There is something so sensual about a whole lot of lacing. Reaching up far past the ankle a boot like this recalls vixenish Victorians and shy prairie girls gone wild. Lots of lacing connotes a sense of naughty bondage – with all that closure, dressing and even better, undressing becomes an event. Put it in leopard calf-hair? Let’s just say I have a serious love for these midboots.
But Giambattista Valli’s sassy, spicy lace-up boots aren’t suited for everyone. With a boot this high (nowhere near knee-high, but it’s not an ankle boot), you must be tall or at least have long legs if you aim to show them off with a skirt or dress. Or else they’ll just cut up your legs in all the wrong places. Clearly, these are meant to be shown off! They hit me mid-calf, so I can wear wide-legged pants that hit right below the knee, but I’m leaning towards a mini for maximum hotness. And if all those laces look daunting (too bad the days of chambermaids are long gone!), fret not: there’s an inside zip closure that no one will even notice amidst all those spots and laces. At Barneys New York for $1,265.
Pair with: Naughty and nice boots warrant a shirt that’s just the same, and nothing says that like blouses trimmed in leather. Sea’s silk and black leather-trimmed blouse ($298), Cushnie et Ochs’ sleek georgette version ($895), and Alexander Wang’s racy mesh shirt ($450) would all make killer choices.
