The prevailing theme for AW21‘s hottest boot trend can be summarised as thus: Bigger is most definitely better. Over the course of 2019 and 2020 track soles and combat boots crept (or rather stomped) their way into the wardrobes of fashion’s best-dressed but, not to be content with half-measures, it seems as though this year the chunky boot is taking a step up. Please be upstanding for the chunky knee-high boot.
Bottega Veneta was one of the first brands to make a case for the XXL, knee-high silhouette, sending a statement-making, biker-inspired boot down its AW19 runway. Others quickly followed suit, but wasn’t until this year that the taller iterations started to compete with the classic chunky Chelsea boots and lace-ups. Now the high-street has jumped on the bandwagon, with the likes of Arket, & Other Stories, and even M&S (yes really), offering up their own spin on the knee-high chunky boot.
Styling-wise, you can essentially treat this trend the same way you would any chunky boot, however it doesn’t really lend itself to wearing with wide leg denim (one word: pantaloons) unless, of course, you layer the jeans over the top. I personally think they work best when used to balance-out delicate summer dresses or offer an edge to knitted midis. Thanks to their XXL size, I also think they work well to create interesting outfit proportions: Think an oversized belted blazer thrown over black leggings and finished with a pair of chunky knee-highs. But really, there are so many ways to interpret this trend—the key is to make it your own.
Ready to go? Scroll down to see and shop our edit of chunky knee-high boots.
