Knee high boots are the unmissable shoe trend of AW23

knee high boots
(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you ask me which major shoe trend to invest in for the new season, then let me tell you: it's knee high boots. 

They were quite simply everywhere on the autumn/winter catwalks in New York, London, Milan and Paris, in all styles and hues. 

At Hermes, heeled suede boots were imagined in autumnal hues of burgundy, mustard and brown, while at Bottega Venetta they came in the house's signature woven leather and skimmed model's buttocks. 

At Brunello Cuccinelli and David Koma, they had equestrian and cowgirl vibes. Biker influences were seen at Acne, Miu Miu and Moschino. At Chloe, Celine and Chanel, 70s influences could be seen in the platform heels and floral prints. 

They were paired with everything from hot pants to suits, pencil skirts to leather gowns and denim. 

During fashion month, they were a fixture with the street style set. I saw influencers pairing patent boots with lace slip dresses and cowboy styles with leather dresses. In Paris, Chanel's wellies were unmissable. 

While ankle boots are great worn with your favourite jeans, there is no denying the versatility and chicness of their taller sisters. 

Wear them this season with your favourite knitted dress, or tuck your favourite jeans into them for a Princess Diana-approved look - though I'm loving silver jeans tucked into metallic boots for a more trend-led option.

Don't be fooled into thinking knee high boots are only for tall women, it's all about proportion. Ideally, you want the boot to come up just below your knee so it doesn't cut your leg off in an unflattering way.

So without further ado, keep scrolling to shop my edit of the best knee-high boots to see you through winter.

Shop knee high boots: 

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.