The best knee high boots to see you through winter

knee high boots
(Image credit: 2021 Christian Vierig)

It's official, winter is nearly here. It's the season of mulled wine, Netflix binge-watching and of course, boots. Now if you're wondering which ones to invest in for this season, then knee-high boots are without a doubt the strongest footwear investment to make.

Why? Because it's my firm belief they go with everything. While ankle boots are great worn with your favourite jeans, they aren't quite as versatile as their taller sisters. Knee-high boots, one of autumn's biggest trends, are generally smarter looking and go with everything, from midi-length dresses to shorts and skinny jeans.

During fashion month, they were a fixture with the street style set. I saw influencers pairing patent riding boots with mini dresses and heeled cowboy styles with floaty silk maxi dresses.

Daring editors wore tracksuits or jeans tucked into flat boots, in a nod to Princess Diana, in her Sloane Ranger era.

The catwalk was also inundated with knee-high boots, from western styles at Isabel Marant to riding boots at Dior and heeled 70s boots at Chloé.

Of course, track sole boots were still very much a fixture at the shows, having been the star of lockdown walks. Ganni and Bottega Veneta have some great tall versions this year.

If budget is an issue, then don't worry, because as ever, the high street has come up trump with stylish and affordable designs. Look to ARKET, Oasis, Whistles and Dune for some boots that will make your outfit instantly better.

And 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 the best 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.