The Warm Weather Ankle Boot

2009 was the year of the ankle boot, but the way things are going, 2010 could also be given that accolade—though now the boots are looking a little different, what with the plethora of laces, straps, cutouts, and . . . peep-toes, which are, as far as we are concerned, the clincher detail for the perfect summer boots. “A style with a peep-toe gives a twist to a boot’s proportions,” says senior accessories editor Filipa Fino, “and the openness extends the line of the leg.” For us, the style is the perfect transitional shoe from cold to warm weather, while being denuded of any associations with a particular season. Take, for instance, the snakeskin version by Giuseppe Zanotti for Thakoon, which, says assistant accessories editor Megan Hayes, “have the scale of a fall boot, but the ecru tone makes you think of a summer sandal.” What is specific: What you wear these boots with. Sally Singer, fashion news/features director, eyeing an Alexander Wang laced and zippered boot, thinks they’re just the thing to go with narrow cropped pants and a chambray shirt from the Row. Style-wise, says Singer, “you want to stick to boyish separates—not a flirty dress.”

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