I love the look of this boot, but I also have 'athletic calves'. After gathering information from multiple sources about the calf circumference, I thought I would try them. The calf circumference is large--about 17" at the largest--but at this point, the boots are tight and the tongue is barely covering the front opening behind the laces. It just looks funny/wrong. So, if your calves are 17" or bigger at the widest point, I don't believe you will like this boot. Also, about the sizing...I am generally an 11B and bought an 11B...while it is certainly snug, due to the lining, it was a great fit. Since I don't think you would ever need to wear very thick socks with this boot, you might stick with ordering your normal size and width.