Are Knee-High Boots Still in Style?

Style Advice on How to Wear Knee-High Boots with the Trend

Leather boots are a wardrobe staple that is both very practical and eternally in style, so investing in a pair is always a good idea. However, certain silhouettes fade in and out of fashion depending on the year’s boot trends, but something we’ve noticed has never gone away are knee-high boots.

While these shoes might sound daunting, they’re a classic style that is extremely versatile and that instantly elevate even the simplest of outfits. They can be worn with jeans, skirts, dresses, and more, and come in different boot styles and variations in colours and texture, whether you’re looking for something leather or suede and smart or casual.

Perfect in the colder months for weekdays, weekends, and pretty much any event you can think of, here are a couple of ways you can style a pair of tall boots.

Are Tall Boots in Style for 2021?

Knee-high boots have been around and in style for a lot longer than you might think. Over the knee boots were first used as riding boots as early as the 15th century, and the silhouette was used as protection when riding on horseback. 

By the 20th century, the knee-high boot became a style staple for women, with the mini skirts and mini dress trend of the 1960s turning these shoes into highly coveted footwear. Until today, leather knee-high boots are still in demand and are a fantastic way to express your fashionable self year-round. 

Best of all, the new year comes with it a new season of fashion and styles to try out, and so you can discover different boot styles that work with your style sense and lifestyle. Whether it’s a pair of shorter suede black boots with a rounded toe or leather over the knee boots in a bright pop of colour and a pointed toe, and whether you prefer them worn with a dress or jeans, there are options abound for everyone.

How Do You Wear Knee-High Boots in 2021?

Knee-High Boots in Fall/Winter

The fall/winter fashion season is all about layering, and the colder months are the best time to wear your favourite pair of thigh-high boots. Long boots look fantastic with absolutely anything, so you can go wild with experimentation this season. 

Black knee-high boots and brown knee-high boots are great colour investments, as they’re understated enough to go with any outfit and occasion, even with formal wear.

For a casual yet chic look worn in the cold, play around with layers and pair your over-the-knee boots with a short skirt and long coat. Or when it’s really chilly out in the winter months, you can wear your tall boots underneath loose fitting trousers for an elegant outfit that keeps you warm as well.

Knee-High Boots for Work

While thigh-high boots can bring to mind Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, you can make the boots silhouette a fashionable yet work-appropriate accessory. You can wear tall boots with flowy midi skirts and midi lengths paired with a structured button-down for the office, or wear them underneath your favourite blazer and trouser set. 

Wearing heeled knee-high boots are perfect for the workplace, and a sleek pair with a block heel or skinny heel can do wonders for your go-to work attire.

Knee-High Boots with Casual Jeans

Tall boots with skinny jeans are probably every wearer’s go-to combo, as wearing skinny jeans tucked into your favourite pair of tall boots will automatically look good and keep you warm on top of that. We love the look of thigh-high boots with a bit of jeans peeking out and offset by a chunky sweater. 

You can play around with different heel heights to fit your casual look. Wear a high heel to turn your weekend attire into something worthy of a night out or a flat heel to make wearing knee-high boots a fashionable yet comfortable affair.

Knee-High Boots with Midi Dresses

Tall boots look fantastic with any kind and length of dress, but there’s something truly special about how they look with the midi dress. This look is particularly in style right now, with women on the streets wearing their own version of the trend, so you can pull out whatever you own in your wardrobe and pair it with some over the knee boots. 

We love the look of girly wrap dresses paired with edgy black knee-high boots, or a tight fitted knitted dress paired with subtler suede knee-high boots. We’ve also been seeing a lot of little white dresses paired with brown knee-high boots that bring the feeling of summer into the colder season. 

If you’re looking for dress inspiration, just pay attention to street style the next time you’re walking for errands and you’re sure to find some style inspo.

Knee-High Boots with Short Skirts

To bring it back to the 1960s, wear a pair of tall boots or over the knee boots with mini skirts for a cute and surprisingly timeless casual look other than jeans and a dress. We love the illusion of wearing a black mini skirt with black over the knee boots, as it gives the legs some added length. We also love how a soft, pastel-coloured cashmere sweater looks with a leather skirt and a suede knee-high boot. 

You can also bring that 60s and 70s inspiration back into the mix by going for a leather platform knee-high boot paired with a mini skirt for a disco-reminiscent style. Whatever the look you’re going for, this pairing will be eternally in fashion.

Final Note

While knee-high boots might not have been at the top of your fashion radar, they definitely deserve a spot in your wardrobe from here on out. Versatile and perfect for any outfit, whether it’s suede knee-high boots paired with a soft dress or black knee-high boots paired with skinny jeans, you can wear this shoe with absolutely anything and have that outfit instantly look fresh off the runway.