Wide Calf Wellies

Measure around the widest part of your calf, over the socks you would actually wear with the boots, standing up rather than sitting down. Sitting flattens the muscle and gives you a smaller number than real life.

Add roughly 2cm for comfort if you plan to wear thick socks or walk long distances, because a calf swells over a day on your feet. Compare that figure with the calf measurement on the product page, and if you are between sizes go up rather than down.

An adjustable buckle or gusset is the most reliable answer, because it lets the boot open wider to get your foot in and then close to fit your leg. Le Chameau and Hunter both use this on their roomier models.

Neoprene is the second answer. Because it stretches, a neoprene-lined boot such as a Muck Boot or a Grubs accommodates a wider calf without feeling tight, and it is warmer into the bargain.

A flex panel is the third, used by brands like WedgeWelly, where a stretch section is built into the back of the leg. SoleM8 takes a different route again and simply offers the same design in a standard and a wide fitting.

A wide calf does not mean giving up a proper walking boot. The Aigle Parcours 2 ISO and Parcours Vario Outlast 2 are built on Aigle's walking boot technology, with an adjustable gusset that gives an extra 6cm of width at the calf, and the Parcours 2 ISO is neoprene lined and insulated down to -20°C.

Le Chameau takes a similar approach on its country boots. The Vierzonord has an adjustable gusset for an extra 6cm of calf width and comes in 38cm, 41cm and 43cm calf fittings, so you can start from a fitting close to your measurement and fine-tune from there.

If you walk the dog every morning or spend weekends on muddy footpaths, these are the boots to look at first: the width comes from the gusset, and the comfort comes from a sole designed for miles rather than puddles.

Classic slim-cut boots are the usual culprit. Hunter's Original Tall is generous through the foot but narrow at the calf, and the Refined is narrower still, so neither is the place to start if width is your issue. Glossy boots with no adjuster tend to be the least forgiving of all, because the finish does not give at all.