These Six Flat Boots Can Be Styled Hundreds of Ways

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Welcome to Laurel’s List, a monthly column by fashion editor Laurel Pantin, who held titles at InStyle, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and Lucky before starting her own newsletter, Earl Earl. Her style philosophy centers around the idea that you probably don’t need more stuff, but you should have stuff you really love.

Each month she is bringing her phenomenal taste over here to Bazaar, where she’ll help you find the very best of that one thing you swear you need—and show you how to incorporate it into your wardrobe, permanently.

Hi there! I’m Laurel Pantin, a former fashion editor in magazine land, now living in La La Land. I’m one of the many old-school mag editors to recently turn to the newsletter platform Substack, and I write a biweekly one called Earl Earl. It’s a view through my personal style and shopping lens, which skews menswear-inspired and nontraditionally preppy. My philosophy, generally, is to buy one absolutely perfect version of the thing you want and invest in it, rather than in four iterations that don’t hit the mark. I’m a proponent of the “less is more” school of shopping.

I’ll be bringing this same perspective to this new column for Bazaar, Laurel’s List, where my aim is to closely examine the key style pieces your wardrobe should include and hopefully help you find a handful of ideal versions. Then I’ll break down each one’s merits and show you all the ways you can wear them.

For this inaugural post, I’m doing a very deep dive into the world of flat boots. Not every style I’m showing you is perfectly flat—some have a tiny-teeny heel—but they all offer the same easy comfort of a ballet flat or sneaker. I picked out six pairs and gave each a test run, styled them a few different ways using pieces from my own wardrobe, and then put together my thoughts below.

01

THE MINIMALIST BOOTIE

I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit trying to find an above-ankle boot that doesn’t leave a huge gap around my leg, but also isn’t skintight or too flimsy. Yuni Buffa’s Nightingale boot, in a structured suede, is exactly what I’ve been looking for. These boots have a streamlined shape and a squared-off toe that looks elegant, but doesn’t elongate my size 40 feet.

Another plus is that there’s barely any heel. In my personal life, I like shoes that are flat. The heel on these is tiny, but not so tiny it will get destroyed the first time you wear them out in the city. They’re fitted, and a bit stiff before you break them in, but they have a memory-foam sole, so they’re extra comfortable.

They’re also easy to wear. They work with everything from High Sport kick flares, to a pair of men’s trousers, to a caftan dress from Attersee. They feel relatively casual to me, so I dressed them that way—simple, and classic. Nothing tricky.

These are definitely better suited to dry weather than wet. I’d be afraid to wear these when it was rainy, snowy, or slushy, since the sole is so flat, and they’re suede. Other than that, they’re an excellent minimalist boot from an independent, female-owned brand.

02

THE CLASSIC BOOTIE

Jamie Haller has a cultlike fan base for her soft penny loafers—famously worn by Emily Ratajkowski—but don’t sleep on the brand’s Beatnik boots. These have a bit more heel than the ones from Yuni Buffa, along with an almond-shaped toe. They’re delicious, hot rock-star boots you can run around in all winter long and for years to come. They’ll just never go out of style.

True to the name, these were inspired by men’s Beatle boots in the Beatnik era of the 1950s and ’60s. They’re handmade in Italy from ultra-fine leather. And while they’ll look great from the moment you put them on, they’re the kind of leather and the kind of style that will continue improving with wear. In my opinion, these are the boot equivalent of a pair of raw denim jeans you expect to wear in to perfection. For the person who wants only one great, classic black bootie—this is it.

That said, they’re a little more directional than the super-flat Yuni Buffa booties. They have their own vibe and specific style. I love them with my favorite Wrangler jeans (they’re only $55!), but the pairing felt a little obvious. The black pant look, though, was spot on, and I like how they gave the boots a less traditional, more artsy feel. And while I like how they look with that silky navy AYR dress, it felt very far outside my comfort zone, so I added an Attersee wrap on top to make it a bit more covered up—and in motion, it definitely looked even better than it does standing still.

03

THE IT BOOT

Miu Miu has been the standard-bearer for highly collectible, highly coveted accessories for the last few seasons. And for the past few months, these multi-buckle motorcycle boots have been it. They’re instantly recognizable, but also classic enough to wear over and over again. I love these especially because despite having buckles and metal accents, they don’t jingle or clink when you walk. You can also wear them with one, some, or all of the buckles unbuckled, to really dial in to the disheveled look Miu Miu has embraced for the last few seasons—and maybe even style the whole thing with a perfectly undone, overstuffed bag while you’re at it.

I also love how easily they go from preppy (when styled with khaki trousers and a boyish blazer) to very fashion-y with an iconic old Celine dress. They were super fun for me to play with in my closet, and I honestly had a hard time choosing which outfits to shoot for this column. My favorite is the khaki pants, because that’s how I’d be most likely to actually wear them on the street, but honestly, I’d leave the house in all three of these looks.

That said, they’re definitely statement boots, so expect them to be the center of every outfit.

04

THE LUXE SNOW BOOT

Neige means snow in French. It’s tough to see, but these Coco Neige boots from Chanel are embellished with a gradient of silver crystals that are denser in the back than in the front. They also have a very sporty look that I love, especially when worn with dressier pieces like these white trousers and blazer from the Row, or this vintage Lanvin feather skirt.

The boots themselves are super padded and beautifully made. They’re unbelievably comfortable and easy to walk in, so while they’re frivolous and luxurious, they’re also as practical as it gets.

05

THE TIMELESS RIDING BOOT

I consider riding boots to be a true wardrobe staple, and this pair from Berlin-based brand Aeyde ticks every box and then some. The leather is structured and shiny, but not so stiff that you can’t walk down stairs in them. The toe box is neither round nor square, the heel is a perfect height, and the sole has a true rubber tread, making them great in snow and ice, and also super comfortable because they have some give. Living in L.A., I rarely have an opportunity to wear riding boots, but I love these.

Ages ago, I saw a woman wearing riding boots with long, wide-leg denim cutoff shorts, and it looked so chic. My version here adds a bit more intentional polish with a blazer and a trench. With leggings, I imagined an alternative look to the leggings-and-Uggs combo everyone wears to workout classes. The boots give your athletic garb an equestrian feel, and they’re just as easy to put on as anything else. I layered an orange and red knit sweater here with navy leggings, instead of black, to make it all feel even more unexpected. My favorite, though, is the old Celine knit dress. I usually feel naked with my arms showing, but with my legs covered here, it made the whole outfit feel cool and interesting rather than overexposed.

These are my ideal riding boots, and the lack of any visible branding or embellishment makes them even more versatile. The one rub is that the shaft is fairly slim, so if you have more muscular or curvier calves, they might not be the best fit.

06

THE COWBOY BOOT

As a native Texan, I have a hard time divorcing the trend of cowboy boots from the imagery and culture I grew up around. I love cowboy boots, but part of me feels like I’m not legit enough to wear them! Or that if I am going to wear them, I have to wear them all the time, like Fran Lebowitz—otherwise everyone will be all, “OoOooOo, nIce CoWBoy BoOts!” You know? They have to become part of you.

However, those are my own personal hangups, and it doesn’t diminish the fact that cowboy boots are everywhere, and they are quite cute. I like this pair from Jeffrey Campbell because they’re not such an investment that they feel like a lifelong commitment, but they’re also very well made and comfortable. They run a tiny bit big, but other than that, they’re cozy.

In terms of styling, I like cowboy boots best with looks that are distinctly not cowboy. Call it the Diana influence, but I love them with sweats—like these from Donni—or more sporty wardrobe pieces. The combination of tech with knit with cowboy boots also works so well, in my opinion, which is why I layered an Almina Concept cardigan with an old Raf Simons–era Calvin Klein blazer, and then added a techy parka. I like that the cardigan is oversize and the pants are slouchy—it balances out the expectations of what people will wear with cowboy boots, but has a “ranch boss lady” vibe I really like.

And with the dress, I leaned in to that same vibe with a sporty anorak from Aztech Mountain on top. I love that with the satiny dress and the boots; it’s all familiar but still interesting. The contrast of techy and sporty with old-school Americana is great, and it just makes sense to me.

And there we are!

Sure, flat boots are a highly practical and useful wardrobe item. But what makes them special is that they come in many different forms—all of which can be majorly transformed with styling. The hardest part is just picking a pair, unless you do plan to go all-in on the six that I styled here. While I won’t say every woman necessarily needs six pairs of flat boots, I will say if you do want six pairs of flat boots, these are the six pairs.

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