While I Love to Buy Into Trending Styles, Brown Boots Are the Year-Round Staple I Can’t Live Without
From knee-high to ankle boots and cold weather alternatives we've found the best pairs
Almost everyone will have a well-loved pair of winter boots in their shoedrobe, ideal for crunching through leaves or, equally, side-stepping puddles. But, I would wager, they're likely to be one colour and one colour only—black. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, it's a classic for a reason, but there is another variation worth considering this season: brown boots.
Initially, these might not seem as easy to work into outfits. Can you wear it with a black coat, say, or does your entire outfit need to shift into chocolate? While I understand these concerns, I really do, the evidence from latest round of street style looks comes up with a resounding "no" in response.
At Paris Fashion Week, one street-styler paired her head-to-toe brown look with a pair of classic square-toe ankle boots, proving that mixing tones and textures can create an effortless and polished everyday look. Content creator Ksenia Chertovich styles an all black look with a pair of brown satin knee-high boots (finished with a pop of red) showing how versatile they really are, whilst Flavia Stuttgen demonstrates the power of a timeless riding boot.
With that realisation came another: brown boots aren't a new proposition but one that is, well and truly, dominating. A Jimmy Choo mailer recently arrived in my inbox with the subject line: "the shade of the season." The shade, in question, of course was "rich chocolate", with the brand pulling out mock-croc accessories to exemplify its deliciousness. And the pièce de résistance? A brown knee-high boot rendered in positively glossy leather, with a point-toed and sharp-heeled silhouette.
But as well as being tantalising, the brown boot can also be practical, a reliable companion when you need your footwear to be functional, versatile and hard-wearing. This version also showed up to Paris Fashion Week, an event where, let's face it, most people are not-so-glamourously racing between shows with seconds to spare. A flat boot will be your best friend when you're commuting and, for some reason, brown, especially if the leather is lived-in and slightly weather-beaten, feels particularly capable of withstanding 10,000 steps.
To serve all eventualities, we've rounded up the best brown boots on the market, from the shearling-lined ankle boot to the mock-croc knee-high.
Shop The Best Brown Boots:
Shop Ankle Boots
The streamlined cut of these boots, not to mention the elegant wedge, means they're a perfect match for jeans of any description.
Are you ready for the 80s revival? If not its time to stock up in a pair of ruched suede ankle boots.
& Other Stories's sleek cowboy boot stands out from the crowd, with its pointed toe and slanted heel.
A sculptural heel is a nice way to add interest to this everyday staple.
Subtle western details always add a modern feel to every day looks and this Khaite pair are at the top of our wishlist.
Massimo Dutti is our go to for designer-inspired footwear without the price tag.
Shop Knee-High Boots
With their modest slant heel, and mock-croc fabrication, these brown knee-high boots can be worn under wool skirts or over slimline jeans.
Sometimes the simplest styles are the best. Softer shades of brown work particularly well with lighter prints and colours.
Mid-calf boots are a French girl favourite. Just add a shoulder pad knit and jeans.
The stacked heel makes these boots sturdy enough for the day and night.
Micro-heeled and pleasingly scrunched, these brown knee-high boots are perfect for party season.
Chocolate suede will add an elevated feel to any outfit.
Jimmy Choo's shade of the season is rich chocolate, which you can find in all its glory as this delicious mock-croc knee-high.
Mango's brown knee-high might be the perfect version of this particular boot courtesy of its short block heel, stitching and suede fabrication.
Flat knee-high boots are most definitely trending for winter, especially if they're brown. Charles & Keith's are everyday while still being polished.
Shop Winter Boots
Fans of the cult Bally deck shoes can rejoice - they now have a cosy shearling-lined option for the colder days in the year.
For those of us that gravitate towards less practical footwear, this pair of shearling-lined ankle boots are a must. The waterproof toes and thick rubber soles are a saviour in the wind, rain and snow.
Rendered in chocolate suede, Me+Em's sumptuous hiking boot is probably more suited to city life than countryside walks.
If Moon Boot's bolder designs aren't for you, they just introduced this shorter and more demure design in chocolate brown suede.
M&S's boots are known for being the best value on the high street—and this borg-lined pair will be a particularly hardworking addition to your shoedrobe.
With a woolly insert for extra snug points, Gianvito Rossi's brown ankle boot is a cold-weather must.
When its subzero outside, only the cosiest and comfiest footwear will do.
