Master leather craftsmen in Argentina can satisfy your cravings for fashion, quality, comfort and originality with custom boots. Clients can choose the style and leather to suit their taste and custom measurements ensure a beautiful fit and happy feet. There is also a truly bespoke option where one can design their own boot to exact specifications, including special details such as buttons made of precious metals. The end result being a one-of-a kind haute couture pair. If you can dream it, they can make it.

Anna Lunna offers women the opportunity to enjoy boots that truly reflect her personal sense of style. The company offers clients their choice of 16 styles, 5 different heel heights, 10 different heel styles and 17 leather colors from which to create the perfect boot for day or night, ranging from a casual day look to a dressier evening look. Once you order your boots the company will rush you an Anna Lunna 8 Point Fit Measurement Kit so that the boots will fit your feet to perfection. The finishing touch is your boots will arrive in about 6 weeks with your name personally engraved inside.

All this individuality comes at a cost with ankle boots retailing at $4,500 and knee high boots retailing at $5,000. While you are spoiling your feet in customized luxury you can take comfort in the fact that the brand is committed to giving back to the community. They claim to do this not only by employing third generation bootsmiths, thereby keeping their craft alive, but by contributing 10% of the proceeds of every boot sold to WORTH, a program that empowers impoverished women around the world.

What makes a pair of rubber boots worth over $400? The ones from France's Le Chameau are not your ordinary wellies. For one thing, each pair is handmade by a single boot maker from start to finish using only 100% natural rubber, which provides superior resilience and elasticity compared to synthetic rubber. Besides forming an excellent barrier to water, natural rubber offers a high resistance to wear, cutting and tearing, and results in a much better fit and a more comfortable boot all around. They're also lined with the highest quality full-grain, glove-soft calf leather which prevents that clammy feeling and heat buildup other rubber boots are prone to. Many models also feature a full-length proprietary waterproof zipper making them extremely easy to put on and take off, while the soft but aggressive tread grips almost any surface.

Of course Le Chameaus are also damned stylish; they recently appeared in our Fall Sporting Style feature starring the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and while gaining popularity with connoisseurs here, in Europe they're the hunting boot of choice for everyone from royalty to gamekeepers and as much a part of estate shooting as a bespoke shotgun. In 1927, M. Claude Chamot hand-crafted the first pair of Le Chameau boots in his factory in Northern France. It takes nine months of intense training to become a Le Chameau boot maker. Unique skills and techniques are passed down through generations, from master boot maker to apprentice, ensuring that each pair of boots is created with the same care, quality and craftsmanship as in M. Chamot's day, with the benefit of modern technology of course. Under normal conditions a pair of Le Chameaus will last for decades, making the best boot money can buy well worth the price.



The classic olive green Chasseur hunting boots are our favorite, but a range of models is available for both men and women. There are special versions for cold weather and even some fur trimmed ladies' models in interesting colors. On a historical note, these type of boots are known as Wellingtons or wellies after a softer, closer-fitting style of cavalry boot originally designed by the first Duke of Wellington, who had the first ones made of leather in the early 1800s. They were not made of rubber until the 1850s when Charles Goodyear invented the vulcanization process for natural rubber. You can check out a video of Le Chameau boots being made here.

Lucchese Boot Company is celebrating its 125th anniversary in style with a special offer: its limited edition 125th anniversary boots.

Only 125 pairs of this exquisite boot will made. Created from American Belly Alligator and manufactured in Lucchese's matador construction, the boots will have covered sideseams and a fully hand-tooled and hand-painted quarters. Hand-tooled scrolls, Lucchese logos and stars will adorn the tops of each boot. The scallops will be hand-laced. The torero pullstraps will be overlaid in alligator, and the company's premier grimini linings will be used on the inside of each pair.

Each pair will be hand-signed, numbered, and accompanied by an embossed, raised seal on a numbered certificate and logged by written record in a dedicated 125th Anniversary Edition Log Book. Each pair comes in a matching, numbered 125th Anniversary Edition hand-tooled leather boot box.; $12,500 per pair.

This link will take you to a list of authorized retailers.

Omelle makes some of the most unusual footwear I've seen. The Spring/Summer '09 collection has some basics for those who us who teeter in heels (low-heeled sandals) as well as more upscale styles, perfect for the big summer party where you want to impress. For the warmer nights where you still want a boot for style, there is this combo that mixes a boot and a sandal.

Made with exotic skins and leather, and sometimes adorned with ribbons, Omelle's shoes are available on its own site as well as at shopbop.com. Sizes are European, and prices start in the high $400 range. Get shopping, then get a pedicure, pronto!

P.S. Every pair comes with a reusable Bow Bag, taking the place of tissue in the boxes. You also can buy it separately for $50.

UGG Australia has been around 30 years (who knew?) and in early December rolled out three limited edition styles to celebrate. There are two styles for women, the Sundance Limited Edition ($350) and the Ultra Short LE ($275). The men also get an Ultra Short LE ($275). All styles come in UGG's signature color, Chestnut, with dark brown soles. The boots are hand-crafted from Grade-A sheepskin and feature an iconic braid pattern designed just for this collection. Each boot is individually numbered for authenticity.

Decadent designer Tom Ford has come out with a limited edition collection of fur boots for men, with the top-priced pair commanding $9,240. The collection, calculated to appeal to wealthy glam junkies and luxury ski freaks in places like Aspen and Gstaad, consists of three pairs of boots and a compatible fur trapper hat. There are silver and tan natural fur boots for $5,250; chocolate brown kid fur boots for $4,470 (above) both with rawhide leather laces; and a somewhat dressier pair of natural brown otter fur boots which cost the $9,240. The hat is made of white badger fur and costs $4,510. Ford has become known for pushing the boundaries of luxury for men, and this collection is certainly no exception.



[via Affluent Page]

The ankle boot is a big trend this fall and Azzaro's version is sure to make you feel like a princess. These Enchantment boots look fairly classic in black suede from the front, until you notice the subtle crystal trim lining the almond-shaped toes, which leads your eyes around back to the 4 1/2" heels covered thick with luxe shimmering crystals! You'll need very few other accessories to make an outfit complete when wearing these beauties, and you're guaranteed to feel like a million bucks. $2,135

Prada's ruffle boot is a suede four-inch platform with gorgeous detailing from heel to ankle. The ruched ruffle (try it three times fast) is great in that almost-couture but totally wearable way.

The pair retails for $890, available at Saks or Barneys, though due to popularity Saks will only allow you to order three pairs every 30 days...three pairs? A generous quota considering the markets.

Is it cannibalistic to recommend another blog? I'm not sure, but here goes ... Nordstrom has a short and sweet weekly fashion blog, The Thread, that highlights what's going in the fashion world. It's easy to read and navigate because there are only 5 or so posts. Sure, it's somewhat self-serving, as you can be sure what the writers are touting is available in Nordstrom stores, but I liked it because it also hit upon outside news, such as Fashion Week. While Nordstrom might not be as high-end as Neiman Marcus or Saks, I like it because it still offers a variety of sizes (petite to plus) and styles that range from affordable to upscale. Plus the shoes! The Thread might be worth a few minutes of your time, just to see what hot fashion trend you may have missed. I checked out the Fall 2008 Boot Guide.

There are few things better in life than slipping your feet into a favorite pair of well-worn, comfortable, broken in shoes. It's such a luxury because it takes months and even years to get shoes into that broken-down customized state.

Or does it? Maison Martin Margiela has designed this Steel-toed Destroyed Boot that comes pre-broken in. And in a serious way too -- the leather is so distressed on the toe that the steel lining actually shows through.

I think they look awesome in pictures but I can't help feeling like buying something already destroyed like this is cheating -- isn't what makes a pair of worn boots so cool the stories behind how they got that way? $1,145

Via acquire

Gallery: Maison Martin Margiela's Steel-Toed Destroyed Boot

They may not look like much but these suede-fringed boots could be worth over $20,000. That's because they were worn on stage by iconic rock musician Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was nearly as famous for his sartorial style as for his amazing guitar skills. The boots were worn by Hendrix onstage at Golden Gate Park on June 27, 1967 and will be part of Heritage's upcoming Music & Entertainment Auction, to be held April 4-6, 2008 in Dallas, Texas. The auction lot includes photographic documentation.

I can't tell whether a mannequin has lost its foot or if this is one of the more outrageous designs by Christian Louboutin. As it is so fittingly named, the Striped Ankle Boot is unique, to say the least, though I can't speak to its wearability. And not the wearability meaning relating to its durability after long periods of use, I mean the other kind of wearability - is a actual person able to wear them and not look crazy? I'm not too sure. Although not impossible, it's difficult to imagine what outfit is able to carry this one of kind pair of boots. Heel measurement: 4 ½". Price: $970.

If you are loving the fun that designers are having with buttons on shoes, then set your eyes on the Adrienne Button Boot by Frye. The round toe tall boot encompasses comfort and style to create the ultimate boot for the season. The sole is made from polyurethane, which will not give you as much flexibility when walking compared to a rubber sole, however, it gives enough flexibility that they don't feel stiff. The front buttons are purely for decoration, giving a military inspired look, while the side zipper and goring eliminate the work that goes with putting on slip-on tall boots. Shaft measures at 14 1/2" with a 13" circumference while the heel measures at 3 1/4". Price: $398

I am a glutton for red accessories - whether a bag, pair of shoes, a belt, rubies - I love them all. The right shade of red can add the subtle touch of color to brighten up and add life to an outfit that may have worn out its welcome long ago. Not only are the Cole Haan Cassidy Boots ultra fashionable and sexy, without feeling like a lady of the night, but they feature Nike Air Technology to provide extra cushioning for your feet. Extra cushioning is always a good thing! Seen here in dark luggage (deep red) it is also available in black - but they don't seem to have the same wow factor as the red. Heel measurements: 3 1/2". Price: $495.

Part dominatrix, and part high fashion, Cole Haan's Becka Tall Boot could go either way depending on what it is paired with. The criss-cross buckled strap and leather detailing at the top of the boot adds a touch of chic without seeming overly decorated. Thankfully there is a side zipper and you don't have to re-lace these every time you were them. It just requires one adjustment when you initially wear them, and they should keep the fit to your leg for awhile. The stacked heel measures at 3". Seen here in black suede, it is also available in brown suede. Price: $375.