Over The Knee Season

This is the official season of over-the-knee boots! As a fan of them for years, I’ve found that they work with a huge variety of outfits, help keep the legs warm during cooler days, and offer a greatly-welcomed leg-elongating effect. But I’ve also come to notice that over-the-knee boots (hereby referred to as OTK boots) are actually considered the most intimidating style in the boots category. There’s really nothing scary about OTK boots though. Balance is key: OTK boots are statement shoes, so as long as you balance them out correctly, you’ll see that these boots flatter practically every outfit and every body type. To maintain a classy, sophisticated look with OTK boots, keep in mind these three main tips: 1) Wear OTK boots with clothing that is covered up in at least one way (think: high neckline or long sleeves); 2) Don’t let the skin showing between the boots and your hemline exceed 5 inches; 3) The boots should blend in smoothly with the rest of your outfit, not overpower it.

The celebrities and major bloggers all seem to be big fans of the Stuart Weitzman ‘Highland’ boot. I am too, but I’m not exactly fond of dropping $800 on a piece of footwear… yet. As I talked about in this post, I came across the Sam Edelman ‘Kayla’ boot which bears some resemblance to the Highland one, but I had my qualms about that – the heel is too high for everyday wear, the shaft is a little too loose for my liking, and I’m not much of a platform person. I remained figuratively perched on the fence, unable to justify spending that money on something I wasn’t 100% in love with, but then I came across this Steve Madden ‘Gorgeous’ boot. Physically, it looks a lot more similar to the ‘Highland’ boot than does the ‘Kayla.’ Compared to the ‘Kayla,’ the heel of the ‘Gorgeous’ is slightly more chunky and not as towering, thus offering more stability and comfort. Granted, it’s not crafted from genuine suede, but for the price (pssst: follow my lead and get it when Steve Madden’s having a sale), one can’t really complain. As far as I can tell, it looks good, feels comfortable and luxurious (yes, even with the faux suede!), and holds up well. So, long story short: if you’re in love with the Stuart Weitzman ‘Highland’ boot but cannot bring yourself to bleed out the $800, go for the Steve Madden pair- it offers the same sophisticated look without breaking the bank!

For your consideration, I’ve also come across these other fantastic OTK selections, all conveniently priced under $250: Asos, Jeffrey Campbell, Ivanka Trump, Forever 21, Chinese Laundry, Topshop, and Charles by David.

As always, thank you so much for reading!

Top: Mango (similar)
Bottom: Asos
Boots: Steve Madden
Accessories: Banana Republic hat (similar), She + Lo clutch, Forever 21 scarf (similar)