Slouch by name and slouch by nature, this soft, calf-covering boot sags towards earth in a series of relaxed crumples. It can be pushed down to ankle-level or pulled up almost to the knee but in whatever position it finds itself, the slouch boot adds a casual, faintly devil-may-care element to your look. There’s a slouch boot for every personality, from cheap and cheerful knitted slouch to flat and practical suede slouch, to very, very expensive fine-grained leather slouch, to sexy, high-gloss, stiletto-heeled slouch … that one’s more a languid stroll than a slouch, perhaps.
Whatever it’s made of, and whether it comes with or without buckles, tabs and poppers, the main effect of a slouch boot on your silhouette is to add pleated bulk to the lower leg. For this reason, it is best worn on the outside of skinny trousers or jeans, and has to be balanced up above with a correspondingly bulky top, scarf or coat. Remember that although brown slouch boots can be chic and smart, they are always casual-looking, and so are unlikely to work well with formal wear.
Short slouch boots are less ‘customizable’ than long. A well-fitting long boot can be pulled up to the knee to be worn with A-line skirts, for example, or pushed down to ankle-height with skinny jeans or a mini-skirt. (Worn with any short, plain skirt, slouch boots offer a great opportunity to show off brightly colored or patterned tights.) If you have trouble with boots generally because they won’t fit your calves, look for a slouch boot with a zip and a wider, more sculpted shape. If the slouch boot is too tight, you don’t enjoy the same degree of playful, loose crumple at different heights; if it’s too loose, it won’t pull up and stay up.
As with any style of boot, if you decide to buy one in good-quality leather or suede, invest in some protective shine or spray and use it. You’ll keep the boots looking good for a lot longer.