- Italian footwear startup and direct-to-consumer brand M.Gemi makes some of the highest quality footwear you can find, but without typical retail markups that drive prices up even more.
- You may know of the brand because of their Instagram-famous loafers, but the $348 Corsa ankle boots are one of their standout styles.
- When I first wrote this review back in 2018, I tried the original version of The Corsas, and have been wearing them ever since. The updated version, called The Corsa Concavo, features a small divot at the back of the shaft for a more flexible fit.
- Though this review details my experience with the original style, it seems that not much has changed about the fit or materials used, and I’m confident the new version is just as great, if not better, than the original pair I have.
Ankle boots, in my opinion, are the white sneakers of cold (or even cool) weather. A good pair with a walkable heel height can be worn for pretty much any activity and with almost any outfit. But if you asked me to dream up my perfect pair, I wouldn’t even bother – because Italian footwear startup M.Gemi has already made them.
Crafted in artisan Italian workshops with buttery soft leather, The Corsa ankle boot is the most comfortable I’ve ever worn – and the most versatile, too. You may recognize the brand for its classic suede loafers, but if you ask me, its ankle boots are the real standout design.
The silhouette has a very subtle hint of '70s style with an elongated, fitted shaft and sleek sole. The new version, The Corsa Concavo, has a small divot in the back of the shaft for added flexibility compared to the original - but it still maintains the same general shape as the original. They are, in short, the perfect ankle boots for everyday wear, offering a hard-to-nail combination of form and function.
The original version of the boots came in both leather and suede (currently all on sale and likely to be discontinued), but the new pair is so far only available in leather. I have the original leather pair, had a leather-wrapped heel rather than a typical stacked heel. This meant the heel itself was a little more prone to scratching, but the new style features a stacked heel that will likely hold up better over time.
Read more: What makes M.Gemi's Felize leather loafer so special? We tested it to find out
How they fit
I got my black leather pair in my regular size, a 7.5, which was definitely the right call. When I first tried them on, I was surprised that they were as soft and pliable as they are - from the look of the photos on their website, I thought the shaft would be a lot stiffer and more likely to cause blisters at the top (which is where most boots tend to get me). Instead, they're malleable enough to move with you as you walk, but thick enough to look and feel substantial. I've never gotten a blister from them, and their wearability straight from the box is just one thing that makes them so worthy of their $348 price tag. The divot in the back of the new pair likely just makes them even more flexible and comfortable.
The heel height is also totally manageable at just over two inches, which means I can run around the city and walk around the office without wanting to scream. I have no patience for discomfort on my commute in particular (why torture my feet when taking the subway is hellacious enough?), and these adhere to my strict rule of footwear in which I could run to catch a train if needed.
The bottom line:
Overall, I can't recommend these boots enough to anyone who feels they're within a reasonable price range. Though they're not cheap, the quality is the same as any pair you'd get from Prada or another luxury brand - just at a drastically lower price. And if you decide you don't love them or you need another size, you can take advantage of M.Gemi's complimentary return or exchange program.