Over the Knee Boot Reviews//Stuart Weitzman 5050's, Mainline, and Via Spiga Alto

Today, I will be reviewing several pairs of black over the knee boots with you. I purchased my first pair (by Halston) about 6 years ago, but sadly I wore them to death, and was in search of a new pair for the last couple of years.

Last year, I ended up purchasing a pair of DOLCE VITA MERIS after trying on at least a dozen different pairs of OTK boots. They weren't perfect; the calves were too big, but I justified the leather alterations after purchasing them on super sale for about $100. Here is a picture of my wearing them after alterations.

The leather on these boots is thick and very sturdy - I was actually very impressed; I wore it through rain and snow.

These have a zipper going down the entire back, but I wanted a pair of plain OTK boots that could be paired with dresses and skirts.

Anyways, my search continued for a perfect pair of over the knee boots. I recently tried on 3 pairs of over the knee boots: the oh so popular STUART WEITZMAN 5050, MAINLINE, and VIA SPIGA ALTO.

Alto (left) 5050 (right). I love the sleekness of the pointed toe of the Alto.

Alto (left) 5050 (right). Notice the height difference between the 2. Alto is 2 inches taller.

STUART WEITZMAN 5050: these have about a 1 inch heel, 13/14 inch opening, and are 22 inches tall. I'm not sure if I've ever felt a softer leather on a shoe. The fit of these boots is what won me over. The tight fit of these makes the boots seamless and elongates my legs. The top reaches 2 inches above my knee. The only downside to this was it's steep price tag - $655 for a pair of boots was way too much in my opinion. However I was able to price match these during a 35% off sale. These run about 0.5-1 whole size too large depending on the width of your feet. I am typically a 6, ended up purchasing a 5.5, but felt that I could have sized down to a 5.

VIA SPIGA ALTO: These have a 2 inch stacked heel, 12 inch opening (great for TINY legs!), and are 23 inches tall. The leather on these boots feel thicker and sturdier than any Stuart Weitzman's I've tried, making them low maintenance and possibly more durable. These have a zipper that run half way down the inside - this was a plus in my opinion, because it can prevent possible over stretching in the ankle area. The 6's felt very snug around my legs, and the foot area are true to size. Since these have a 2 inch stacked heel, they do add some more height than the other two options. The only downside was the back of this boot reaches above the bend of the knee, so can be a little uncomfortable while sitting. This may not be an issue for those taller than 5'4. These are typically $495, more affordable than the SW, but not by much. NORDSTROM is currently having a 40% off sale making these $296. These are also available in all sizes on zappos.

STUART WEITZMAN MAINLINE BOOT:  These have about a 1 inch hidden platform, 13 inch opening, and are 19 inches tall. I tried these boots on at the Off 5th Saks outlet store (sorry for the lack of pictures). These are about 3 inches shorter than the 5050 boots, and barely passed my knees. The leather quality felt just as good as the 5050 boots, but these are more of a knee high boot if you're over 5'2. These are marked to $349 on the OFF 5TH WEBSITE, but were $299 in stores two days ago, and may still be offering that price. These run about 1/2 a size too big (not as roomy as the 5050) I tried on a 5, and were extremely tight, so a 5.5 would have been perfect. I loved the pointier toe box on these - I think they do a better job elongating the legs than the 5050, and have a more feminine look.