Guess what I saw today at Nordstrom's in Vancouver??
After they told me they wouldn't be selling those boots in Canada?
HARUMPH!!!!!
Also, though -- they come in chocolate brown!!! The photo may look black but it is not. They do also come in black, of course.
Helena replied 5 years ago
Love! I am such a Blondo fan, I don't even bother looking at other brands. They are classic, stylish AND comfy and weather appropriate - what more can one ask for?
Elizabeth P replied 5 years ago
OOh - that brown is nice! I'm totally confused as to what to do. I ordered a very cool pair from Aldo yesterday, but they are in the rust/black/brown tones, not greys/blacks like this. Saying I do order these, what size do I want? I'm usually an 8.5 in boots this year.
Chris987 replied 5 years ago
Hah! Fake news hits the retail world! Glad you saw them!
I am a huge Blondo fan, but need a lower heel than these lovelies. Starting in 2017 I've tried every bootie they make in a 1 1/2" heel or lower. Only the Lila and Tula have worked for me, and both have been discontinued. All the others either have a heel that is too high, or are a bit too short overall in length when the heel fits well. I will surely keep looking, maybe they will make this snakeskin print some day in a lower heeled version.
Elizabeth P replied 5 years ago
Marilyn replied 5 years ago
Suz replied 5 years ago
I can't return my US ordered ones because I have worn them. Oh well. For the $10 I can swallow it! But next year I am going to be insistent with the SAs and won't let them get away with a cursory "we won't be stocking it" comment. Might also put a call in to Blondo...
Lisa, it's really hard to say about sizing. I'm thinking of the fact that you found the Cons fit large -- on me, they fit generously but pretty normally in my usual boot size (7). There's room for a heel cup or an insole if I want but not much more. For me, Cons tend to be very snug across the instep/ top of foot -- that is where my foot volume is.
Meanwhile, I have the complete opposite experience of Elizabeth P with the Blondos. Again, I take my regular boot size, 7. In fact I could go a half size lower in these, but kept the larger size for foot swelling and heavier socks, insoles, etc. I do have heel slippage with the Blondos (totally normal for me...sigh) but they do *not* squish my toes. However, keep in mind, my toes are short. This is one reason the style works so well for me, I suspect. It's wider right at the midfoot with some room in the upper midfoot, but not super long despite being pointed.
kellygirl replied 5 years ago
Not to thread jack but is this style close fitting at the top? Enough so that you can wear them with skirts? I have the other style of Blondos and am debating on returning for this version...since they are still unworn. Thanks!
Jaime replied 5 years ago
OOOF! Sounds like something that would happen to me actually :) .
Cee replied 5 years ago
( Steve Irwin voice ) DANGER ! DANGER ! DANGER !
Elizabeth P replied 5 years ago
In case you weren’t sure, NORDSTROM ROCKS!!!
Just got off the phone with them. They are sending me another pair (at $180), and a shipping label. I send back my US ones, which about $206, and get back all my money, plus duty, for zero charge. They couldn’t do it as a paper exercise, which would have saved them double shipping, but that’s fine with me. So I am just out initial the $10 shipping charge from the US.
RE sizing, my toes are long, and I have Morton toe, so are also fairly square. Many pointed toe styles rub the outside of my big toe, which require me to size up (and hope the foot proportions still work, which they often don’t, but these do). When I talked to the SA, she said almost everyone was going up a half size in them... I just needed the full.
With the cons (well, last years ones, this years haven't’ arrived yet), I went a half size down from my normal, prob because the toe box is rounder and they are generally roomy.
Kelly, yes, I think they are close enough at the top to wear with skirts. They aren’t snug, but not into flower pot territory. I can’t take a pic, but I’m sure someone can, or has.
Angie replied 5 years ago
Detective Suz :)
Suz replied 5 years ago
Thanks, all!
Elizabeth, that is awesome news. Congrats! A phone call can sometimes work wonders and this time it did! Yay!
As for the sizing, this makes sense. My actual, real shoe size is somewhere between a 6.5 and 7 US size. I will almost always get a much better fit with a 37 EU, but of course not all shoes are sized that way. (I struggle with UK sizing as well, and sometimes even more than I do with US sizing). Anyway...6.5 is probably my "true" size but it's not roomy enough for an insole. Effectively this means the Blondos are a half size bigger than my usual size. So are the Cons, but because my foot volume is in a different place, I guess they don't feel large to me in that size as they do to you and LisaP.
Kelly, I definitely wear my Elvinas with dresses. Will show you a pic below. They are not tight on my ankle but it doesn't look "flower pot" because of the shape of the ankle -- hard to explain but you will probably see if you try them. This is my black pair in the photo, obviously.
Jenni NZ replied 5 years ago
Suz and Elizabeth P, I am hesitant to ask this and it may be cultural because I am used to often needing to pay high prices ( over $200 in 3-4 pairs of my boots, 3 of them were $300 or above). But in the end, Elizabeth P, there was about $26 difference and then you lost $10 in shipping so the difference was about $16? You went through all that and shipped boots back and forth for $16?
Sorry but I don’t get that. Is it annoyance with them saying they wouldn’t get them in Canada and then they did? Is it perceived fairness? Like if you really couldn’t afford the extra $ 16 then you might not be buying near $200 boots in the first place?
I don’t mean to offend. I am puzzled. May be cultural as I say. I am often pretty surprised with the different thinking between my Canadian SIL and myself despite similar generations back British heritage and suppose it to be the way the 2 different colonies developed. I am genuinely interested in your reasoning.
Suz replied 5 years ago
Put that way, it does seem a bit much, doesn't it, Jenni? :) Well, I can't speak for Elizabeth. I will admit that with my own Scottish heritage, I love a bargain and hate to feel I've been ripped off -- even if the sums are small. (I know -- that's a stereotype and probably an unfair one. Nevertheless...)
My boots actually came from the US. I ended up paying a few dollars more than the current CAD price, I suppose due to conversion fees. So no big deal.
It was inconvenient, though, and had I known they'd eventually be available at the Vancouver store, I would have waited to buy them, for sure. Doing it as I did meant I had to bring them from Ontario this summer and had to ask a YLF friend in the US for help getting them...plus, this is a Canadian company!! For heaven's sake, you would think they would offer us the same variety of styles as they offer their US customers! But they do not. So I get irritated about that. ;)
LaPed replied 5 years ago
It is baffling that Blondo would be harder to procure in Canada than in the US, but I guess we have market analysis to blame.
Elizabeth P, that's rather annoying that you actually have to ship the boots back just to get what's essentially a price adjustment! Seems so wasteful. Unlike Jenni NZ, I totally understand wanting my $16 back. That's a whole t-shirt, or a pair of good socks, or a nice lunch, etc. Like Suz's, my blood is thick with Scottish influence. ;)
I will say, I've been on the other side of this, jumping through hoops to have MEC kids' snowsuits and rain gear delivered to family in Canada and then driving hours to pick it up because MEC can't (or won't) ship certain items to the US. (MEC is a great deal even without the favourable exchange rate; it's worth the hoops, especially since REI has no interest in opening a store in my region either.)
This is such a kooky thread - and I love it :) I'm not going ahead with the snake prints, but will be taking a look at the brown a little closer. I understand Jenni's puzzlement over this price adjustment issue - I'm wouldn't have done it either but we all have our sticking points on issues.
I'm kinda with Jenni here re: $16. Is my time (hourly wage or other factors) more valuable than the $ returned?
Marilyn replied 5 years ago
Elizabeth would be out more than $16. $26 is the difference in the retail price of the boots. The US shipped boots also include a big chunk of duty.....which she said is also being refunded. For Canadians, it's the duty that makes us want to scream. Also, more tax paid on that $26.
kellygirl replied 5 years ago
@Suz: those are fantastic with skirts! I’m going to check them out for sure. Thanks!!
Jenni NZ replied 5 years ago
Thanks Marilyn for that info, the duty thing sounds like it would make more difference. And I am careful with my money and yes $16 buys other things, but I also feel I could easily save $16 by just not having the odd other indulgence. I understand about Scottish blood! My husband is of that heritage, my background heritage is English which is why ( for any fans of Outlander) he started calling me Sassenach when we were enjoying watching that series!
I do feel sorry that it’s a Canadian company not serving its compatriots well.
Elizabeth P replied 5 years ago
Sorry folks, I posted and ran. And drove. And am now miles from home watching my DD curl.
Marilyn is exactly right, jenni. It wasn’t the $16 at all, it was the duties that made it worthwhile.
And one can’t really blame blondo, they probably have limited control over who sells their product. I’d love to know the how the Gov’t can charge duty on them RETURNING to Canada ... but I’m not going to put any effort into finding out.
Marilyn replied 5 years ago
Good point, Elizabeth. Why ARE we paying duty on an item made in Canada? We don't pay duty on items made in the US. I've ordered American made premium denim and it's duty free. And when I order from American Etsy stores I have them mark "US" on the customs declaration and everything comes through no problem. Would this not be a violation of NAFTA?
No problem, Jenni. :)
Marilyn replied 5 years ago
Marilyn, i don't think they are made in Canada...and do I ever LOVE your new navy snake boots!
Marilyn replied 5 years ago
Elizabeth P replied 5 years ago
Hadn’t thought of that, Lisa. Makes (so e sort of) sense.
Great boots Marilyn! I don’t know that store, but will look for them now.
Suz replied 5 years ago
Huh. I thought Blondo was made in Canada too. But perhaps not!
Marilyn, those booties look terrific! May you get much enjoyment from them!
So far I am wearing the snake prints with my usual -- cropped denim, black and blue for the most part and wide leg for the most part but not exclusively -- I also wear with some slim straights. I will possibly wear them with a skirt at some point.
For me, they are a hair bookending item, so they'll remain useful after the vogue for animal print is over. Anything that bookends my hair gets a lot of wear in my closet -- so white, grey, silver, and patterns thereof.
Update : made in China and owned by the Steve Madden Corp . Nothing Canadian about them anymore .
Suz replied 5 years ago
Huh. Well, that is annoying. But it does explain why they are more reasonably priced than the other Canadian waterproof alternatives....like La Canadienne. Hmmmm.
Jenni NZ replied 5 years ago
Since this thread has come up again... I will thank Elizabeth P for the explanation about getting the duty back. Sounds like the effort was definitely worthwhile after all.
It is a pity how brands don’t make in their original country of design any more... same with Ecco and Clarks and some of our NZ brands too.
They still look nice boots.
But I enjoy Steve Madden designs. Some of the same design DNA if this company is now owned by Steve Madden?
Welcome to my YLF blog, where I'll explore my preoccupation with fashion and style. Thanks to Rae for suggesting the title!
