Steve Madden ‘Creation’, £93.50

For November’s Sarenza Brand Ambassador pick, I decided to be sensible (I know, it’s very unlike me, but I do try every now and then!) and pick a pair of shoes that were practical, rather than just pretty.

As it happens, I think these Steve Madden ‘Creation’ boots are a bit of both: I guess “pretty” is the wrong word for a pair of plain black knee boots, but “plain” is exactly what I’m after with this style of boot, and I think they’re  a nice mix of style and practicality. My last pair of flat black boots were retired a couple of years ago, having been literally worn to death, and I’ve been looking for a replacement ever since: these were the first pair that came close to what I was looking for (Again, I’m always amazed at how the simplest styles are always the hardest to find… or maybe I’m just super-fussy?), and I really like the almond toes and slim(ish) leg.

About the leg: my biggest issue with knee boots is finding ones that don’t fit like wellies, and one of the reasons I was drawn to these was the elastic section on the back, which I guessed would make them fit the leg more closely. I was partly right: worn with tights, these are still a bit looser than I would ideally like, but they look fine with trousers and jeans, and as that’s how I’ll mostly be wearing them, I’m pretty happy. The leg height, meanwhile, is perfect: it hits at the top of my knee in front, and at the bottom of the knee in the back, so they’re comfortable to walk and sit it. (If you’re a short person, you’ll know how important this is: I’ve tried on boots in the past which were so high I couldn’t sit down in them without the leather digging into the back of my knee!) The upper is leather, and while it’s not the best quality leather I’ve ever seen on a shoe, it is very soft, and has a nice sheen to it, which I like.

In terms of sizing, I went for my usual size 4, which fits perfectly, so I’d say these run true to size.

How to save these boots?

Again, new shoes are exempt from my Shoe Challenge, but as it happens, I have already worn these, going for a very warm, casual outfit:

Please excuse the horrendous photo: indoor lighting isn’t the photographer’s friend at this time of year, but it was pitch dark outside by the time I left the house (just before 4pm: I hate winter!), so I didn’t have any choice! As you can see, the boots are just the right width to comfortably tuck trousers/jeans into. Because I don’t really wear flats through choice, I bought these to wear on days when I’m having to do a lot of walking in the cold, and I think they’ll be perfect for that: in fact, I’m now quite tempted by the tan version which is also available – you can always use a pair of tan boots, after all!