“Why are there boots in the freezer?” That’s the question Husband asked me last week.

“Because I have large calves.” was my answer.

Husband was baffled, which is always amusing to me.

I know I’ve mentioned this before, that I have large calves, and it’s so very hard to find boots that fit. Pull-on styles are almost always out of the question, as are cheap, non-leather boots, over-the-knee boots and even boots with a nylon/elastic back (think Stuart Weitzman 50/50). J Crew has extended-calf options and I have a pair from a few years ago in black. Corso Como is another great brand that works and I have a pair in a light brown. And that’s it…two pairs of boots.

I tend to buy booties because of the calf issue. But this year, I wanted a pair of dark brown distressed boots. I’ve been looking for a few months and have tried on several different styles all over the place, including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Dillard’s, Macy’s, Steve Madden, etc. I finally found a few at Zappos that looked like they might accommodate my calves.

I sized up a half size, hoping to either wear thicker sock or at least to give me just a little more room in the calf area. These are a pull-on boot with no zipper or buckles. I struggled a little to get my foot past the heel but once it was in the boot was fine. I also had to use the side tabs to help get the boot on.

Once they were on, the calves were not tight or uncomfortable at all but there was no room for anything thicker than a really thin sock. I decided to try stretch that area by freezing the boots. Have you ever done that? Stretched your shoes by putting them in the freezer? It’s the quickest and cheapest way to stretch shoes. I’ve done it a few times and can definitely say that it works.

Basically, you take a freezer bag, fill it halfway with water, squeeze out as much air as possible and put it in your shoe. Most people need to stretch the toe of the shoe or that general area. Since I needed to stretch the calf of the boot this time I used binder clips to keep the bag at the top of the boot.

I love the craftsmanship of Frye shoes. I have a few pairs of boots and a pair of Mary Janes I don’t wear but just can’t seem to let go of.

I’ll be using those boot straps quite a bit, at least until these stretch out a little more.