Frye Veronica Shortie Boots Review: A Summer to Fall Transition Piece

Frye Veronica Shortie in Full Grain Taupe Leather

It may be because of the June gloom-ish fog we've been having over the last couple of weeks with slightly cooler temperatures and the arrival of the fall collections in stores, but the transition to fall has been on my mind lately. Don't get me wrong, summer is still my favorite season by far; I'm just getting ready for fall. I've been in the mood for a pair of tough slouchy slightly grungy motorcycle-style work boots for awhile to slip on with dresses during the summer and leggings and skinny jeans in the fall / winter. After a lot of research, the Frye Veronica Shortie Boots seemed to fit the bill. I love the history of Frye; they are the oldest continually operating shoe company in the US, around since 1863 and got their start outfitting soldiers for the Civil War. They are known for quality and durability. I tried on a couple of pairs of Fryes at Bloomingdales and Nordstroms for fit and style, including the Frye Harness 12R Boot, the Frye Carmen Harness Short Boot and the Frye Veronica Slouch. I didn't want a heel and didn't like the curved up front and slippery sole of the Carmen Harness, and I couldn't even get my foot into the Harness 12R Boot (maybe my foot is too wide?), plus I didn't like the look of the squared off toe. The Frye Veronica Slouch was the most comfortable by far, but I didn't want such a tall boot, something more ankle to mid-calf for a slouchy effortless look. I found a pair Frye Veronica Shortie Boots on sale online at 6pm, the sale sister site of Zappos, in a neutral taupe full grain leather. I originally was looking for black, for more of the motorcycle look, plus I thought black might look better all beat up and worn in, but I couldn't pass up the sale price, especially for my first pair of Frye's. They arrived today thanks to free 2 day shipping (gotta love the Zappos / 6PM customer service), and I'm really excited about them. I really like the dusty worn in taupe color, the rounded toe and antiqued buckle detail, plus the leather is really soft and the construction seems to be of good quality. They need a little breaking in, but they are pretty comfortable already and slip on and off easily. (Update: ouch, I got bad blisters on heel from walking about 1 mile in the boots. I guess they need more breaking in!) In terms of sizing, I'm between a size 6.5 and 7 in most shoes and the Frye size 7 is snug but should break in fine in the front with the top part hopefully getting slouchier. The color is a little light which has me a little nervous; I definitely want them to have the broken in look without just looking dirty, so I hope they age well. I probably won't be riding the motorcycle with these boots for fear of oil and dirt stains, which is too bad because I didn't want to have to be delicate with these boots. I noticed that the leather would darken if I got drops of water on them, so I sprayed the boot with some Apple Garde Rain and Stain Repellent. I'm excited to start wearing them now and into the fall. I highly recommend checking out 6pm (and quickly before the free 2 day shipping ends tonight!)

After dinner walk with the dogs. Frye Veronica Shortie Boots with Pinky Otto dress (one of my fave NYC stores) and cheap Urban Outfitter sunglasses

Frye Veronica Shortie Boots in Full Grain Taupe with a Mango dress from Spain

I noticed that the boots were gaping a little too much around the calves in this picture so I've tightened the top buckle since