Dainty footwear has been well and truly trodden over in recent seasons by an ever-increasing trend for strong, high, military-style boots like the Dr. Martens favoured by punks in the 1970s.
They were stomping down the runway at Lou Dalton’s AW14 show, uniformly black against a predominantly pastel collection, like two ‘up yours!’ signs for your feet.
At Belstaff, they were shin-high and ready for a road trip; A.Sauvage included boots that were buffed up to a high shine and worn with beautifully cut cropped black trousers; while Alexander Wang’s industrial futurist aesthetic came complete with loafer boats, unlaced for added recalcitrance.
Yet perhaps the closest reference to punk was seen at Junya Watanbe, where bright red and navy boots were combined with cropped patchwork legwear:
What’s interesting is that for at least the past few years, designers have been pushing the cropped trouser – but besides a minority of fashion-forward individuals, it’s a look that hasn’t translated into public language.
That might just change if boots can march their way into our collective wardrobes, as the two look great together. We see no reason why not.
