Review: the most comfortable ankle boots

Nordstrom kicked off their Cyber Week sale and several items that I own or have purchased for my fam are included! I finally received my Gentle Souls boot order and have already worn them at nearly every opportunity. The deal on them now is the same as what I paid during a previous sale and colors are disappearing quickly, so I wanted to do a detailed review below.

Thank you to Nordstrom for partnering on this post.

Other Nordstrom Cyber Week Picks:

• Bernardo waterproof puffer – Petite friendly puffer on sale for under $100 in tons of colors. My mom has this, so I’ll try to show it when she visits soon! The cut and chevron-style piecing on this creates a flattering, shapely silhouette and the length is great on petites hitting at my mid / lower thighs. I find it to be pretty warm, and the XS has room on me for a thicker sweater layer.
• Bernardo longer puffer
• Celine sunglasses – I don’t own these, but wanted to share this rare deal
• Beauty deals – Nordstrom usually price matches the sales run by popular makeup & skincare brands, with more brands being added next Friday through Cyber Monday
• Cole Haan weatherproof boots – I have prior year’s version as a commuting bootie.
• Ugg slippers – gift idea under $70
• Topshop faux leather leggings – still the best petite “leather” leggings I’ve found. A 0P fits perfectly (like 00P), not too tight, with a soft, lightly fleeced lining. Last worn here.

Review: Kenneth Cole Gentle Souls Everly Boot

Watch my video review here. These suede booties included in the sale are everything I was searching for. As soon as I first mentioned them on IG, several of you who own these already shared rave reviews. Some compared these to Stuart Weitzman booties for a fraction of the price.

Style: These have a classic rounded square toe shape, with a slim stretch shaft that’s surprisingly hard to find. Such a style offers many benefits – the shaft is more closely fitting, so less gapping on narrow ankles. Stretch suede is also stretchy and pliable, and doesn’t dig into your shin the way stiffer materials might. And most importantly, the fitted shaft works with pretty much all bottoms … tights, leggings, jeans & pants just to name a few.

Sizing: If between sizes, I’d go half size up. I’m usually between 5 and 5.5 in most brands. The 5 was snug on me so I went with 5.5, especially to accommodate slightly thicker socks. I do not find these fit narrow in the foot, but some reviewers did.

Comfort: These are undoubtedly one of my comfiest booties! I’ve been able to walk miles in them around the uneven sidewalks of Boston, and the 1.75″ heel height does not even feel that tall. The footbed has padding, and the heel has a visible built-in cushion for support.

Quality: These seem well-made throughout, and a great value for the sale price. The outer is genuine suede, the lining is a combo of fabric and leather, and the insole appears to be leather as well. They also have pliable, non-slip rubber soles, and a sturdy zipper for easy on & off.

Considerations: If I had to nitpick some complaints, I would like a sharper toe shape that’s slightly more square and less round. I would personally also prefer no zipper on a sock bootie like this (just like Stuart Weitzmans) for a seamless ankle fit all around, but I know many do like the zipper. Lastly, I wish the block heels were covered in suede all around (with no “wood” side), and that the Chocolate color had a matching color zipper pull tab.

Similar styles: The Emily boot, also by KC Gentle Souls, looks extremely similar at first glance. I believe this is a more recent model, with a slightly different, more modern heel shape. The heel is also suede-covered all the way around, with no “wood” inner side of the heel like the Everly.