Professional-ish Petite: Review: Duck Boots for Petites

Since it rains roughly 5 days per year in California, I've never had to invest in rainboots, not to mention snow boots. But now that it's started snowing in Manhattan, and after slipping on ice a million times just to make my morning coffee run, I'm considering purchasing a pair of duck boots.

With a ton of brands, styles, and prices, I purchased a couple of different pairs to try on. Being extra petite and slightly curvy, I'm very particular on how certain boots make my legs look extra stumpy. Here are the factors that I considered: Comfort (ease of walking, interior), Flexibility of sole, Traction, andVisually, does it make my legs look stumpy?

The 4 pairs that I tried on are:

1. Sperry Top Sider Sweetwater Duck Boot
2. Steve Madden Tillis Olive Duck Boot
3. Sperry Top Sider Ripwater Duck Boot
4. Sporto Degas Duck Boot

1. Sperry Top Sider Sweetwater Duck Boot in beige/dark brown

Probably my favorite! They were comfy to walk around in, didn't scrape my feet and were very flexible. The inside wasn't super plush and warm, but there was decent padding. These run true to size to slightly large, which is perfect for thick socks. Visually, they molded to my legs decently, and would go well with any winter outfit.

2. Steve Madden Tillis Olive Duck BootThese are a close runner-up! I love the color combination. Even though they're green/brown, it would go well with any black, gray, camel, or navy coat. They were just as comfy as the Sperry's, but felt a little thinner and cheaper. This translated into a more flexible sole, which was actually comfier. Visually, they had the same shape as the Sperry's. They were true to size.

3. Sperry Top Sider Ripwater Duck BootProbably the least comfortable pair! These were extremely stiff and heavy, which made walking difficult. The sole was not flexible at all. The worst part was that the back was extra stiff, and hit my leg with every step - I'm sure if I took a few more steps, I'd end up with bruises near the back of my legs! This might be a petite problem, because on a taller woman, it'd hit closer to the ankle than the leg. The inside was by far the most comfortable though, with an amazingly plush and soft layer. I also loved the matte look, and the belt buckle. Even though these are also Sperry's, they ran small. I would size up by half a size at least.

4. Sporto Degas Duck BootI wanted to love these so badly. The inside was amazingly soft and the boots looked adorable. However, they felt cheap, and the clunky look ended up not transferring well when I actually put them on. My legs looked shorter and chunkier than ever! They also didn't have much support in the sole, and so I feel like it'd be tiring to walk long distances in these. True to size.