Thigh-high boots

A woman wearing a latex catsuit with thigh high boots

Thigh-high boots, known also as thigh-length boots or simply thigh boots, are boots that extend above the knees. Other terms for this footwear include over-the-knee boots (abbreviated OTK boots; the full term is also used for the 15th century riding boots for men, later adopted by women) and, especially when cuffed, pirate boots. Lengths vary from reaching just over the knee to reaching almost to the crotch (referred to as crotch boots or crotch-high boots).

Thigh boots are made of materials ranging from various leathers to various synthetic materials (includuing vinyl, polyurethane, or latex) to various fabrics (such as silk or polyester microfiber). Many are constructed with zippers, but some are designed as pull-on boots. Heel heights vary, but most styles are either flat or with heels greater than 3 inches (7.5 cm). Heel styles vary from metal spikes to chunky. Like other boots, they can also have platform soles.

Thigh boots are considered by many to be erotic or kinky. They are used as fetish clothing in boot fetishism and shoe fetishism. Cheaper thigh boots are often worn by prostitutes and professional dominatrices, so many people consider them icons of such trades. Because of the latter, they are often associated with sadomasochism. Nevertheless, they are frequently sold by couture designers, perhaps because of the implied eroticism.

History

Late Victorian era

Pair of fetish boots, c. 1900, from a Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibit.

Laced leather boots were fashionable throughout the Victorian era for women. By the end of the 19th century, over-the-knee length laced leather boots were becoming a trend among London prostitutes wanting a style that would appeal to foot fetishists and clients interested in finding a dominatrix.[1]

In fashion

In the world of women's fashion, thigh boots run through cycles in both popularity and design. As referenced by several authors, the popularity of the motion picture Pretty Woman hurt the credibility of thigh boots as wardrobe staples.[2] Nevertheless, in any fall fashion season, at least one or more designers and retailers will take a chance on their appeal.

Like shoes in general, fashion thigh boots are marketed through several different channels. A key differentiator among these channels is the price point and construction:

Couture fashion designers marketing thigh boots will vary from year to year. Introducing a boot model is typically tied to the designer's theme for the line. These boots will typically be marketed at the highest price point for thigh boots and, usually, for shoes in general. Fashion designers market similarly, though at a lower price point.

A number of couture shoe design houses regularly include thigh boots in their collections, and the price point will be at a premium, just as with the couture fashion designers. Examples of these designers are:

Couture fashion designers regularly use the shoe design houses to design the boots and shoes for their collections.

Thigh boots are a regular staple of several Italian boutique brands, including:

The price point for these boots can be very high, particularly at retail boutiques, but will vary more than for couture designers. Some brands are available through eBay sellers and clearance sellers (e.g., YOOX) at discounted prices. The lowest price tier is typically the fashion retailers. Retailers who regularly market thigh boots in their line include:

Autumn 2010

In Autumn 2010, thigh-high boots repeated as a fashion highlight from Autumn 2009. Designers and fashion houses who showed them with their designs included:

Autumn 2009

The Autumn 2009 fashion season featured thigh-high boots as a key fashion accessory for the season, resulting in the style being declared a fashion trend in early 2009. Reaching a wider audience through fashion magazine editorials, the footwear style was shown in two different feature layouts in the September 2009 issue of US Vogue.[7][8] Numerous high street fashion stores featured thigh-high boots in their Autumn 2009 collections, with many fashion designers also featuring them in their ready-to-wear collections.

Miuccia Prada pushed the margins of fashion with her thigh boots designed after hip boots for fishing.[9] One version even featured garters to suspend the tops from a belt. Right behind her was Stella McCartney,[10] featuring three crotch-length boots with synthetic uppers, in following with her usual animal-friendly practice. All three had snipped toes and extreme stiletto heels, and one featured a multi-patterned, pierced upper.

Other design houses showing thigh boots in their Autumn 2009 lines included:

As for the couture shoe designers, Christian Louboutin marketed no less than four different styles in Autumn 2009 – a front-lacing mid-thigh length with sculpted heel and hidden platform (Supra Fifré), a crotch-length, skin-tight boot with hidden platform, a chunky mid-thigh boot (Contente), and a chunky platform mid-thigh boot. In addition to one heeled thigh boot featuring an elastic cuff just above the knee and two pairs of flat over-the-knee boots in their couture line, Jimmy Choo's limited edition capsule collection for H&M[17] featured a mid-thigh black leather boot with a four-inch heel.

Spring 2009

Givenchy[18] kicked off the thigh boot trend conspicuously out of season in early 2009 with a western-style thigh boot in black leather.

Autumn 2008

Fendi[19] supported the thigh boot cause in Autumn 2008 with a chunky suede boot that featured a metallic leather accent around the ankle of the boot and at the top of the heel. The boot was carried by several different retail outlets and was available in black, brown, taupe, and gray.

Autumn 2007

Burberry Prorsum[20] championed the thigh boot in Autumn 2007 with a black patent leather model, which was shown with several pieces from their medieval knight-inspired line. The boot featured a four-inch heel and pointed toe.

Autumn 2006

Karl Lagerfeld styled all of his designs in the Autumn 2006 Chanel collection[21] with thigh boots. The boots were finished in a variety of materials, including black suede and different shades of blue denim.

Autumn 2005

Karl Lagerfeld showed the Chanel[22] black leather thigh boot with many of his Autumn 2005 designs that actress Anne Hathaway later wore in The Devil Wears Prada, which made her a fashion icon.

Autumn 2003

Narciso Rodriguez[23] created a stir in Autumn 2003 when almost half the models in his ready-to-wear show were wearing his thigh boots with his clothing line. The boots featured four-inch heels and pointed toes. Phoebe Philo at Chloé[24] showed leather and suede thigh boots in several colors, including red and green, in addition to the more typical black and brown.

Autumn 2001

Roberto Cavalli[25] showed many of his designs in Autumn 2001 with his thigh boots. The boots featured four-inch heels and pointed toes.

Fetish

Black vinyl fetish thigh-high (or thigh-length) boots
Red vinyl fetish thigh boots as art

Thigh boots as articles of fetish clothing date back to at least the 1950s when Irving Klaw used them in the costuming of the women in his erotic photography. Since that time, they have been a staple of fetish and adult photography. For instance, Bob Guccione photographed the 1982 Penthouse Pet of the Year, Corinne Alphen, in a pair of black leather thigh boots for her feature layout. Similarly, Dwight Hooker photographed the Playboy 25th Anniversary Playmate, Candy Loving, in white leather over-the-knee boots for her layout.[26]

Until the 2000s, fetish thigh boots were generally distinguished from fashion boots by being more extreme in many design dimensions, particularly heel height and platform height. In the late 2000s, this trend began to change as couture designers, particularly Christian Louboutin, began to experiment with more extreme designs in their shoes. Consequently, the difference between the two now is more a function of the materials used. In particular, fetish thigh boots tend to be constructed of polyurethane (PU) or vinyl (often incorrectly referred to as patent leather). In addition, they are generally produced in China and sold at low cost. An example line of inexpensive fetish thigh boots is sold under the brand name Pleaser.

A select group of European cobblers have specialized in higher-priced thigh boots for the fetish market. Legendary among these was the London-based Little Shoe Box, which crafted both ready-to-wear and custom thigh boots in leather and real patent leather. The Little Shoe Box, however, ceased operations in 2005 after 40 years of operation. Three other cobblers, Leatherworks Ltd. (London), Biondini (Italy) and Jean Gaborit of Paris have continued the tradition of producing higher quality fetish thigh boots. Jean Gaborit also specializes in boots and made-to-measure boots.

Jean Gaborit maintains its own online shop, but most other fetish boots sold online are commonly sourced from either Pleaser or Biondini—the latter more in Europe.

Iconography and symbolism in motion pictures

Motion pictures in which thigh boots were prominent in an actress' wardrobe include:

See also

Citations

  1. ↑ Pederson, Stephanie (2005). Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know. David + Charles. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7153-2234-5.
  2. ↑ "Thigh High Boots Trend — Like it or Not Here it Comes." Red Carpet Fashion Awards, 3 September 2009. . Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  3. ↑ "Burberry Prorsum Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear Collection." Style.com. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  4. ↑ "Christian Dior Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear Collection." Style.com. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  5. ↑ "Hermès Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear Collection." Style.com. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  6. ↑ "Vionnet Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear Collection.". Style.com. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  7. ↑ "Into the Woods," Vogue, September 2009, page 464.
  8. ↑ "Take Cover," Vogue, September 2009, page 550.
  9. ↑ "Prada Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection," Style.com. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  10. ↑ "Stella McCartney Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Style.com. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  11. ↑ “Alexander McQueen Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection.“ Style.com. Accessed 23 December 2009.
  12. ↑ “Catherine Malandrino Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection.“ Style.com. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  13. ↑ “Chloé Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Style.com. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  14. ↑ “Gucci Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection.“ Style.com. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  15. ↑ “Halston Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection.“ Style.com. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  16. ↑ “Louis Vuitton Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection.“ Style.com. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  17. ↑ Barger, Allan (23 October 2009), "Jimmy Choo for H&M 2009 Collection Lookbook", Fashionising.com. Style.com. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  18. ↑ “Givenchy Spring 2009 Ready-to-Wear“ . Style.com. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  19. ↑ "Fendi Autumn 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collection" Style.com. Accessed 23 November 2009.
  20. ↑ "Burberry Prorsum Fall 2007 Ready-to-Wear Collection" Style.com. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  21. ↑ “Chanel Fall 2006 Ready-to-Wear Colleection,“ Style.com. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  22. ↑ “Chanel Fall 2005 Ready-to-Wear“. Elle. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  23. ↑ "Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2003 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Style.com. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  24. ↑ “Chloe Fall 2003 Ready-to-Wear". Style.com. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  25. ↑ "Roberto Cavalli Fall 2001 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Style.com. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  26. ↑ Hooker, Dwight (January 1979), "Picture Perfect," Playboy, pp 196–205.