Fairfax & Favor heeled Regina suede boot: review

Our reviewer adored these boots which were close to gaining full marks

Rarely have I ever owned a pair of shoes or boots so frequently commented on.

These are beautiful boots, with a lovely close fit around the calf – and they arrived in a very smart box.

I’d say they are true to size as I am a bog standard size six and these fitted me well.

I love the detailing around the top of the zip on the outside of the calf – it’s a little Spanish although still quite subtle.

The foot shape is really good quality and holds its shape; it never feels “swimmy” in the ankle due to the snug fit and quality materials used.

The first time I tried them the zip was a little hard to do up, but as soon as the cleverly-disguised elastic gussets gave a little I could do the zip up easily even though the boots had retained their shape.

For someone who loves to colour match, the interchangeable tassels are what dreams are made of.

The self-colour tassels made for a smart finish, the orange set picked out the colour of the lining of the boots, while if I wanted to change it up, I chose the red or turquoise.

They are easy and quick to change – anyone familiar with billets on bridles will find the little hook and eye a nice equestrian touch. And they come in their own individual little boxes, making it much easier to keep them flat and unwrinkled.

I found the heel height absolutely ideal. I’d describe it as mid height, giving an inch or two of height without you ever feeling like you’re wearing painful heels and pushing all your weight onto the balls of your feet.

Similarly, the shape of them means they are an excellent style balance between sturdy and elegant, tapering in size towards the bottom, but not so much that you’d sink in the grass when you wore the boots to Badminton.

Now to the negatives. And if it hadn’t been for these two things, the boots would have got a 10 as they are comfortable enough to wear all day every day, and smart enough that you’d want to.

The most annoying thing was the lack of grip under the front part of the boot. I went flying a few times on wet pavements and smooth surfaces. I ended up walking very gingerly whenever I thought the ground might be slippery.

I think this could be solved by scoring the sole of the boots.

The one other annoyance came when I wore the boots – I tried a dark blue pair – a pale pair of trousers.

After a couple of wears I noticed that the orange colour from the lining of the tops of the boots had transferred itself onto the trousers. It did come out in the wash though.

All in all I absolutely loved these boots and the positives far outweighed the negatives. In fact, I’ve got my eye on a grey pair next. But what tassels to choose…?

Verdict

These boots are superb but were slightly let down by the fact they didn't have grippy soles