Laced Up in ’80s Style

The temperature is still high, but boots are starting to come down the catwalk along with all of the rest of the fall fashions for 2012. One very cool boot style that you can work into your wardrobe right now is the granny boot.

Granny boots are boots that lace up the front and imitate 19^th century high-topped shoes. You could call them Victorian-style boots, because they are all buttoned, or rather laced up, like a Victorian neckline. The use of the word “granny” hardly sounds high fashion, but I actually like it and think it’s kind of cute.

This style of boot was a majorly hot fashion item in the 1980s thanks to several fashion icons…mainly Madonna. In all of the music videos of the ’80s, just about every female in the free world owned a pair of these boots. I owned a black pair and a white pair with heels that I wore to death.

If I get nostalgic and give in to a pair this year, it will be definitely be a pair in tapestry print. This pretty fabric is one of the color and textile options we are seeing this year that also have the ’80s vibe. Did I forget to mention I had a pair of those, too?

The basic idea of that eyes and laces are still the major style component, but we are also seeing a few twists with more attention paid to details like larger hardware, interesting-shaped eyes, and contrasting colors. 2012’s granny boots are also marching down the catwalk with wedge heels, ankle strap details, and all colors of the rainbow. The styles that are coming down the catwalk this year are just as cool as they were the first time around, but I am definitely going with a much lower heel this time.

Because of all of the lacing, you definitely want to show these boots off and wear them with skirts and dresses, but they look darling with jeans, too, so just make a few retro cuffs and you’re all set.

Cold weather is still a little ways down the road, but if you’re concerned with the practicality of these boots rather than their style value, you might want to check out a pair with rubber soles or a pair with grids…but let’s not think about that right now.