Fashion

Brown Boots Are the Year-Round Staple I Can’t Live Without

January 12, 2026

Almost everyone will have a well-loved pair of winter boots in their shoedrobe, ideal for crunching through leaves or, equally, side-stepping puddles. But, I would wager, they’re likely to be one colour and one colour only—black. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, it’s a classic for a reason, but there is another variation worth considering this season: brown boots.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Initially, these might not seem as easy to work into outfits. Can you wear it with a black coat, say, or does your entire outfit need to shift into chocolate? While I understand these concerns, I really do, the evidence from latest round of street style looks comes up with a resounding “no” in response.

At Paris Fashion Week, one street-styler paired her head-to-toe brown look with a pair of classic square-toe ankle boots, proving that mixing tones and textures can create an effortless and polished everyday look. Content creator Ksenia Chertovich styles an all black look with a pair of brown satin knee-high boots (finished with a pop of red) showing how versatile they really are, whilst Flavia Stuttgen demonstrates the power of a timeless riding boot.

With that realisation came another: brown boots aren’t a new proposition but one that is, well and truly, dominating. A Jimmy Choo mailer recently arrived in my inbox with the subject line: “the shade of the season.” The shade, in question, of course was “rich chocolate”, with the brand pulling out mock-croc accessories to exemplify its deliciousness. And the pièce de résistance? A brown knee-high boot rendered in positively glossy leather, with a point-toed and sharp-heeled silhouette.

But as well as being tantalising, the brown boot can also be practical, a reliable companion when you need your footwear to be functional, versatile and hard-wearing. This version also showed up to Paris Fashion Week, an event where, let’s face it, most people are not-so-glamourously racing between shows with seconds to spare. A flat boot will be your best friend when you’re commuting and, for some reason, brown, especially if the leather is lived-in and slightly weather-beaten, feels particularly capable of withstanding 10,000 steps.

To serve all eventualities, we’ve rounded up the best brown boots on the market, from the shearling-lined ankle boot to the mock-croc knee-high.