BOOTS DOWN #01 - "the new bohemian"
My series where I, a self proclaimed boot expert, give you my best secondhand luxury boot finds. This week, I'm curating for the boho-chic revivalists and maximalist-inclined.
Hello Spectators! Are you seated?
Welcome to BOOTS DOWN, where you can save time from scrolling and get straight to the good stuff. Each edition curates some of the most unique boots on The RealReal, eBay, Vestiare, and the like under a specific trend or theme, helping you shop more sustainably and give your coins to a really fun purchase. Because playing with trends doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality, ~*originality*~, or buy something that you will eventually see as the infinity tattoo of your closet. My qualifications as a boot expert is that approximately 80% of my foot wear fleet lands above the ankle, I’ve been quoted several times saying that “boots are year-round shoes”, and that I will not disclose how much I spent at the cobbler last year between resoles, sole protectors, and heel replacements.
I’m on the corner of the internet where I’ve seen increasing content about girls swearing that they were Isabel Marant Boho girlies before it started being cool again - a.k.a. before Chemena Kamali thrust Chloé, and it’s full-look policy on celebs like Sydney Sweeney and Daisy Edgar-Jones, back into the zeitgeist earlier this year. I am dubious of their stance, since it appears many had key pieces like Marant’s infamous sneaker wedges and slouchy boots, or Chloé’s large, pouchy bags on wishlists but weren’t actively dressing with boho elements, nor did they attend Coachella between 2010 & 2014. These were likely just going to be early adopters had they the financial power to pull the trigger (or the guts to actually break free from the power “quiet luxury” aesthetics garnered online- I said what I said.) Also -why must we obsess over having liked things since the dawn of thier existence? What status does that really grant you? Am I less of an Ethel Cain fan just because I discovered her music after Preacher’s Daugher and not before? NO.
Listen - I’m well aware that our futile battle for authenticity amongst algorithm fatigue is getting the commercialization treatment.
writes in the intro to her (masterful) Dazed article, personal style is getting packaged as “the newest, hottest form of self-help.” In a land where “you can tell someone's screen time from their outfit," Hildreth also writes, can you blame us for falling for this obsession as we desperately try to figure out who we are? Is it possible that it’s tied to the the death of TikTok and the hyperspeed trend cycle that we’ve grown attached to by proxy, a new reich-like political regime, and an economic downturn looming in front of us?Anyway…BOOTS! For those excited by Mothball Maximalism (as coined by
), MotoBoHo, and a generally Boho-Chic-Revival rearing its head toward our screens and closest - this will be our jumping off point today! My hope is that you’d find most of the selection shockingly versatile for exploring multiple trends, avoiding the dreaded “Sambafication” of specific one-off trending items, and these will give you more permission to explore a vibe or toy with the process of inspiration. Now - let’s get those boots on the ground!1. OUTLAW ENERGY
For those of you joining who feel a little chromophobic (same), let’s ease into the more sartorially playful era ahead. If color isn’t your playground, let texture and shape do the talking—because what makes a standout boot now is all about dimension. When I think back to each boho revival, the defining details are always there: fringe, ruffles, folds; a wedge heel, round studs, or soft suede. The key is finding boots that tick at least two of those boxes.
To be honest, these shoes evoke more indie sleaze than boho in my mind, but those past styles and subcultures lived side by side—overlapping, blurring the lines, feeding into each other. Leather and frills were hardly novel even then; my Tumblr feed was flooded with them, and I’m sure my friend Maddie and I were guilty of toeing that line ourselves, trying to stand out from the sea of peplum tops, neon necklaces, and Sam Edelman sandals our more prepped-up peers favored. We were fifteen, neither edgy nor cool, but god, did we try.
So for those of you who were too young (or too closely monitored) to live out your Arctic Monkeys–1975–The Vaccines fantasy back then, the moment has arrived. This time, though, the boots are sleeker, the vibe is less Lita platform, and more… effortlessly opinionated- the footwear of a half smoked cigs and a rejected half-assed bouquet on the sidewalk.
2. A TALL ORDER
Moving on! Knee-high boots (I can already smell your fear of skinny jeans creeping in; relax, they’re not that bad) have always held a certain allure for me. There’s something undeniably theatrical about a tall boot—maybe it’s the air of historicity they carry, conjuring images of men’s boots in the Romantic era or those laced-up Edwardian heels that climb all the way to the knee. The ritual of wearing them—the tugging, the slipping, the absence of zippers (which I loathe; though obviously, most boots have zippers now - I just think they’re an aesthetic shame)—makes a tall boot feel less like footwear and more like an event in itself.
And then there’s the sheer canvas they provide. With so much surface area, there’s room for playful experimentation: intricate embroidery, studded patterns, quilting, mixed materials, trompe l’oeil designs, textures that demand to be touched. Even if your wardrobe leans toward the pared-back or you prefer sticking to the basics, a tall, statement-making boot can unlock something entirely new. It’s a gateway to adding wonder and whimsy to an outfit—a clever trick for minimalists who want to dip their toes into maximalism without surrendering entirely. Because sometimes, all it takes is a singular statement to reimagine everything. And if you’re the blessed baby-foot who can fit into those Gucci’s - I need you to send me a photo every day that you style them 😮💨.
3. HAIR RAISERS
My favorite element in a statement boot? PONY FUR. No, it’s not really pony fur - chill- it’s cowhide/calf hair. Nothing scratches an itch to me quite like the course, glossy effect that it brings to a shoe. It brings an edge to footwear, a sleek, tactile intrigue that feels both raw and refined. And trust me, it’s trending. Cowhide overcoats are on the uptick, with
dawning one about a year to much acclaim and interest in where she got it, as well as Alabama Barker who received a very lux one for Christmas which she showcased in a TikTok haul. Personally, I’m planning my campaign to convince my boyfriend that cowhide throw pillows are a household necessity when we move in. And I can’t stop thinking about this slouchy, navy cowhide bag from Morocco a client once brought to my [solidcore] class—an image that’s permanently lodged in my brain.Beyond cowhide/calf hair, I have a hunch we’ll see a rise in shearling as well. The endless parade of shearling-adjacent coats I saw on the Bedford L platform all November can’t be ignored, even if most weren’t the real deal. Could this mean the return of the iconic Chloé Betty boot, perhaps... I also had my eye on a pair of Coperni boots trimmed with shearling along the seams to include —but they were tragically sold before they could make it into this roundup.
And as a quick reminder: cowhide/leather are meat industry byproducts. That’s all I’ll say on that.
4. TACTILE TEASERS
I gotta say, ankle boots have been catching a lot of shade lately—thanks in no small part to that suede ankle boot with the little block heel that had everyone in a chokehold circa 2014 (which you can blame Isabel Marant for IMO!) It’s become a millenial calling card and Gen Z cannon fodder … but not these bad boys, these are the comeback kids. The Carrie Bradshaw treatment is the rebrand that ankle boots need, shaking off the shadow of Christian Girl Autmumn, sock-boots, and their minimalistic cousins that dominated our closets in the late 2010s.
While they don’t have the same abount of real estate to play with like their taller counterparts, that doesn’t mean they can’t throw a mean punch when shape, pattern, and texture all enter the chat. In fact, their brevity can be part of the charm—easier to pair with pants, they become something of a playful tease when a long, wide hem grazes just over the top. It’s not quite wearing lingerie, but it’s got that same energy—subtle, suggestive, and quietly powerful.
5. HONORABLE MENTION
Don’t be fooled—these aren’t last place. That honor goes to the absolute armada of the three repeating Chanel boot styles on The RealReal, ready to ambush any aspiring Upper East Sider’s wallet. These picks didn’t quite fit into the other groupings (or simply couldn’t squeeze onto the page), but they still hold true to the bohemian sensibility that ties the collection together. This isn’t unlike how I felt in high school when my sense of taste and personal style point-of-view was arguably at it’s most active. Ultimately, each selection boiled down to whether or not I would have devoured one of these shoes at fifteen, and I found that sensibility to be a guiding light when traversing luxury resale’s most bustling ecosystems in pursuit of truthful curation.
To tie things up …
Let’s be real—none of these boots are exactly “cheap,” even secondhand. But what I can tell you is that nearly all of them are in excellent condition, and about 90% feature leather soles, which, in my opinion, is non-negotiable for any quality boot. Leather soles mean you can add sole protectors (seriously, do it), extending the life of your shoes and making them eligible for resoling at least once. So, find yourself a good cobbler—or just any cobbler if your options are limited—and take care of your boots. Proper care goes a long way, and with a little maintenance, these could be boots you wear for years to come … maybe even iconic to you, one of your vestiary calling cards that the Target hive mind coudn’t copy if they tried.
For those interested in what publications have caught my eye this week,
Here’s another take on pinterest’s 2025 predictions which I wrote about last week. While I was originally put-off by what felt tonally blasé of the data, I think
(Daughter of Discourse) wrapped it up in an extremely astute observation about the slowing of our hyper-speed trend cycle.- is great, plain and simple. I wrote in my Defense of Pinterest post about the aesthetics of defense; one of them being concealment through modesty, data privacy interest, and facial obstruction. Here, she takes it a step further and goes into the offline/analog lifestyle aesthetics, which I touched on in Escaping the Fashion Feedlot.
This one by
made me feel so genuinely dumb when I first read it, and it feels like it’s worth another five reads. As someone developing my own voice as a writer and trying expand my command of language - this feels like a masterclass if you too are trying to figure out how to stumble upon habitual use of simple profundity.
Until next time - tootles! Bootles, perhaps? No? Okay.