Hunter rain boots for petites review: Womens packable Tour (calf runs narrow) vs Kids Original

Left: Hunter womens' "Tour" packable rain boots (sz 5-12), multiple colors Right: Hunter kids' original rain boots (up to sz 6 big kids, which = womens sz 8 / 38) Outfit: LOFT jeans, Ann Taylor sweater, J.Crew PJs (hemmed), LOFT reversible scarf
*highly recommend each garment here & they are all on sale today!*

Living in the Northeast, my rubber boots are feet-savers in both wet and snowy weather, and get use across all four seasons. I've worn Hunter kids boots for a few years now, and finally ordered the womens' “Tour” which I've been intrigued by. The Tour are the foldable and packable version (seems awesome for travel, esp. for rainy destinations) of their original tall. I've tried the original tall in the past and they were a little too wide and cumbersome for short legs and hit right at my knees. As a result I had low expectations for the Tour, but ended up loving them! Nick couldn't even help complimenting them a few times, which is a rarity. The shaft height is similar to the tall so still hits at my knees, but the boot is so much more lightweight (even lighter than the kids) and pliable than traditional Hunters that it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

And oh, how cute is the LOFT reversible infinity scarf (on sale) in my first pic? I wish you could see the herringbone closer up since it looks solid gray from afar. Usually with two-sided items, one half is cute and the other might be iffy, but I really loved both here and the knit is so soft and cozy. They have another cute navy gingham 2-sided option as well. And as a sidenote, the A Gold E "chloe" jeans I ordered with these boots arrived in the wrong size so were sent back. A 25 though was pretty fitted at my legs legs (with gap at the waist) so I can see how they could be too snug for destroyed denim.

Here are a few more photos of the boots on bare legs, so you can better see the fit... Outfit: J.Crew skirt (old), Ann Taylor sweater c/o, ASOS scarf c/o (sold out, similar)

Fit: the two are super similar in width but the Tour is obviously taller, which I think has a more lengthening effect. For reference, I am ~5 feet tall and my calves measure about 12.5" around at the widest point. Both are decently slim in the calves (I don't expect a glove-like fit for functional rubber shoes), and one difference is the kids' calf circumference at the widest point is the same as the leg opening, whereas the Tour tapers and gets a little slimmer at the opening which I like, since it mirrors how our calves narrow in right below the knees. Please note that as with all boots, shaft height and width likely increases as the foot size goes up.

Weight: My favorite aspect of the Tour by far though is the lightness - despite being several inches taller than the kids boots, the Tours are noticeably lighter. They are made of thinner rubber, and I do want to point out that they are excluded from Hunter's typical 12 month warranty. That is a little disappointing, but I haven't yet read any reviews of the Tour boots having quality issues (most negative reviews are usually due to the slim calf fit).

Style: Both have the classic boot shape with rubber ridged soles and decorative (not functional) buckle on the side. Both boots bend, but the Tour is more pliable since they're designed to fold in half or roll up more easily. In my opinion though they are in no way flimsy and the soles are still durable in feel. The heel on the Tour is more defined in shape and marginally (maybe 1/4") higher than the kids which I like. The kids actually looks pretty truncating on me in these photo against pale legs, but I promise they look more flattering with black tights or dark denim, like in this older pic:

Sizing: Hunters sizing is pretty straightforward, but when converted to kids metrics on American retailers it can get confusing. Both my kids and womens boots are labeled the same thing on the inside: "UK 3, US 4 male / 5 female, and EUR 35/36." This tells me I'm consistently a UK 3 or EUR 35/36 whether I wear kids or adults. When ordering through US websites, though, I took a "5" in womens and a "4" in child or big kids sizing. Why the U.S. changes sizing for kids vs adults and then men vs womens beats me! Kids sizing goes up to a 6 child, which should equate to a sz EUR 37/38.

I usually wear a 5 or 5.5 in shoes, and the sizes I ordered leave me enough room for the fleece liner socks for warmth in the winter. The kids size Medium (4-6) fleece liner socks work for me in both - they just don't fold over the top of the Tour which is fine with me. The fit is snugger with liner socks so I only wear these with tights or bare legs and not jeans.

Current retail: $75 for kids versus $148 for womens. Tour is also sold at Piperlime, Bloomingdales, and Neiman Marcus all with free shipping for the holidays. Kids are also sold at Bloomies and Saks where available sizes differ.

Bottom line: Love the womens' Tour if you're looking for a tall and lightweight rubber boot, but calves run on the slimmer side compared to their originals. Since the Tour do hit right at the bottom of my knees, I would recommend the kids' original for ladies who are shorter than myself (~5 feet tall) or have feet sizes smaller than an adult 5. For ladies with shorter legs and also wider calves, try Hunter womens' original short which run a little shorter and wider than the kids original.

For ladies who like the Tour but have shorter calves, I also want to share an anonymous tip (thank you, whoever left this!) about the Tour Canvas which is a little harder to find: "Hi Jean! I tried on the tour and found the shaft to be a hair too long on me (i'm 4'11"). I could probably still wear them but could definitely see them digging into my knees over time...Luckily my awesome sales associate brought me the Tour in canvas which was PERFECT for me - it has a slim calf, has a shaft that is an inch to half an inch shorter than the regular tour and has a draw string top which keeps the boot in place."