Angie's Blog

Bad Boots, and New Darlings!

November 7, 2025

I got incredible knee high boots three years ago. Comfortable whiskey weatherproof Aquatalia's that fit my narrow calves perfectly, and with heels that weren't too high. (Find #1) 

Well. They're a big disappointment. There is something going on with the footbed by the balls of my feet. They've eroded and it feels like I'm walking on nails. Extremely sharp pains on the balls of my feet when I stride in them. I have tried EVERYTHING to try to fix the issue. Nothing has worked. I'm saying goodbye. 

This is the second pair of tall Aquatalia boots that have failed on me. Thankfully, my short Aquatalia boots continue to be brilliant and keep my feet happy. 

Speaking of happy feet. I FINALLY found my short brown boots!!! (Find #2). They are by Australian brand Frankie4. I'll tell you more about this amazing brand in a Brand Spotlight blog post later. 

They are the perfect brown for my style. They look awfully neat and tidy. Just how I like it! They are also a little Western so I no longer feel the need to get cowgirl boots. Worn them three times already. So far so good. 

Some fast snaps of the new darlings :)

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Posted in the Shopping category
This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

44 Comments

  • JAileen replied 4 weeks ago

    Angie, honestly it sounds like my foot problem - fat pad atrophy - loss of fat from the bottom of your foot.  Hopefully it is not.  I recommend seeing a podiatrist.  If your issue is the same, these two threads might be helpful:


  • Angie replied 4 weeks ago

    Thanks, JAileen. Appreciate your concern, and good advice! Rest assured! I see a podiatrist regularly and I'm on it :) 

    Thankfully, I have very comfy boot alternatives. 

  • Bonnie replied 4 weeks ago

    Glad you found the perfect boots and you look adorable in #6. Are pointed boots still trendy?

  • Angie replied 4 weeks ago

    Thanks, bonnie! Actually, all toe-boxes are on trend these days. I can't distinguish. On the whole, my new boots are on the classic side of the spectrum. 

  • Lynette replied 4 weeks ago

    I love love love your outfit in #6! It is just perfect! What brand are the jeans? And btw, your new hair style is beautiful too! You look fab as always! So sorry about the aquatalias. I have a very old pair that is still going strong. Glad you found a different brand to try. And such a pretty color. I have not heard of Frankie4. Will look forward to your post.

  • Sal replied 4 weeks ago

    Grr on the uncomfortable older boots - sad because they look so good.

    I have Frankie4 shoes - two pairs.  And thinking my next pair may be from them again.  Wonderful shoes for tricky feet!!

  • Angie replied 4 weeks ago

    Thanks, Lynette! Such sweet words :)

    I'm wearing old barrel jeans from Everlane in #6. They are 6 years old - and got them before the pandemic. 'The Arc Jeans". 

  • Jenni NZ replied 4 weeks ago

    Oh I am so sorry for you about the tall boots. I remember your happiness when you got them. Glad at least one pair from that brand is still good but it will make you cautious of them in the future I think?
    I found that even same brand same size does not necessarily mean same comfort, sadly, if different style.
    Frankie4 has definitely developed a good reputation hereabouts. I don’t have anything yet but who knows later! New boots look good.

  • Star (Lise) replied 4 weeks ago

    Super new booties! They do indeed have a Western vibe.
    .

  • Jaime replied 4 weeks ago

    Pointed boots are my favorite and these are just the perfect color for you. Love your hair in #6 and your outfits are all perfect. Sorry about the tall boots but good you let them go.

  • Dee replied 4 weeks ago

    So frustrating when favourite footwear suddenly becomes unwearable but glad you found another fab bootie that suits your style well. They look terrific and seem quite versatile and such a cute top in photo #6.

  • bella replied 4 weeks ago

    Sorry to hear about the Aquatalias. The new boots are killer though! I always appreciate a good subtle (and even not so subtle!) cowboy vibe and these are spot on.

  • UmmLila (Lisa) replied 4 weeks ago

    I bought very similar Aquatalia boots in navy and taupe in 2023. Mine are still fine but I am certain I don’t put as many walking miles on them as you do on yours.

    I had bad luck with Aquatalia short boots around that time, with a heel that just fell off. I got the retailer to replace them but the brand moved down on my reliability list after that. 

  • RobinF replied 4 weeks ago

    Well that is a bummer about the whiskey boots. So disappointing. Love the new ones though. I see the slight western influence in them. Nice!

  • LJP replied 4 weeks ago

    That's a shame about the Aquatalia's , but maybe that's just their lifespan?  These new ones are certainly perfect for you - but tell me about the checkered top in pic 6!!??  Doesn't seem that Frankie4 ships to Canada, which is too bad as it's a nice looking non-American brand.  A little outside of my comfort zone price-wise  (in Cdn $) though, so maybe not a big deal ;). 

  • Suntiger replied 4 weeks ago

    Sorry about the foot issues and having to pass on the nice Aquatalias :/ New boots are great tho!

  • Irina replied 4 weeks ago

    Too bad about Aquatalia boots. I wear some kind of a heel gel pads in most of my shoes these days. 

    Love your new addition, such a pretty color. I also appreciate neat and streamlined footwear. After a few years of searching, I just bought a pair of boots that fit and look nice. High hopes for yours and mine, fingers crossed they will meet our expectations. 

  • pirouette replied 4 weeks ago

    I love the neat streamlined boots with your barrel jeans. You are so fashion forward barrel jeans are only becoming popular this year in Dublin and you bought yours ages ago. I love your hair in the short bob it really suits you. I know your pixie cut is very popular with lots of fabbers  but this is my favourite length on you. 

  • Olive Green replied 4 weeks ago

    The cowgirl vibe is great, unusual colour. 

  • Kate replied 4 weeks ago

    Beautiful boots!

    I hear you on foot problems. I’ve always had bony feet, but recently I think I’ve lost what minimal fat padding I had. Boy do I feel the loss. I’m going to have to make an appointment with a podiatrist asap.

    Lovely to see your Arc jeans. I have 2 pairs of them and they are some of my favorite barrel jeans. I wish Everlane still offered them.

  • Angie replied 4 weeks ago

    Thanks for the kind words - (and commiseration) - Star, Dee, Bella, RobinF, Olive Green and Suntiger! 

    Sal, WOOOHOOO!! Thrilled to hear you have and love Frankie4 shoes too. It's a phenomenal brand. HIGH FIVE :)

    Jenni and UmmLila, brand quality is unfortunately inconsistent! I didn't expect that from Aquatalia given the price point - but there you go. They've moved down on my reliability list too. Love my short boots though. Onward! 

    Jaime, go Team Pointy Boots! That's our '80s gene :) - and thanks for the generous compliments. 

    LJP, the sweater is the "Carys" from Anthropologie! The fabric feels heavenly, and hubs commented on how fab it looked yesterday. It has pretty little heart embroideries on the sleeve and back. I've had no quality issues with it. A clean and gorgeous garment: 

    https://www.anthropologie.com/.....38;invento 

  • Kyle replied 4 weeks ago

    Those new boots are beautiful. So sleek and clean. You wear and style them very well!

  • Angie replied 4 weeks ago

    Irina, I'm big on cushioning insoles too. Unfortunately, the tall boots are beyond redemption. Excited to see your new boots! We seem to like similar simple and clean footwear. Hope our boots work out!

    Pirouette, thanks for the hair love! It's a great cut, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the "shortness but not too short" aspect of it :) - (I tend to be a fast adopter of new bottom silhouettes). 

    Kate, YES! The Arcs are my favourite barrels too! Excellent quality denim. Good idea to see your podiatrist.

  • Angie replied 4 weeks ago

    Kyle, thanks for the kind words! :) 

  • Suz replied 4 weeks ago

    Love those boots and the Arc jeans are sensational! Really great on you. The colour is amazing for your style. Almost a nude substitute but also bookends.....

    So sad about the tall boots. But so it goes with footwear, right? We can never tell, and sometimes even when a pair works well for one year, something happens in the in-between season....our feet ar always changing, I guess. 

  • Chris987 replied 4 weeks ago

    "walking on nails" is definitely NOT a thing to repeat, unless you are going for the meditative practice that is supposed to be beneficial :-) You  tried solutions that did not work, it's definitely time to pass them on. Footwear does wear out eventually, and we have to learn to pass them on when that happens.  Glad you found the new ones, looking forward to hearing more about the brand. 

  • Joyce replied 4 weeks ago

    Aquatalia went through a restructuring over the past few years with new ownership. I'm wondering if your tall boots came during their "down turn". 

  • Angie replied 3 weeks ago

    Joyce, possibly!

    Suz, thank you! The new boots are a unique shade of brown. Not tan. Not toffee. Not cinnamon. Somewhere in-between. So lucky! As for the boots - it's a quality issue too. You can feel how thin the footbed has become. URGH! Onward :) 

    Chris, wise words, and I bet you'll like the Frankie4 brand! 

  • Cookie replied 3 weeks ago

    I feel your pain about the boots that hurt! So frustrating because they are beautiful, but you cannot have a good day when your feet hurt. Love the new boots with the sculptural-looking jeans.

  • LJP replied 3 weeks ago

    Do you want to hear something weird?  My eye did not even see the huge heart on the front of the sweater when I looked at it earlier.  I think it blended into the door behind you somehow....some optical illusion or another .  And funny it's a Carys sweater - glad you found the quality up to standard!

  • aloha emily replied 3 weeks ago

    These are beautiful!  It’s so fun to watch your cognac/toffee/brown capsule develop over time. I’m learning a lot!

  • Angie replied 3 weeks ago

    Cookie, thanks for the sympathy and kind compliments! The tall whiskey boots were fabulous with skirts and dresses. At least I have my tall cream boots for that ;)

    LJP, HAH! Interesting.

    Aloha Emily, thank you! The brown component of my wardrobe has quietly exploded ;) 

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 3 weeks ago

    The new boots are gorgeous, Angie, and I don't know if you could have come up with a better color and style had you designed them yourself. I'm sad for your Aquatalia boots' failure. It's really strange, as well as disheartening, that two pairs have now let you down after working fine for a while. 

  • ChristelJ replied 3 weeks ago

    The lovely new boots suit you so well. It’s fun to see how good they look with the Arc jeans. I still adore my Arc jeans and might try them with lighter booties after seeing this! I also want to say your hair looks just amazing. 

  • Angie replied 3 weeks ago

    Sharan, I know, right? Excellent point! Perfect brown-for-me boots. Lucky find ;) 

    ChristelJ, waving at my jeans triplet! (Kate has them too). Humbled to have inspired you, and thanks for the hair love. 

  • cat2 replied 3 weeks ago

    On the shoe thing, I keep getting burned when a reliable for decades brand gets acquired. The most recent was Rockport. I ordered final sale loafers because since the 90s I have been able to rely on them. The new loafers were appalling quality and not cut to the same last. Is there a place where I can check for these fashion corporate bankruptcy, acquisitions, etc.

  • Carol replied 3 weeks ago

    Angie--killer adorbs, especially the heart sweater. I love those short boots, and if you are not going to get Western boots...

    I really enjoy the Chelsea vibe of these. I have yet to get any Chelsea boots. 

  • Angie replied 3 weeks ago

    cat2, URGH! That's so annoying! In my experience, most brands have inconsistent quality these days, despite acquisition.

    Carol, thank you! I'm drawn to the unique colour and subtle nod to cowgirl boots. You'll enjoy a pair of Chelsea boots!

  • Debbie replied 3 weeks ago

    Those shoes may be actually what I am looking for too. 

    I am so happy you found some comfortable shoes.

  • Lisa replied 3 weeks ago

    Bummer about the taller boots but yay for the western inspired new boots! They are lovely!

    I've had boots that have fit well then suddenly the sole wears out or something and out of the blue they simply will no longer work. Even though the outside of the boot will still look ok. I guess sometimes the inside structure of a boot just wears out. I have no idea. But if a shoe is uncomfortable then away it goes. I have zero tolerance for uncomfortable footwear regardless of how much it cost or how many times I've worn it.

  • Angie replied 3 weeks ago

    Thank you! 

    Debbie, YES! Try them. I love them, and you'll get a 15% discount on your first purchase. I think they will work beautifully for your style!

    Lisa, I am soooo with you. The happiness of our feet comes first! And now I can join Team Cowgirl Boots :) 

  • Lisa replied 3 weeks ago

    *high five for cowgirl boots* :)

  • Brooklyn replied 3 weeks ago

    How did I miss this post? I’m sorry about the tall boots, but glad you found a fab (Aussie!) replacement. They look terrific on you.

  • Angie replied 3 weeks ago

    Lisa, ;)

    Brooklyn, thank you! I've been waiting for the Aussie Fabbers to comment. You are the first! Frankie4 is an awesome brand! NZ Jennie and Sal are familiar with the brand too. Your neighbours ;) 

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Hi, I'm Angie. I'm the co-founder of youlookfab.com and write most of the content. I've been in the Rag Trade for 20 years, and spent many of those years as a buyer. Now I'm a fashion stylist and enjoy this angle just as much. I am committed to making us all feel great about our style.