The Row Garden Boot review: worth it or skip?

What the The Row Garden Boot does well

The headline: clean leather knee boot. The details: Material: Calfskin; Sole: Leather; Fit: True to size; Made in: Italy. In our list it is the pick for: quiet knee boot. It usually sells for $1,600–$1,900 in the US.

Ages beautifully.

The trade-offs

Good: logo-free, superb leather. Not so good: expensive, plain. Read the skip-if line before you spend: skip it if you want a logo.

What to buy instead

Instead, consider the Gianvito Rossi Glen Knee Boot ($1,600–$1,900): sleek knee boot. Better if you want sleek knee boots.

Instead, consider the Gianvito Rossi Over-the-Knee Boot ($1,800–$2,200): over-the-knee. Better if you want dramatic.

Instead, consider the Gianvito Rossi Rolling 85 Boot ($1,350–$1,550): suede ankle boot with block heel. Better if you want a sleek, comfortable boot.

Before you buy

Calf fit: knee boots vary widely in shaft width; check the circumference, not only the size. Sole: lug and rubber soles handle rain and winter; leather soles are for dry days. Heel: block heels walk far better than stilettos, especially on cobbles.

Buyer tip

Boots are discounted heavily in January end-of-season sales; classic black ankle boots are the exception, so buy those whenever the size you need is in stock.

Buying in Europe: Italian and French sizes are used on most designer shoes, and they differ from US sizes by brand. Check the house’s own size chart, and remember that many Italian brands run about half a size small.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.