Granny Boots

But I’m seeing lots of granny boots again these days (and let’s be clear—I don’t care what anyone says, Doc Martens don’t count. Your granny ever wear fanny-kickers? Yeah. Neither did mine.). Granny boots a la 2010 are mostly skinny heels, mid-calf, black leather. I like that—they’re what Nellie Oleson’s mom no doubt wore on Little House on the Prairie—they look to me like the real thing.

The 80s saw granny boots paired with skirts (peasant blouse and prairie skirt, anyone?) and you‘ll still see that today, but now you’re as likely to see granny boots paired with leggings or skinny jeans as with skirts. I like the update. It’s sort of a stodgy sex kitten thing, with complicated laces playing off sleek and simple legs.

They’ve been around since what—the 1800s? No surprise granny boots are enjoying another moment in the style sun (see new pair as seen on Zappos at left). If history tells us anything, they’ll keep coming back around until we’ve all swapped our footwear for jetpack booties. And even those might lace up, who knows? But given the fashion industry’s obsession with youth, how can you not love a trend that gets its name from the rockin’ style of an octogenarian? This look’s got legs. And laces.