Forget Everything You Thought You Knew About Party Dressing – These Boots Have Changed The Game

Frank Sinatra's Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is playing on repeat and your mid-morning snack has become a mince pie. Yes, the countdown is officially on, which means that revelry of an obscenely festive nature – from wreath- making to ice skating – is about to take over your calendar. You’ve got your party dress sorted, but what about a slightly more wearable alternative to the standard stiletto that’s also a nod to the fa-la-la-la-la period without being quite too festooned? Or risking frostbite to your toes? We give you: party boots.

To clarify, these are knee-highs with added chutzpah thanks to their print, texture, colour or all three. Kendall Jenner’s, by Bottega Veneta, had a candy cane vibe. How apt. Paired with a flaring shirtdress, it couldn’t have been a better way to acknowledge the season of goodwill without resorting to a polyester reindeer jumper. You could pull a similar trick by styling your boots with a denim boiler suit, a knitted skirt or wide-legged parachute pants. Hunter Schafer also proved that even if you're wearing a bedazzled dress, you can still finish off the look with an equally bedazzled boot (hers were both by Alexander McQueen).

Where to find the perfect party knee-highs? The high street has come up trumps. Ganni's cowboy boots have already turned heads at Grazia HQ. Hush’s silver pair, meanwhile, has a doable kitten heel. And best of all, long after your daily mince pie turns back into a chocolate Digestive, your party boots will still be making you feel merry.