September 6 2013, Style In View

It seems like only yesterday that I was discussing statement footwear with you. But of course, that was all the way back in April and we were talking about thespring/summer boot; now it’s September and the autumn/winter boot, which are two very different things, obviously.

Luckily, very little has changed, which makes this so much easier to do, especially since I purchased my SS/AW boots at the beginning of summer this year (justifying the frankly outrageous price tag with the soothing words, ‘I’ll be wearing them all year round,’ as it looked like we were settling in for another summer of mild yet soggy weather. A month later, I was sweating through my Converse and my lovely boots have sat on my bedroom floor unworn ever since).

So if like me you’ve already invested in your new pair of Chelsea boots back in spring and don’t wish to throw these out in favour of a new pair in a slightly more autumnal hue of brown — a shade darker that’s barely discernible to the naked eye — then please rest assured that there is no need.

But judging from our Twitter feed, there are still a number of you out there that need some help with dressing your feet this season and finding the perfect winter boot, so to you to I say never fear: we are here to help, scouring the catwalks, dissecting the importance of buckles versus lace ups and whether a peep toe a la 3.1 Philip Lim is ever going to be a realistic option for a British winter so we could digest and then then spit out all of this, broken down to its simplest form for you, our readers. Kind of like how a bird feeds its young.

So, here’s the lowdown.

Ankle boots still reign supreme. This is the most common denominator that was seen in many glorious forms across collections for AW/13: block heels at Celine; snakeskin at Givenchy; Cuban heels at Topshop Unique. You name it, somewhere there was a designer who did it.

Flats are sticking around for another season, with loafers, brogues and slippers the styles to be dressing your feet in. But if you’re having trouble ditching your heels, make sure you go for a chunky one.

With both punk and grunge major trends for this season, you’re probably going to be seeing more Dr Martins around, although many of you have probably been wearing these for years —  ever since you discovered them in your mid teens, if you’re anything like me. But if you’re just finding them for the first time now, enjoy the authority of a hefty stomp, weighted with attitude, that is supremely comfortable and a true investment (you’ll be in those into your golden days). Just watch it with the laces.

Of course the real curveball is the over the knee boot. Ladies, it’s back. Once the pariah of the boot world, relegated to the slightly dodge and associated with trailor parks, Julia Roberts and certain streets in Brighton on a Saturday night, they’ve been given a reputation upheaval for this season, gracing the catwalks as they were at Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld has deemed them chic again, thus let it be so.

Guys, you got this.