If you’ve looked for a new pair of shoes in Topshop recently, you wouldn’t have been able to escape the plethora of cut out boots on the shelves (it currently has eight different styles on its website in the low heel section alone). The trend for this well-ventilated footwear originated last year at Balenciaga, but has finally started to catch on on the high street. 

It’s a look that works best with no socks, but as that’s not really an option on a day like today when London is shrouded in freezing fog, take heart in the fact that they also look great with thick black tights, or with a plain, ribbed sock on show.

This first pair from Topshop are a dead ringer for the Balenciaga originals but at only £95, are a fraction of the price. I love that chunky hardware on the buckles and the zip up the back.

For something a little less goth, Topshop also has these smart burgundy boots. That little gold toe-cap is a lovely detail, and they look pretty comfortable too.

If you have a little more cash to splash and would rather never be caught wearing the same shoes as anyone else, these luxurious Shakuhachi boots might be for you. Farfetch.com is a brilliant website that brings together the best designer boutiques from around the world. If you bought this particular pair of boots, they’d be shipped to you from American Rag in L.A. Exclusive!

Finally, I’m going to break a few rules. These are a shoe rather than a boot but I like their two-tone multi-texture loveliness so much that I had to include them. Also, they have a very small wedge, so I suppose technically they’re not entirely flat, but as it’s party season and we’re only talking about an inch, I’m feeling OK about it. Especially since I’ve imagined myself wearing them with some grey ribbed tights and a checked shirt dress…