If anything is worth shelling out the euros for when it comes to clothing for the winter season, along with a good coat it must be boots. They must be comfortable, stylish, watertight, work with what’s in the wardrobe, and be versatile day or night, with flared or skintight jeans, long or short dresses or skirts, with three-quarter, knee or floor-length coats.
The choice of styles this winter is broad but largely clumpy – high heels, flats, knee highs, Chelsea, buckled, biker, wedge, ankle, sock, combat or cowboy, leopard or snakeskin, kitten or killer. Lug soles with thick indented bases are trendy, the new counterparts to the tractor tyres so popular last year. Simone Rocha’s leather tracker pumps set new standards in grounded femininity with lavish pearl embellishment and broderie anglaise detail, while her costly knee highs in polished black leather, designed for mini dresses, have chunky platforms and lace ups.
At the other end of the spectrum, Carl Scarpa’s Emma flat heeled knee-high is such a successful best seller that a recent customer to its Grafton Street shop bought a pair in all colours. In Russell & Bromley’s new Grafton Street shop, the biggest fashion-led items are platform and cowboy boots.
At the luxury end, Louboutin has leopard print ankle boots with an 85mm stiletto heel, ideal with midi lengths, the better to show them off. His Lipbooty in black velvet with a pointed toe has a gold heel that mirrors his lipstick cases for more than €1,200, while Acne’s distressed boots in white merino wool and goat leather are not for the fainthearted either – nor is the €990 price tag.
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Here’s a selection of 20, mostly practical and less extravagant everyday winter warrior boots at a variety of prices, from €19 to €675, to keep you comfortably in shape for the season.
