Reader Question: Help me find these boots!

Claire writes:

I found a pair of boots on a blog and I am desperate to buy them and I can't figure out who makes them. I even contacted to boutique where the blogger bought them and can not get them to respond to me!! Ugghh!! Now that i have seen them, they are all I want bootwise...why does this happen? Maybe you can help me figure out the brand. I attached pictures. I am embarrassed to say I have been looking for them since early October. What do you think? Oh and they are $179.

Adrien and I pride ourselves on our shopping sleuthing, but this one was a toughie. First of all, the blog entry she referenced listed the brands of all of the boots, except these. And the boutique also doesn't list the brand or style name, either.

What's that? A CHALLENGE? Oh, it's ON.

The first thing I do is forward Claire's email to Adrien, because you know what they say: two shopping sleuths are better than one. Also, I wanted to vent about how ridiculously vague people were being.

Adrien immediately found these:

SO close, but they don't come in grey and don't have the snaps in the back. Argh.

Adrien: Blarg! What the hell? WHY don't the mention the brand?

Marianne: SOMETHING IS UP. And they won't return Claire's calls! I'm ready to start calling tomorrow. This is just pissing me off.

A: It's fucking RIDICULOUS. why be all promoting something you won't sell?

M: This kind of coy bullshit fills me with fury. I want to find out the brand and shout it from the rooftops. And the more I look at them the more I WANT THEM, which is what they WANT and I'm so MAD.

A: I know! It's like a really mean boot joke!

So, the hunt continued. I kept Googling various versions of "grey suede foldover bootie" and then I hit the sweet spot. Not only did I FIND the elusive boots, I found them for cheaper than the cagey boutique was selling them for. BOO. YEAH.

THAT, my friends, is the Netalia Boot, made by Zodiac USA. You can find it at Dillards for $139, or on Shoes.com for $169, with free shipping and a 10% off coupon code. Once I knew Claire had bought the boots, I basically wanted to shout this off the rooftops. BOOTS! BOOTS FOR EVERYONE!

A: You are AWESOME. How did you find them?

M: I did a search for suede fold bootie and they popped up. Good lord. I am drained.

A: DANG. I searched and searched, but didn't actually just google it. You are the master.

M: She'll be SO happy.

A: YAY! That is great.

From Claire:

Dillards!! Are you kidding me? I really have spent an insane amount of time looking for them and you are able to find them in less than 12 hours at three different places. I will be ordering from dillards immediately! thank you thank you thank you! I can't believe you found them!! I have no way to accurately describe my respect for your internet searching capabilities. I am amazed. Thank you both!!

A happy ending. Don't you love that?