Taos Footwear Women's Tall Crave Boot

It is difficult for me to describe how well made and beautiful these boots are. In a world of synthetic everything, you open the box and it’s like, whoa, this is what LEATHER looks like! They elevate every item in my closet. When I’m running out the door in jeans and a tank and I’m feeling pretty dumpy, I throw these on with a scarf, and suddenly I’m somehow feeling sophisticated! And the best is if you have a dress that’s just a little bit too proper, or too girly for how you’re feeling that day. Throw these bad boys on and they’ll spice it right up! I almost couldn’t stomach the price, but now I’m so glad I did. Honestly, with the quality of construction, I’ll probably be wearing these 10 years from now. My only minus- they do run small (at least in the larger sizes!) I normally wear a 10.5 or 11, and have a pair of the regular Crave in 43, which should be a good size and a half too big for me. I bought those at a brick and mortar shop, and the sales lady was my same size and mentioned that she had just gotten a pair in her usual 42, and she was wishing she had sized up too. I took a chance as these only go up to 42, and thankfully they did stretch out a bit for me!

My husband bought me the Crave boot in navy a couple weeks ago off the Taos website and I loved them so much I bought myself the Tall Crave. While Taos offers free shipping you have to pay for returns and on Amazon you don't so bought my 2nd pair here (price was exactly the same). I have foot issues and these are worth the price. Very comfortable, specially made foot bed for people with foot problems, no break in period, quality made. Taos doesn't have a ton of styles to choose from but the are all cute & come in multiple colors. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is the sizing on the Crave & Tall Crave. I'm a 9.5 and in this particular boot the 40 is 9-9.5. They fit perfectly but I have to wear a thinner sock. I was afraid the 41 (10-10.5) would be way too big so stuck with the 40. Not all of their shoes are sized this way and I did find a store that carries Taos about 30 minutes away so will go try some on at some point.

I have been coveting these boots for quite awhile (years) and they rarely go on sale so I finally sprung for them when I got a little extra money for my birthday. They arrived 2 days earlier than I expected. Right out of the box you note the nice scent of leather which looks exactly as pictured in color (Taupe, Rugged) and feels to the touch like a quality boot too. Because of the way they looked and felt plus other reviews, I thought I could wear them without fearing the dreaded 'break-in' time. I'm happy to report they passed the test this first time out. I work on my feet all day so good footwear is very important to my physical stamina and mood. The Taos, Crave, Tall Boots feature a nice heel height (not too low, not too high) are nicely cushioned and padded through the insole, stable in the foot bed, roomy in the toe box and the leather has begun to soften and conform to my calf nicely, already. They zip easily on and off, the laces are nice for perfectly adjusting to your legs. The tongue of the boots stayed put all day and there is just enough very low pile fur to soften the inside as it wraps around your leg - no chafing, no irritation, what so ever! The soles have nice grip and didn't slip as I repeatedly walked through the water leaked around the shampoo bowls throughout the day. They are lighter than I imagined and easy to walk in and not the least bit clunky or loud. The buckles at the heels make for cute styling and may be a nice practical adjustment for small heeled girls, or narrow ankles. The size 40 are a perfect fit for my size 9 foot with dress socks and enough room to wear a thicker sock if I wanted to. The pic shows them after the first day of wear. They have a timeless sense of style about them so I look forward to wearing them for many years. These boots are all I could have hoped for in comfort and style! I'm looking forward to making them my go-to boots for the long days on my feet at work coming at me during the holidays. Well worth the cost of the boots!

I waited until I'd broken the boots in before writing this to be as fair as possible. Right now, the boots are fairly comfortable - the leather's soft and bends easily, and the laces make it easy to adjust for a snug fit, and I can wear them over skinny jeans (and usually do). The insoles are relatively comfortable and also replaceable. I'll be experimenting with it soon by switching them out for a memory foam insole, just to see if I can make it even more comfortable.I was hemming and hawing over the oiled vs rugged finish as I don't really like too much of a shine on my boots. Ultimately, I went with the oiled finish because it was a "prime" option, whereas the rugged finish is not. I was surprised and pleased to find the oiled finish really doesn't have much of a sheen to it, so I'm glad I went with the oiled option there.The lining is not thick like you'd find in a pair of Uggs or anything, but it's good enough to stay warm in the fall without being bulky.While I was breaking in the boots, I did kind of wish I'd ordered a 39 instead of a 38 (7-7.5, my usual size), but now it's fine and fits quite nicely around my foot. My pair was a little stubborn—they hurt the first two times I wore them. I wound up having to put a sock stuffed with napkins over a shoe insert and leaving it in the boot overnight to stretch out the leather a little, but after a couple rounds of this, the boot fits perfectly.I'm eyeing the black oiled pair (for another day) and I'll likely try the size 39 to see if I can make the break-in process a little easier.

Difficult for me to rate. These are beautiful boots purchased because I love my short Taos craves so much. They are beautiful to look at and very well constructed. So I admit I have skinny ankles and bird legs. The issue was I could not lace these tight enough to feel comfortable. Plus when laced, the spaces between the eyelets gapped. Not a good look. IMHO the eyelets should be closer together. Eventhough the shaft is about 5” taller, there are only 3 more eyelets in the tall vs short crave. I’ll just purchase a different color of the crave shorts. I can’t give them a bad rating because I have skinny legs. They are beautiful, beautiful. Returned.