Western boots, thigh-highs, lug soles, ankle boots and jewelled styles: the models in fashion this year and how to actually wear them, without getting it wrong.
There's a precise moment, every year, when you realise summer is over: it isn't the calendar, it's the moment you open the wardrobe and understand that sandals aren't enough any more. September is that moment. And the first thing that really changes a look isn't the coat — it's the shoe.
Autumn winter 2026 2027 boots come with a new rule: you don't need one pair, you need three. One for the morning, one that genuinely walks. One with character, and here the Western boot still rules. One for the evening, with rhinestones, metal or a high heel. Everything else — jeans, skirts, dresses — is built around them.
In this guide you'll find the five styles worth investing in this year, which body shapes and which outfits they flatter, and above all how to wear them without falling into the three classic mistakes (the boot that cuts the leg in half, the wrong tights, the chunky sole under a too-light dress). Every style mentioned is available at Dream Shop, from size 34 to 45.
Western boots: the style that never dates (and this year it changes colour)
The Western boot entered the women's wardrobe in 2021 and hasn't left since. The difference is that in 2026 it's no longer a "festival" piece: it has become the everyday shoe for anyone who wants a considered look without seeming to have tried too hard. The secret is all in the heel — 5-7 centimetres of Cuban heel that genuinely walks, even through eight hours in the city.
The season's news is in the colours. Black and brown remain the evergreens, but the best sellers are the two-tone, embroidered and contrast-panel styles: cream with coloured stitching, mustard, powder blue, cherry red. These are boots that work best when everything else is simple: straight jeans, a ribbed knit, a leather jacket. Let them do the talking.
The right proportion: a shaft that stops below the calf (28-30 cm), a sharp or square toe, and jeans that either go over the top or tuck inside — never halfway, which is the only real mistake you can make with a Western boot.
Holliwood Western Boot
Leather with an 8 cm heel and coloured inserts on the shaft: this is the Western boot that manages to be elegant without losing its cowboy soul. Seven colourways, from cream to mustard, from powder blue to python-print black.
Pair it with straight jeans turned up at the ankle and an oversized shirt: it's the back-to-school look that always works. In the evening, under a short knit dress, it changes register completely.
Discover the style
Florida two-tone Western boot
Oregon Western boot with dragonfly embroidery
Dakar fringed Western boots
Burning Man velvet cowboy boots
From the left: two-tone with stars on the shaft, tone-on-tone embroidery, Western fringing, velvet with topstitching.
If you love a bolder version, take a look at the Holliwood Metal with a metal toe and heel, or the California Western boot with a 10 cm heel with a reinforced toe and five variations (animal print, red, white). If you prefer to stay classic, the Kentucky and the Ottawa offer two 30 cm shafts that look wonderful under a midi skirt. The whole Western selection is in the Women's boots collection.
Combat and lug-sole boots: the ankle boot you'll wear from September to March
If you could only buy one pair of shoes for autumn, this would be it. The lug-sole ankle boot is the most democratic piece of the season: it works with jeans, under a skirt, with opaque tights, with socks on show. And above all it handles October rain without apologising.
The neo-grunge coming back from the 2026 2027 runways has brought laces, buckles and metal zips back into favour. But watch out for one thing: a chunky sole visually shortens the leg if you wear a trouser that stops at the ankle. The rule is simple — either the jeans cover part of the boot, or the leg stays bare (skirt, shorts, short dress with opaque tights). Halfway measures flatten you.
Another thing nobody says: the colour. Black is safe, but a beige, tan or dark brown combat boot takes ten years off an outfit and works with the whole autumn palette — rust, chocolate, forest green, cream.
Grangolph Boot
Lug sole, front laces and a side zip so you can slip it on in a second: this is the ankle boot that sorts out your day. Four colours, from light beige to brown, from dark beige to black.
The best way to wear it is with wide-leg jeans falling over the top and an oversized knit. But try it under a long knit skirt with opaque tights too: the soft-meets-heavy contrast is exactly the mood of the season.
Discover the style
Leather platform lace-up boot
Mercury platform boots with zip
Paola low suede lace-up boot
Silvietta leather lace-up boot
For a tougher profile there are the Trin studded lace-up boots and the dot studs with round studding, both with metal detailing. If you're after a basic that lasts years, the basic leather lace-up boot and the low Simy with elastic panels are two real-leather styles you'll never tire of. Take a look at the whole Women's lace-up boots section to compare heels and heights.
Tall boots and thigh-highs: endless legs, without overdoing it
The over-the-knee boot is the style that frightens people most and which, dosed correctly, is actually the most elegant of the lot. There's only one point: the taller the boot, the more covered the rest has to be. Thigh-highs + miniskirt + low-cut top is an equation that almost never works. Thigh-highs + an oversized maxi jumper, or thigh-highs + a knee-length knit dress, is a look straight off a runway.
The material makes the difference to the final result. Suede is soft, moulds to the calf and has a refined effect; faux leather is stiffer and lengthens; the stretch style clings like a stocking and is the most slimming, but it needs a slim leg not to pull.
On heels: 8-10 cm lengthens the leg but you have to be able to walk in it; a low heel or a flat with buckles is the everyday version and is also the most requested this year, thanks to equestrian-style models coming back into fashion. If you've never tried a thigh-high, start there.
Amos Thigh-High Boot
Over-the-knee suede with a 12 cm metal stiletto heel: this is the style that lengthens the silhouette like no other. Black, beige and brown, from size 35 to 42.
Wear it with a short knit dress in the same tone as the boot, so the eye reads a single line: it's the simplest trick for looking ten centimetres taller.
Discover the style
Lopla tall suede boots with buckle
Thigh-high boot h 54 cm, 8 cm heel
Fra maxi boots with belt
Suede thigh-high boot with buckles
Suede thigh-highs, 46-54 cm shafts, heels from 4.5 to 12 cm: four heights for four ways to wear them.
If you want to be daring, look at the Nofrik patent thigh-high boot in vinyl with an open toe (burgundy, blue, fuchsia) or the h 50 cm style with lace-up fastening. On the softer side, the 46 cm suede in tan with side buckles is the perfect compromise between comfort and presence. Style it with tights and stockings and knit dresses in the same colour for the single-leg-line effect.
Jewelled, rhinestone and metallic boots: the evening shoes that change everything
There's a category of boot that isn't there to walk in: it's there to be looked at. These are the styles encrusted with rhinestones, the mesh-and-crystal shafts, the liquid metal effects. And they are, hands down, the smartest investment to make in September — because you'll wear them from October right through to New Year's Eve, when the rest of the wardrobe has already run out of steam.
The golden rule with a jewelled boot is the same as with any sparkling piece: one at a time. If the shoes shine, the dress is plain. A little black dress, a monochrome dress, skinny jeans and a silk shirt: that's all you need. They do the rest.
The sheer mesh or tulle shaft covered in rhinestones has another practical advantage worth mentioning: it doesn't cut the leg the way an opaque boot does, so even if you're not especially tall you can wear it at knee height without a problem. It's the one tall style that forgives any height.
Maxi Strassy Boot
Encrusted with rhinestones from toe to knee, with a choice of 9 or 11.5 cm heel and eight colourways: multicolour, silver, green, red, fuchsia, bright pink, champagne, black.
This is the boot for long evenings — dinner, drinks, a party. Wear it with a plain short dress and nothing else on you that sparkles: small earrings, a smooth bag, and let all the light stay on your legs.
Discover the style
Next Strass boots with mesh shaft
Liquid metal boot
Pearl heel lace-up boots
Linksi glitter lace-up boot
Mesh and rhinestones, liquid metal effect, pearl heel, all-over glitter: four different ways to shine.
In the same family you'll find the Tomfy mesh boots with a stretch shaft and the heels with a lace shaft for a more sensual effect, as well as the Hyuip nude-look boot with flesh-toned panels that makes the leg look bare. Dream Shop's whole sparkling world is gathered in the Sparkly · rhinestones and glitter collection, perfect for building a New Year's Eve outfit too.
Ankle boots and low boots: how to style them with jeans, skirts and dresses
The ankle boot is the shoe you actually wear 70 per cent of the time. At the ankle, mid or high heel, sharp or square toe: it's the one that settles the day for you when you can't face thinking about it. And precisely because you'll wear it so much, it's worth choosing well.
With jeans. With skinny and narrow straight jeans, the ankle boot should always be on show: turn the jeans up two fingers above the top of the boot. With wide leg and palazzo styles, by contrast, the jeans should cover everything and skim the floor — and underneath you need a heel of at least 6 cm, otherwise the trouser drags and the figure shortens. You'll find the full selection in the jeans and Levi's department.
With a skirt. The critical point is the gap between hem and boot. If the skirt is short, any height works. If it's midi, you need tights in the same tone as the shoe: black on black, tan on brown. If it's long, the only rule is that the boot should only just be glimpsed. Take a look at the short skirts and the long skirts.
With a dress. The safest autumn combination is a knit dress + suede ankle boot + opaque tights, all in shades of the same colour. Add a faux leather jacket or a trench on top and the look is finished in three pieces.
Tymber Ankle Boot
Suede with front laces and a 14 cm heel: it looks demanding and is in fact the most wearable ankle boot in the catalogue, because the platform under the toe makes up almost three centimetres.
Four colours, and burgundy is the one to buy this year: cherry red is one of the key shades of autumn winter 2026 2027, and on a shoe it's the least risky way to wear it.
Discover the style
Pink Bubble velvet lace-up boots
Wood ankle boot with wooden heel
Low Chain boot with chain
Alexsia studded faux leather boots
Other styles to keep an eye on: the Cut Out Boot with buckles and openings, the Etna 12 cm lace-up boot with a platform, the perforated Mehy with gold detailing and the Vanessa moccasin boots in real leather with fringing, the most comfortable pair of the lot. Finish the look with a bag from the Bags and belts collection and a jacket from the Women's jackets department.
Browse by category: Women's boots · Lace-up boots · All women's shoes · Faux leather jackets · Denim jackets · Trenches · Coats and capes · Padded parkas · Denim world · Skirts · Short dresses · Tees and maxi tees · Shirts · Tights and stockings
Frequently asked questions about autumn 2026 boots
Which boots are in fashion for autumn winter 2026 2027?
The season's five key styles are: Western boots with a Cuban heel and embroidery, lug-sole ankle boots in neo-grunge style, over-the-knee suede thigh-highs, ankle boots in cherry red and burgundy tones, and jewelled boots with rhinestones or a metallic effect for the evening. At Dream Shop you'll find all five in the Women's boots and Lace-up boots collections, from size 34 to 45.
How do you style women's Western boots?
The Western boot is at its best with simple outfits: straight jeans turned up at the ankle, a midi skirt with opaque tights, or a short knit dress. The rule is that the jeans either tuck into the shaft or cover it — never halfway. If the boot is coloured or embroidered, like the Holliwood Western boot, keep the rest of the look monochrome and let the shoes be the focal point.
Which boots should you wear with a skirt in autumn?
With a short skirt any style works, from the ankle boot to the thigh-high. With a midi skirt you need tights in the same tone as the boot so you don't break the leg line: black on black, tan on brown. With a long skirt, choose a low ankle boot that is only just glimpsed, such as the Grangolph boot. You'll find tights and opaque stockings in the Tights and stockings collection.
Do over-the-knee boots suit everyone?
Yes, only the style changes. If you're tall you can carry off an opaque, rigid shaft; if you're shorter or have a fuller calf, go for soft suede or stretch styles that follow the leg, such as the Amos thigh-high boot. The trick that always works is choosing boot, tights and dress in the same colour range: the eye reads a single line and the figure looks longer.
How do you clean and store suede boots?
Always brush them dry with a horsehair brush after wearing, never with water. For marks use a suede eraser, and before wearing them for the first time apply a dedicated waterproofing spray. Store them upright with a boot tree or a rolled-up bottle inside the shaft, so they don't crease at the ankle. With this care a suede boot will last several seasons.
How much do boots cost at Dream Shop and how can you pay?
Dream Shop offers women's boots and ankle boots at affordable prices, with new arrivals every week in the Boots and Women's shoes collections. Shipping is free on orders over €100 and you can pay with Klarna in three interest-free instalments, so you can take the style you really want and spread the cost.
Your autumn starts with the shoes
Western boots, combat boots, thigh-highs, ankle boots and jewelled styles: the whole new season is online, from size 34 to 45. Free shipping over €100 and payment in three interest-free instalments with Klarna.
New arrivals every week at www.dream-shop.it — women's clothing and accessories, sizes XS to XXL.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.