Like all cold-weather staples, the trusty winter boot is something we all come to rely on heavily from November onwards, but shopping-wise, it comes with a slight surfeit of options: high-street or high-end, coloured or neutral, leather or suede. Finding a style that matches your needs can be an overwhelming task. That’s where we come in.
You can consider us your shopping road testers, so if you’re short on time, we’ll try to offer up a more concise, editor-approved line-up. In the winter-boot category, we all have our personal faves that we’ve worn to death, and so with winter almost in full swing, we thought we’d share these wardrobe winners with you. We’ve got everything from Emma’s Aeydē patent pair and Zoe’s Chelsea boots to Remi’s cream knee-highs and Maxine’s lace-ups. Each one is distinct but thoroughly tried and tested by us. Ready? Scroll down to see the winter boots we swear by.
“I have one pair of boots from L’Autre Chose in two different colourways (beige and chocolate brown) that are now years and years and years old and pretty battered, but they just work so well with everything. Simple, classic shape. Pull-on and long, so they go under all sorts of dresses and trousers. A very walkable midi heel. I wish I could buy them on repeat in every colour imaginable!”
“My all-time favourite shoe brand is Aeydē, as it creates beautiful, classic styles that are actually comfortable. The boots fall around the £300 to £400 mark, but I really believe these are worth spending a bit more on. I love everything about these particular heeled ankle boots—the glossy patent, the inky blue, the heel height that is comfortable enough to wear all day and how striking the zip looks down the side. I love them so much I’m about to buy them in black.”
It’s rare to come across heeled boots that don’t make me dread the prospect of wearing them for a whole day. However, Loeffler Randall’s Gia boots are very much the exception to the rule. Coming with a low block heel and knee-grazing height, they somehow manage to be both practical and polished so are perfect for day-to-night dressing. I loved wearing them to fashion week with my vintage check skirt and a logo tee.
“I got these Carvela classic ankle boots during my first winter in London and have continued to cherish them as a part of my wardrobe for three seasons now. The boots saw me through those incessant lockdown walks circling my local park and still manage to look as good as new after a quick wipe-down. I couldn’t tell you how many miles I’ve walked in these shoes, but I can guarantee it’s a lot.”
“Autumn/winter calls for the return of the knee-high boot, and I’m totally obsessed with this pair from Monki. The colour goes surprisingly well with a lot of pieces in my wardrobe, so they’ve been on my feet a lot since I got them. I like that they’re super comfortable and the heel isn’t too high. My favourite way to style these? Tucked under a cute midi dress!”
“I’m a winter person, so there are lots of boot styles that set my pulses racing. My all-time favourite, though? Heeled lace-up boots, the sort you’d probably find in the costume department of Oliver Twist. I love the whole Victoriana aesthetic—pie-crust collars and all—so lace-up boots naturally fall into that category. My Zara pair in this shot is about seven years old now (sorry!), but I recently treated myself to these M&S lace-ups, and I’m even more smitten. Sure, the toe is slightly more rounded, but IMO, this makes them more versatile with casual outfits. And unlike my Zara stilettos, these M&S numbers have a block heel, which, let’s face it, is more practical when you’re faced with the harsh reality of icy pavements. I gave them their first outing at the weekend, and four women stopped me to ask where they’re from. And we all know that’s the purest form of positive feedback.”
