It's unlikely that Nancy Sinatra's These Boots are Made for Walkin' would do quite as well today as it did in the year of its release, 1966, if the boot selection this season is anything to go by.
There was a time, not so long ago, that boots came in three varieties: knee-high, ankle and wellies. Each variety served a very specific function: Friday night, work and rain, respectively.
Now, as with so much in life, we have more choice than we know what to do with. We have cowboy boots and Chelsea boots, thigh-high boots and knee-high boots, ankle boots and shoe boots, cut-out boots and peep-toe boots.
There are boots for day and boots for night (with significant crossover), boots for work and boots for play – and, sorry Nancy, but the best boots are most definitely not made for walking.
The sexiest boots are often the least practical. Take Saint Laurent Paris's super-sexy red stiletto boots, for example, or Violavinca's purple suede shoe boots. I wouldn't make it to the corner shop, unaided, wearing either of those boots. The most practical, therefore, are often the least sexy – but when you're curled up in front of the fire eye-rolling through Alexa Chung's "book", It, you want something like FitFlops' Mukluk to keep you toasty.
Of course, the fashion world truly excels when it comes to casual dressing. Take the mid-heeled mid-calf boots from Isabel Marant for H&M: not particularly sexy (there’s something very equestrian about them, in a they-look-like-hooves way) but distinctly cool.
Even Karen Millen, the high-street solution for Friday-night dressing, is chilling out – its toffee-coloured ankle boots are a great shout.
There’s one thing worth bearing in mind when wearing boots: socks. Marks & Spencer’s blister-proof socks are a great investment, and available in black, unlike similar designs in sports shops.
That aside, the world is your oyster, whether your boots are made for walking, dancing or looking fabulous in.
The thigh's the limit
Thigh-high boots have been threatening a comeback for several seasons now, but this time it's serious – and we blame Orlando Bloom's ex-missus, Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr. Here's how to wear yours to ensure you don't look like you're going fishing (ooh-er).
1 Unless you are seriously, seriously slim, do not tuck your jeans in. Unless you can ensure a super-smooth silhouette, you will look like you're wearing waders.
2 Skirts or dresses that meet your boots are ideal: flirty, cute, wrapped-up. Skirts or dresses that are a hand's width above your boots are trashy. See also: Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
3 Do not wear your thigh-highs with: lace, leather, pleather or anything with a slogan. You are not Rihanna.
