Review: Aldo 'ORLENA' Military-Inspired Boots

Just my luck, Aldo was having a great end-of-season boots sale. This time around, all the boots that were already on sale were an additional 50% off! I couldn't resist checking it out since their deals at the end of the season are usually quite steep. You can usually find leather boots (the only things I look for) for around $30-$50 after discounts. To top it off, I also found a coupon code, LUCKYU31511, which takes an extra 10% off your purchase until March 15.

From this sale, I got 5 pairs of shoes. They averaged out to be around $40 each, so I spent around $200. Not too bad for 5 pairs of leather boots! I know I know, you're thinking... FIVE PAIRS OF BOOTS?? Ya.. well. I couldn't resist :( They're all different styles okay!

 Here's one of pairs I got: The ORLENA boot.

Zara TRF blouse (old); F21 tank top (old); J Brand red twill skinnies (here); Aldo 'Orlena' boots (here)

A military inspired, mid-ankle leather boot with a minimal heel. It comes in both black and brown, and guess what? I got both colours. I'm usually an 8 in Aldo shoes, but I had to size up to a size 9 in this one because it does fit quite narrow. The size up allowed a bit more width so I can put my orthotic insoles in them. These babies were only $29.99!

Because the boots are pretty structured, I wanted something more carefree on top. I paired them with this Zara TRF blouse from a couple seasons ago, and my red J Brands for contrast. The Zara blouse pretty large in real life, but that allowed me enough length to tie it up into a knot at the front. Because my boots are black, I tied the outfit together with a black tank top peeking out from underneath the blouse.

The boots are a little stiff at first, so it will take some time to break in. After wearing them once, I can feel them loosening up. Since it's leather, it'll also eventually mould to me feet. The leather has a vintage, speckled look, but it is not rough or dimpled. The leather is smooth and has an oiled look. The laces are really long since it's meant to be laced up all the way, but I only laced them to my ankles. Then I wrapped the rest of the laces around the bottom of the shoe and tied them on top of the other laces. It also has a zipper at the side for easier removal.

For the price of $29.99, these boots were definitely worth it. How often can you find stylish, leather boots for such a great price?