Shigher and higher: the 2025 2026 Winter thigh-high boots know no limits. The iconic racing model gets a new look for the new season, returning to the catwalks with very clear ideas: an even higher but soft upper that bends at some points giving a slouchy effect.
The identikit of the trend is more precise than ever. Bold but therefore original, it adapts with ease to different looks, revealing itself little by little. The trendy over-the-knee boots play with volumes and soft linesupdating the concept of sensuality.
A whole other height
We can’t talk about winter boots without mentioning them: cuissardes, which a must-have for corsairs they have become fashion victims. Autumn Winter 2025-2026 puts them back on the catwalks by reinterpreting them in a version that does not go unnoticed: soft and slouchyhighly shiny in vinyl or hammered leather, others well above the knee. From Balmain – where Olivier Rousteing, before leaving the maison, proposed them in bright red and deep shades – a Stella McCartney, which combines them with off-shoulder dresses for an idea of more decisive female power, up to the essential interpretations of Acne Studios or to the burgundy and flawless ones of Alaia, the new cuissardes are impressive but at the same time soft.
From the Sportmax Autumn-Winter 2025 2026 fashion show.
The perfect recipe for the seasonal knee-high boot
To obtain the Winter 2025-2026 boot, you need few ingredients, but carefully chosen ones. As a basis, an important height: the model extends well beyond the kneeand in some cases – see Elisabetta Franchi – it even touches the thigh. Then a is added wide leg, soft, which creates natural folds: that slouchy effect that Loewe and Coperni have transformed into a scenographic gesture. The tip must be pointedsharper in the Jimmy Choo models, more rounded but still elongated in the Saint Laurent and Fendi versions. Finally, the decisive touch: the high heel. Thin, arched or hourglass-shaped, as long as it elongates the leg and makes the boot the absolute protagonist. From the Toteme models to those of H&M and Karl Lagerfeld, the watchword is only one: aim high, literally.
Above the knee: it’s the year of cuissardes
The thigh-high boots they raise the style bar and the look follows. They work with flowy dresses, especially light, draped ones, where the contrast between softness and structure creates a sophisticated balance. Perfect too tucked into your pants with a straight cut, a simple gesture that immediately updates the look. Or combined with midi skirtsrigid or pleated, for a more graphic effect.
On cold days, a snug sweater and a pencil skirt are enough to lengthen the silhouette naturally, while for a more urban approach they can be combined with clean jeans and statement outerwear.
The only rule to remember is to leave room for him: these boots frame the leg and define the proportions, so it’s better to balance everything with calibrated volumes and essential lines.