If there's one boot trend I'm excited for this autumn, it's a style that manages to walk that tricky tightrope between casual and sophisticated. This magical trend is at once super smart (and therefore a refreshing break from stompy track soles, even though I'll still keep going back them, LBH) and yet still not so OTT or uncomfortable that I'll have to compromise on the ease or daily wear opportunities. Enter the kitten-heel, pull-on, knee-high boots that will make every outfit feel a little more elevated with very little effort. 

I'm a big knee-high-boot fan, in general, so it didn't take much persuading, but many in my existing wintry collection are very high of heel. After more than 18 months in the comfiest of flats, it's hard to know whether I'll ever shift back into full-on stilettos or platforms on a regular basis, but a lower lift is doable, desirable even. Pointed toes are back for A/W 21, and so the two elements combined into one sleek style from Who What Wear Collection is hard to ignore. It would appear that I'm not the only one who has shown an interest in the newly launched Penny boots—I've spotted influencers Lauren Caruso and Linh Niller in them already. Caruso opted in for cream leather, Niller went for tan suede, and me? I'm torn between the two. The styles have just landed on Zalando, and you can shop them below.

Shop the boots:

Shop the boots:

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Are sandals like buses? I only ask because I've been waiting all summer long for the perfect styles to show up, and now there are three of them all at once…

The reason I struggle is that I like my sandals to walk the line between basic and showstopping, and that's no easy task. They need to be comfortable and practical but with a bit of a wow factor. The chosen ones will often be quite timeless but never, ever boring. Oh, and they simply can't be fussy—something like a pair of gladiators that require 30 mins to buckle up need not apply. The options that fit my fairly strict criteria are not in plentiful supply, and so that's why we're almost in mid-July, and I'm still searching while the rest of the fashion world snapped up their fisherman sandals months ago. 

Fortunately for my feet, a pre-fall drop has come in from our in-house Who What Wear Collection, and it is what I've been waiting for. Elegant, pared-back, elevated and with little points of difference, this tightly edited range of flats and low heels provides designer-worthy styles at a far more competitive price point. In neutral leathers, they match well with any wardrobe, loud or quiet, and are versatile enough to be introduced to fancy outfits as comfortably as they can be integrated into super-casual ones. So let's take a look at the new-in sandals I'm convinced will solve all my shoe woes.

Strappy sandals continue to trend, but some of them are just too challenging and high for me. That's why the Pearlina ticks some of my boxes: There aren't too many straps, they're a soft leather so they don't feel like they're going to destroy my feet, and the sculptural statement kitten heel feels unique but easy to clack about in.

They come in quite a few different shades, the off-white being particularly useful to pair with summer dresses but the black being a forever kind of option.

When it comes to finding flat sandals that still look good with all sorts of outfits and carry a certain amount of polish, these high-shine croc-effect slides do the trick.

I appreciate the way Jen Azoulay has paired dark sandals with light trousers—it works.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: A decent pair of tan heels will always serve you well. They're a timeless investment to make, but these also feel current thanks to the cone heel and simple front.

The perfect partner to shorts and mini hemlines, this cut elongates legs.