Prada brings a fetish flavour to Loves as a pair of thigh high boots wins the vote
Boots are the best thing about winter. Falling temperatures mean that at last flimsy sandals are banished, and feet are warmly stowed within a sturdy scaffolding of leather and suede. Odd socks and fading pedicures are concealed and a veneer of elegance is added in one fell swoop. That’s a lot of work achieved simply by the application of footwear. However, not all boots are created equal, and AnOther’s Lovers haven’t fallen for just any old pair – choosing instead this gleaming, thigh-high pair by Prada, Loved by AnOther’s assistant editor Tish Wrigley.
Thigh high boots say a lot. They were first and foremost linked to fetish, becoming popular among prostitutes in Victorian London whose clients were seeking a dominatrix flavour. In the 1950s, fetish photographer Irving Klaw dressed his women in long, leather boots and they became a recurring presence in erotic imagery from then on. Their most famous appearance was on Julia Roberts in 1990’s Pretty Woman. One saunter down Hollywood Boulevard in a pair of patent leather stiletto versions, and the thigh–high boot became universally synonymous with vice and was demoted from catwalk status. But a decade on, Miuccia Prada made them the star of her A/W01 campaign and they began a steady climb back to respectability – albeit one always tempered with a glorious edge of sensuality.
The latest news on the thigh-high boot is that they are set to be a fixture for S/S15, with both Givenchy and new French house VETEMENTS featuring variations, but for now we’d be delighted with a vintage pair of Pradas. So while we're scouring Ebay, we ask Wrigley why she fell for them, alongside a gallery of our favourite boots on Loves.
Why did you close to love these boots?
They are incredible. So sexy and yet understated.
What would you pair them with and where would you wear them?
Short skirt, massive jumper.
What's your favourite shoe or boot moment in popular culture?
Rosa Klebb's murderous brogues in From Russia With Love.
Who's your shoe icon?
Probably Rosa – I love a multi-purpose accessory.
Heels or flats?
The last time I wore heels, it was at a wedding and I fell over in the church. So flats.
What's your favourite Prada moment?
Most of it. But particularly this Wes Anderson directed short with Jason Schwartzmann.
How will you be celebrating Halloween?
Bemused at an electro night.
