River Island two-tone ankle boots, £65

Continuing with this morning’s winter footwear theme, here’s another pair of boots which caught my eye this week: these black and white ankle boots from River Island.

I often complain about the typically boring colours shoe designers tend to go for in boots, but the truth is that “brights and lights” can be tricky to wear when they cover a large area, and the traditional black and browns are so much easier to wear, no wonder they’re popular.

What’s the answer to that particular dilemma? Black and white, of course. This combination was a big trend this summer, and is continuing on into the autumn/winter season, much to my pleasure. I’ve never been a big follower of fashion, but I have to admit that I’ve been wearing a LOT of black and white lately, and it’s a look I never get tired of, because it’s very bold, but also very wearable. If these boots were ALL white, for instance (or off-white, as the case may be, here: they actually look closer to cream on my monitor…) I’d probably struggle to find ways to wear them, but that black section on the heel makes a huge amount of difference to their ease-of-use, as well as giving them much more visual impact.

The other thing to note about these boots is the mod/60s feel created by the pointed shape, and the two-tone upper. For that reason, I think they’d look fantastic with something like an a-line mini skirt, or something equally sleek, minimal and 60s-inspired. What would you wear them with?