Do you wear clothes that people secretly laugh at?
GEN-Z has it for anyone over the age of 27 trying to style it.
Now they’re coming for our favorite shoes and Clemmie Fieldsend asks…
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They are an indispensable item in most women’s wardrobe, at least if you are over 30.
But while an ankle boot with a chunky heel is an easy way to winterize your wardrobe and goes with everything, it also immediately gives away your age.
This was the boot of the nineties – with style heroes from Kate Moss to Alexa Chung and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley strutting around in miniskirts or drainpipe jeans with suede or nubuck boots, complete with zipper and square heel.
But sadly, those days are over – and TikTokers are making fun of our beloved ankle boots, along with wedge sneakers, ballet flats and even trainers.
Videos of unsuspecting 30-somethings being videotaped or filmed wearing them have racked up 61.9 million posts tagged “millennial shoes.”
Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t shunned the ankle boot at all
Clemmie
And while I was a fan too, twenty years after my first pair, I agree.
From an aesthetic perspective, there’s nothing sleek or stylish about it.
They look and feel, if I remember correctly, heavy and clumsy.
The toe is not quite round and not quite square, and the sides may have a non-functioning zipper, just for detailing.
Or worse: a mix of artificial suede and artificial leather.
Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t shunned the ankle boot at all.
I just switched to a more trendy version: slightly higher above the ankle, a pointier toe and a finer heel.
I know, it sounds counterintuitive to say that kitten heels are the “new” way to go when they’ve been in fashion room 101 for years.
Searches for “ankle boots” increased 1,937 percent this month, according to LTK, an influencer-led shopping platform.
Time for kitten heels
But it’s these sexier boots that the Gen Z fashion pack wants, not the retro comfort shoe that’s been hanging in the back of your wardrobe for twenty years.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for practical boots if you’re a mom who pounds the sidewalks with your buggy or walks quickly through the grocery store.
But that’s why the fashion gods invented sneakers.
In defense of the block heel ankle boots, one TikTok user said: “Okay, but did you dance all night in a thin heel versus a block heel? Give me the support, please!”
And she’s right. In a sturdy block heel boot you can dance the night away, queue up at a club, walk on icy sidewalks, sprint for a kebab, run for a taxi or even run home. . . you could take on the world.
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But the kitten heel boot is almost as comfortable (although not as sturdy on ice).
And they just look sexier.
Wearing these shoes was a labor of love, but ladies, it’s time to move on
Clemmie
The old ankle boot was shorter at the leg and often sat just below the ankle or on the ankle, shortening the wearer’s legs.
The 2024 version actually gives the illusion of longer legs, despite the heels being smaller.
Look to modern fashion muses like Emily Ratajkowski and Dakota Johnson.
I know how much love there is for the simple Noughties ankle boots.
A quick look at most women’s winter boots says it all: the block heels worn on one side, a few studs missing from the embellished details, a worn toe.
Wearing these shoes was a labor of love, but ladies, it’s time to move on.
Keep your high heels and ankle boots low (and narrow) if you want to avoid sloppy terrain.
I’d also be inclined to ditch your sloppy, fur-lined ankle boots this year.
Introducing a stylish pair of kitten heel boots will give your winter wardrobe an instant makeover — and shave years off your style age.
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Time for a restart?
Do you want to buy a pair of low heels on a low budget? Clemmie Fieldsend chooses the best from the shopping streets.
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