The boots everyone is wearing at NYFW and where you can get them

If there's one pair of boots you need to buy for the new season, this is it

sock boots
(Image credit: Rex)

If there's one pair of boots you need to buy for the new season, this is it

If you've been paying attention to the street style looks at New York Fashion Week, you can't have escaped the fact EVERYONE is wearing sock boots this season. And not just any sock boots either, but THE ankle sock boots that come courtesy of Balenciaga (we told you they were the most precious thing you owned).

You know the ones, the knife pink and orange flower stretch boots that are pure Instagram gold, though the non-patterned ones (red, blue, neon pink) are just as popular.

As far as boots go, there's nothing subtle about them, and that's why they're fabulous. They can be worn with a striped dress for a bold look, or with cut-off jeans for a more dressed down take, but either way make no mistake, they will completely elevate your look.

Safe to say, they're the only pair of boots you need this season, and the likes of Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Alexa Chung know it. Sadly, the Balenciaga ones are sold out everywhere, but we've carefully sourced the best high-street and designer alternatives, from knitted to velvet. So do yourself a favour and pick up a pair below.

sock boots

Shop now: ASOS RUNWAY Sock Boots for £40 from ASOS

sock boots

Shop now: Heel sock boots for £49.99 from MANGO

sock boots

Shop now: STRIPED HIGH HEEL SOCK-STYLE ANKLE BOOTS for £39.99 from Zara

sock boots

Shop now: BALENCIAGA Velvet sock boots for £685 from Net-A-Porter

sock boots

Shop now: Office Aphrodite Dressy Stretch Boots Blue Satin Stretch for £80 from Office

I'll be wearing mine with a midi floral dress, but if you're after a sportier look at la Gigi Hadid or Kendall Jenner, then grab a knitted pair and team it with some joggers and a retro ribbed jumper.

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.