As Merce and I were putting together outfits for yesterday's #hannahbonanza blog, she quickly pulled out her favorite boots that made it into not only one, but two of the four outfits! She knows that I will always agree to those boots, and vice versa. They literally morph themselves into the perfect footwear for any and every outfit. I believe that's worthy of its own post!
Mikoleon is a company that offers artisan, hand-crafted, upcycled, eco-friendly, sustainable goods made in Guatemala. They offer not only boots, but chukkas, sandals, huaraches, and upcycled clothing and bags. Merce has owned, and gladly worn, three different styles of their footwear....with our favorite being these ankle boots. The Heirloom Chukkas are next on our list.
First of all, I'm sure you want to know how much they are. $78. That's it. $78 for real leather, hand crafted sturdy, beautiful boots. That price point will sell me all day long. Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about fit. For us, they are true to size to maybe a little big. When we purchased these boots, Merce was wearing a sz 13. So we ordered the size 31 (US 13-13.5). She's been in a US Sz 1 shoe for several months now, and her toe is just a hair away from being at the end of the shoe, so it's time to size up. The leather is very nice, not too thin and not too thick. It smells divine...yes I smelled them. No shame at all. Leather smells amazing. There's a cute little button down pocket on the outside of the boots that Merce used to stash quarters. The boot laces are very thin, but surprisingly sturdy! I expected them to break when tying, but they haven't yet, and they have been worn alot! There's not a lot of padding in the sole, but no complaints from the kid! And believe me, she would complain if there was anything...anything at all....to complain about.
We have used the Artisan Leather Ankle boots in multiple photo shoots, and everytime they just take on a different look and complete the outfit. Merce has also worn them to school and out and about on weekends. With every little scratch and mark, they look more and more amazing.
The soles, which you can see here a bit, are sturdy, and a little slick at first. Merce loved them slick b/c she could twirl and twirl with little effort, but if you have a little one or one prone to falling, you might want to rough the bottoms up a bit before wearing.
UPDATE: 6/6/17---It turns out that we have an early pair of these boots. The newer pairs have a Neolite rubber layer on the soles to keep them from being so slick. <3
And some more pictures with the boots, just because I love them. This first one they were paired with Nelly Madison's Coming Up Roses dress. The skirt fabric was designed by the owner herself, and is divine in person. And we had a m2m hair piece from Sara Grace Accessories to wear as well. If you are in the market for a m2m, hit Crystal with Sara Grace up. She's not only good at what she does, but she's super sweet too.
Now this is one of my favorites. Nelly Madison Clothing Co's Lavender Fields Tunic, layered over a Madison Grace soft white long sleeve icing shirt, and Old Navy distressed boyfriend fit jeans. Knowing me, I'm going to assume I got those jeans on clearance. I really like Old Navy clearance sales because I'm a cheapskate at heart.
I think I've mentioned before what huge Joyfolie junkies we are...these child-sized aviators are one of my all time favorite purchases. Even when they are just used as a prop, I still stare at them and think about how much I love them.
Earlier I mentioned we had owned three styles of Mikoleons, one of which I can't find on the website any longer, but they were similar to the cross strap sandals. We purchased them on clearance, and Merce quickly outgrew them. But they were so lightweight and comfortable! Then we sold them on a BST page for exactly what we paid for them new. Unfortunately I do not have pictures of those. BUT I do have pictures of the huaraches!
Mikoleon Artisan Huaraches
The Huaraches are pretty fabulous too, and only $32! They are comfortable and lightweight, perfect for the hot summers we have here! Now they have a pink soled Huarache....which means we are going to need to purchase those as well. My shopping list keeps growing:
- Artisan Leather Heirloom Ankle Boots
- Artisan Leather Heirloom Chukka Shoes
- Artisan Huarache Sandals with the Pink Soles
I am always on the lookout for newer businesses, especially small businesses. I love to shop small, especially when I can find amazing and unique products. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Old Navy and Target (when I can get to one....there's no target within 70 miles of here! It's tragic), but I feel supporting small businesses is just kind of my civic duty. 💗
