paranoid about boots - are riding boots ok?

[CTgirl]

I am not a fashionista by a long shot and am generally okay with my own style which does tend to err on the side of being "safe", comfy and durable (in that I don't have the cash to buy a whole new wardrobe every year).
However even I am beginning to realise that the dark brown knee high boots I have been wearing every winter for the past 6 years are looking a bit dated. But I am not convinced about ankle boots and need something a bit smarter than biker boots to wear to work.
So are riding boots going the same way as knee highs? I've been reading all the posts on S& B about how knee highs are so dated and out of fashion etc but I am seeing a lot of knee length boots in all the shops. Are riding boots not considered knee highs? I really like these and they are on sale at the moment:-)
www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10001_10001_56308+0891021183_-1?breadcrumb=Home~Women~Shoes+%26amp%3B+boots

They look like knee highs to me! Tbh, I'd ignore comments about knee highs being dated. They are much easier to wear than ankle boots and more practical.

Plenty of people wearing the "dated knee high boots" in central London.

Wear what you like.

I think it's a bit odd wearing riding boots if you don't ride.

Fashion riding boots aren't suitable for riding in :)

That's even stranger imho! lol.

Thanks ladies!
mrscumberbatch - I sort of know what you mean but I do so like the look of them. Also if you go by this logic then surely you shouldn't wear "biker" boots if you don't ride a motorbike or ballet pumps if you're not doing ballet? This list could go on. They are fashionable interpretations of the real thing...

I really like those actually. OK I can take or leave the tassle thingy but apart from that...nice heel, gorgeous colour and the ankles look nice and thin.
The skinny/ankle boots combo is just fine if you have slim, decent length legs, it's very unflattering on a lot of people. I don't see knee highs disappearing from the high street any time soon phew ...

I think biker boots are naff so wouldn't consider. Ballet pumps don't actually look like ballet shoes so they get away with it

I am quite particular about odd things at best so feel free to disregard but I am not enjoying the whole 'Fashionable Countryside Wear' thing that is prevalent at the moment.

I think it's a classic look that will never go away, love those ones you linked to. Ankle boots may be more on trend but only look good on the slim.

Riding style boots are in in my view, the shops are full of them!!!!!!!!

I love those boots you have linked to.

dd1 has just got those boots and is very much into fashion

I am surrounded by extremely fashionable young students where I work and loads of them are wearing riding boots atm - so I assume they are in! Haven't seen any of them in non-riding boot knee-highs though. And yes, billions of ankle boots. I love boot-watching .

Lots of knee highs worn by v stylish types in Paris last weekend.

FWIW I think knee boots are classic and I've just bought some Dune ones to replace my ancient-falling-apart-ones. I'm hopeful of getting several years' worth of wear out of them.

But as a nod to fashion (that I do not generally follow slavishly, through lack of cash) I DID buy some ankle boots for £50 in M&S. I figure they are not too expensive so if I only wear them a winter or two it's ok (by then they'll perhaps be out of fashion). I am tall and slim so I reckon I can get away with it.

Those boots are gorgeous. I have some black knee high/riding boots, and shock horror they come from M&S - probably makes them Mum Boots of a sort. I love themwith skinnies tucked in . I hate ankle boots worn with skinnies tucked in.

The reason ankle boots are seen as particularly cool is that only those of model proportions look cool in them. If you're not thin with relatively long legs they look rubbish.

Where what you like. Yes, of course, you might want to give a nod to trends, but I'm a big believer in "it's not what you wear, it's how you wear it."

After all, we're all slavishly wearing skinnies because they're "in", and so people like Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss ditch the skinnies and go for flares.

They're lovely boots, they will last for years, and as they're a classic style, they won't look dated.

What worldgonecrazy said.

Ankle boots can look good on some, but generally they're a bit meh.

I'm not listening to the fashion world at the moment as they seem to be telling me that I should wear go-faster stripes and button my collar up to the top while wearing my coat like a cape (if Jess CM in the Guardian is anything to go by). WTF?