How to Wear Over-The-Knee Boots

Pros and Cons of the Knee-High Boots Trend

© Johneen Manning

Oct 16, 2009
Bronx Over The Knee Boot, Victoria's Secret, ShopStyle
This season boots that go over-the-knee are a favorite among fashion mavens worldwide. Find out how to and how not to wear thigh-high boots.

Just in time for the frigid weather of fall and winter, over-the-knee boots are showing up on runways, in the streets, and on the legs of women everywhere. Slouched, suede, patent, foldable, fabric, stretchy, platforms, pointy-toed, round-toed, flat-heeled, stilettos, wedges and chunky-heeled, over-the-knee boots are being stomped in every style and color imaginable.

Some critics say that over-the-knee boots scream "hooker." Granted, Julia Roberts was sporting a pair of shiny, black, over-the-knee, stiletto-heeled boots as a working girl in the movie Pretty Woman, but that was 1990 and this is now. Unlike the Pretty Woman, we're not pairing the over-the-knee boots with salacious eighties spandex getups. Instead, modern women are rocking the over-the-knee boot with tasteful, modest, modern staples.

What to Wear with Over-The-Knee Boots

Whether wearing the high-heeled or flat-footed variety, fashionistas are wearing these towering, knee-capping boots with everything from dresses and skirts, to leggings, skinny jeans, and slim-fitting trousers.

What Not to Wear with Over-The-Knee Boots

Be sure never to wear high, over-the-knee boots with loose-fitting pants; don't pair these boots with flare-legged pants, boot-cut denim, wide-leg trousers, bell bottoms, or the newly popular boyfriend-cut jeans.

Issues with Over-The-Knee Boots

The over-the-knee boots trend isn't for everyone; you need a strong sense of personal style and the ability to sense when you've crossed a line of taste and appropriateness. You must also carry yourself with confidence and your very best posture. As a general word of warning, understand that over-the-knee boots are not for every woman or every body type:

  • Shorter Women Beware: Taller women can get away with the look much easier than shorter ladies; since the tall boots can actually make petite women look shorter and stocky – like a child playing in her mother's boots – if they're not very careful with proportions.
  • Be Wary of Stiletto Heeled Over-The-Knee Boots: Despite the fact that over-the-knee boots are all the rage this season, the stiletto variety may not be appropriate in all situations. You might want to reconsider wearing these boots when going on a job interview, or say, meeting your main squeeze's parents for the first time.

Flat Heeled Over-The-Knee Boots

To take the edge off these boots – and neutralize the sexiness factor of the over-the-knee boot – opt for a flat-heeled style, transforming the look into a more equestrian or foxhunt style.

Folded Over-The-Knee Boots

Another appealing feature of the over-the-knee boot is that many of them can be folded down over the knee, for a "Puss in Boots" look. It may not be everyone, but it's definitely a unique style that's trend-right.


The copyright of the article How to Wear Over-The-Knee Boots in Women's Shoes is owned by Johneen Manning. Permission to republish How to Wear Over-The-Knee Boots in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


Bronx Over The Knee Boot, Victoria's Secret, ShopStyle
Over The Knee Boots, Victoria's Secret, ShopStyle
Over The Knee Boots, ShopStyle
WEdge Heel Over The Knee Boots, ShopStyle
 


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