Last year I finally invested in a decent pair of knee-high boots for winter – previously I had been surviving the cold dressed in thick tights and incredibly impractical ballet flats – and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since. They pair so well with almost everything in my wardrobe – they look great with mini skirts and dresses for a slightly retro vibe, whilst wearing them under midi lengths instantly makes me feel more grown-up and put together. They feel fun, classy and a little bit sexy when paired with sheer tights, so naturally now I want them in every colour available!
Finding the perfect pair was tough though, I tried on so many that didn’t fit the bill. Either they were too fussy, the heel too high or the heel too low, in a suede rather than leather (totally impractical in the UK), or they gaped around my calves making it look like I was wearing wellies… not quite the look I was after. So I thought I’d take the leg work out of your search and round up my current favourites.
As you can probably tell, I definitely have a type! I like leather vs suede, a mid-block heel (nothing too high, I’m all about comfort) and a super sleek and simple design (no bells and whistles for me thanks!) I’ve ordered the shoes from the lowest priced to the highest, though the vast majority of boots in this post are over £100. Most of the black boots linked are ones I found on Zalando, which is my favourite place to search for boots because they add the bootleg width in their measurements, which is so insanely useful when shopping online, especially if you have particularly thin or thick calves and I wish more retailers did it!
The obvious outlier in the above line-up is the last pair, which have more of a platform to them. They look like a perfect dressy option to me, and so unbelievably 90s that I had to include them, but the other three are certainly more appropriate for everyday wear. I can personally attest to the third pair as they are the ones I own, I can comfortably walk around in them all day and they have my favourite shape. I really wish they came in a dark brown or tan because I would snap those up instantly, but unfortunately, the only colour alternatives currently are in suede, so I looked elsewhere for a brown boot fix…
And I came up with some of the most god-damn expensive boots out there! The first pair are Marks and Sparks and honestly such good value – I would pick these up myself, but their boots tend to be too big around my slim calves which is annoying, especially as the other three are designer and I definitely cannot afford them! My favourites are the second pair, which also come in green and in blue and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t also totally enamoured with those as well, even if a little impractical for every day.
With such a classic style of boot, I’m sure I’ll find and fall in love with plenty more offerings in the future!