The Year Long Shoe Trend: Ankle Boots

By Author: Barton Loi
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This winter the humble ankle boot was big news in the world of fashion. Everywhere you looked, with every kind of outfit imaginable, a new take on the ankle boot had been invented and reinvented to complete the ensemble. Ankle boots flew off the shelves in all shapes, sizes, colours and materials and the phenomenon did not stop there.

Finally, the icy winter of 2010 began to thaw and spring came beaming through. Now, the ankle boot has long been a useful item of footwear for moving between the season, often being lighter than a long and heavy winter boot but still warm enough to keep your toes cosy while a cool, March breeze is still blowing.

But to everyone''s surprise, the humble ankle boot has also found a way to work its way into our summer wardrobe. But no-one wears boots in summer, right? This year''s designers would beg to differ.

Not only were these shows full of last year''s ''shoe-boot'' styles, with low cut lace up styles dominating the footwear choices paired with tailored outfits, there were also many more summery versions on display along the runway.

The ankle boot, no-one quite knows ...
... how or whose idea it might have been first, somehow remained a staple item in the summer collections. In many cases it had been revamped into a kind of strappy boot shaped sandal, or - essentially - an ankle boot with a lot of carefully crafted breathing holes.

Part ankle boot, part gladiator sandal this new seasonal footwear trend was soon translated into many affordable versions available on our high streets. The popularity of the gladiator sandal last year no doubt contributed to the successful sales of the new sandal boots. Furthermore, the appeal of having a real sturdy summer shoe, in comparison to the many flimsy and impractical styles of previous year, appealed to many of the fashionistas who like to wear clothes that are functional as well as fashionable.

As the Autumn/Winter collections begin to appear out of the woodwork, it looks as though the ankle boot is set for another spell of reinvention and remodelling, embracing the chunky gladiator look in a whole new way. As we move from one season to another it seems that the traditional divisions between the footwear of the different seasons are slowly disintegrating before us.

Perhaps it is because of its versatility that we continue to adore the ankle boot all year round. After all, there aren''t many shoes that you can pair with jeans, dresses, office wear, mini skirts, city shorts, leggings and suits alike. Or perhaps we have spent so long reinventing the knee high boot the designers are simply looking for new material. Whatever the cause of the sudden surge in ankle boot popularity, it looks as though ankle boots are here to stay. Barton Loi is a freelance fashion writer. They recommend New Look for ankle boots.