Back when Victoria’s Secret used to have somewhat decent clothes and cool sexy but not totally trampy shoes, I got these Colin Stuart boots. What’s funny is that I think they are totally tame just with a really interesting detail…

But back when I worked for a certain corporation that had a “Look Book” these were considered “crazy!”

Why?

Because while the front half of the boot is a simple black knee-high boot, the back half is a pale suede with criss-crossing black straps.

I think from farther away it looks like the boot is completely open in the back and that the straps might be lacing up my legs (Yes, I am totally pale enough that this could be considered a feasible scenario. And yes, I might be crazy enough to wear boots like that to work… maybe…).

Inevitably when I wear these, and they are not my “everyday” black boots, I will get a startled question about if they are tied up the back. At this certain corporation I even was asked if they followed the dress code guidelines.

They did. And I would know because I pushed those boundaries almost everyday and carried around a copy of the code about shoes. Funny aside: when I started there you HAD to wear pantyhose (and this is in FL, people!) and you couldn’t wear shoes like mules or open-toe shoes, but you could wear slingbacks. Then they loosened up the restrictions a bit. You could wear mules and open toe shoes and sandals but you still had to wear hose. We’re not talking cute funky tights and heels, we’re talking “flesh-tone” pantyhose with sandals.

Um… ew…no.

Anyhow, these definitely make people take a second look, if only to try and figure them out. I love the color of the suede and luckily haven’t marked the heels up or anything. Knock on wood.

I think I’ve had these about 5 or 6 years now. I