If you have wide calves like me, you know how physically and emotionally exhausting it can be to shop for tall boots. The funny thing is that my calves aren’t even that fat. It’s as if shoe designers are making boots for anorexic appendages…or trying to embarrass all of us thick-legged sistas so that we struggle, in vain, zipping up a cute boot while all these other heffas simply just slip them on.

Anyway, I lucked out a few weeks ago when I purchased these super cute boots at DSW.com. I first spied the Trystine Wide Calf Boots by Bare Traps at my local DSW store, but they didn’t have my size in stock. So when I returned home, I logged onto dsw.com and ordered a pair.

The store’s limited size offerings actually worked out in my favor because I used three coupon codes (920 for 10% off, SHIPR for free standard shipping, and 919 for 500 bonus points added to my DSW Rewards account). So the $59.99 boots ended up only costing me $53.96 – and I’m closer to my next rewards certificate.

The Trystine boot, while synthetic, look like the real thing. The heel is high enough to elongate and visually slim the leg, yet low enough that they’re comfortable all day long. The boot shaft circumference is roomy enough that I can wear them over leggings and skinny jeans. I can also pair them with skirts and dresses.

And for those of you lucky enough to have average sized calves, the Trystine Boot comes in a regular width too.