would be really appreciated,

Many thanks!

[FortunesFave]

I think they're really nice. I think they're perfect for someone who is petite. They won't imbalance your legs...get them.

[Bagelsandbrie]

I’m not a fan of the wooden heel. The current look is more towards a 90s look - so an angled heel / square toe boot with no wooden heel etc. If you don’t want to go for the DM / chunky look I’d go more that way instead. Asos have a lot of 90s style boots at the moment.

[Thinkle]

Obviously I don’t know what your ankles are like, but mine are chunky so when I bought a similar pair of boots I made sure I had a dip in the front to give the illusion of slimmer ankles.

Boring practical point. You will go through the rubber heal of those very quickly and if you damage the wood but they will be hard to make good again.

[FippertyGibbett]

I like them.

[EwwSprouts]

Like them.
If you drive a lot that wooden heel will wear better than a leather covered heel.

[CharitySchmarity]

I like them aesthetically, but a word of warning: I had that brand once and they came up a bit small. I was able to stretch them after following some tips on here, but if I bought them again I would probably size up and just use insoles if they were slightly loose.

[mocktail]

I like them a lot!

[AnneLovesGilbert]

I don’t like the tassel but otherwise they’re lovely.

[willowywillow]

I’m not a fan of the wooden heel. The current look is more towards a 90s look - so an angled heel / square toe boot with no wooden heel etc. If you don’t want to go for the DM / chunky look I’d go more that way instead. Asos have a lot of 90s style boots at the moment.

??? I was a fashion conscious young thing in the 90s. We certainly did have wooden heels. And round toes and pointy toes and stilettos and platforms. You name it. Over the whole decade fashion was pretty diverse!

[FortunesFave]

Willow I thought that! I remember having a number of wooden heeled shoes and boots.

[mocktail]

I remember lots of students having wooden heels when I was at uni in the mid-90s too

[Pogmaasal]

Yeah lots of wooden heels in the 90s. But I would also say you need to rind your own style and what works for your body, which the op seems to have done, rather than buying something to fit in with a fashion. You look much better in more classic style that suit your body than trying to fit in with everyone else .

I like them op

[Pogmaasal]

*find, not rind

[barbrahunter]

If I were you OP I would wait a few days and see if they're reduced on Black Friday, plus have a look at them on the actual Dune site to see if they're reduced at all.

[Tombola78]

Hi all, thanks for your comments! Sorry for lack of response, just managed to get back home from work:(

I would prefer a standard black heel, no wooden, but my suede ankle boots, bought 2 or 3 winters ago also have a similar heel and they’ve kept themselves up in good condition in spite of heavy use. Not 100% keen on the tassel either but it’s not too on your face offensive..
On the fashion topic, I tend to wear traditional styles, and if quality allows wear things for as many years as possible so don’t tend to follow trends.
I have just struggled to find anything else that is not blocky, military style snd this really is the only choice I have seen that I think will last and are within my range.
Thanks for the advice on waiting for Black Friday discounts. And also re sizing:)

[Sasuma]

They’re OK. They’re not offensive. They’re a bit bland IMO - I’d guess not many people are going to have a strong opinion and either love or hate them. But that might be what you want, it depends on your style, how long you want to keep them for (you might not want a more ‘fashionable’ style) etc etc.

[mocktail]

The tassels would be easy to remove if you don't like them.

[Fizbosshoes]

For me (I'm also a shortie) I feel they would go with trousers, but be unflattering with skirts ,(possibly ok with a long skirt)
And I've had 2 pairs of boots in the last 10 years with wooden heels and had them reheeled probably 5 times each! (Once I find a pair that suits me I keep it for years!)

[BikeRunSki]

I wouldn’t pay 99p for anything from Dune, left alone £99! I’ve had 3 pairs of their shoes and all have had significant failures within 3 wearings. I am not that heavy on shoes! Snapped hell (block heel, come off shoe at the join - on my wedding day!); strap snapped on their replacements, then zip came unstitched on some boots

Possibly the quality has improved since!

[Tombola78]

Hi Fizbosshoes, thanks for your comment, do you think they’d be unflattering due to their shape or height? I have found that the least flattering height for me to wear with short skirts is if they come up to just on/below my ankles. I’m thinking shoe boots, if that makes sense.. and the least flattering shape is if they are too round in the sides.. I don’t wear midi or maxi skirts in the winter.

I didn’t realise Dune quality wasn’t so good:( £100 is a lot of money to not get something that will last.. in fact, I have never spent so much money on shoes before!

Has anyone with a similar preference found any nice leather boots lately?

Thanks all x

[MiniJellyBeans]

Hi Tombola, I really like the ones you posted in your OP, although at 5' 8'', personally I'm always looking for a lower heel :) I have some fairly similar leather ones I bought a few years ago from the Office brand outlet on eBay (Office Uncanny - seem to be discontinued now but if you google you'll see the design) and they've worn well. The brand outlet sells ex-display items/end of line etc - you can save a lot of money and although one shoe/boot might be slightly faded or have a tiny scratch on it or whatever, when they're on it's not noticeable. I'm something of a bargain-hunter and I've bought quite a few shoes and boots from there. Might be worth a look to see what they've got available at the moment:

www.ebaystores.co.uk/officeshoes

[Fizbosshoes]

Hi Fizbosshoes, thanks for your comment, do you think they’d be unflattering due to their shape or height? I have found that the least flattering height for me to wear with short skirts is if they come up to just on/below my ankles. I’m thinking shoe boots, if that makes sense.. and the least flattering shape is if they are too round in the sides.. I don’t wear midi or maxi skirts in the winter.

For myself I have quite chunky calfs and I feel this type of shoe/boot accentuates it, if I was wearing a shorter skirt. I think would be fine with trousers or jeans. I normally wear just below the knee boots with shorter skirts but they are impossible very difficult to get the right length for my short legs so once I have a pair I keep them for years, ignoring whether they are fashionable or not!