905 by Fruit

Work a Mile: The brisk charm of Fruit's new worker short boot has us occupied.

We have an informal litmus test at the store to judge new arrivals. It goes something like this: 1. Receive new shipments; 2. Merchandise new arrivals on the floor; 3. Wait with baited breath. Like a magical scent, the odor of new arrivals will waft up to the office. Wait ... wait for it ... And there she is! Lori pops her head out, looking this way and that, bright-eyed and alert, moving through stacks of shoes and past bewildered customers, inevitably zeroing in on the best of the latest. It’s like watching a bloodhound to the fox. Truly inspiring. She has a sixth sense for uncovering the latest trend ... even in her own store! This week we found her posing in front of the mirror in dark skirt, black tights and the ultra-soft, black 905s by Fruit/Now.

It may not look like much in the box, but the 905 – an exclusive Lori’s pick from Italy – is an adorable work-inspired short boot that blends the hardware of utility with the supple luxury of buttery leather and a flawless construction. The result is a boot that looks tough but wears as gentle as a lamb. The rounded toe has a beautiful, narrow line that sweeps up to a double-stitched vamp. Five eyelets and three D-rings lend a rugged, masculine touch, as do the reinforced heelcup and padded ankle cuff.

But what drew Lori straight to this lovely number (also available in rustic brown – “I like that too,” she offers) was the amazing feel of the leather. Its soft hand and finish are so beguiling they overcome the manly edge of this boot, softening them to the cute and boyish.

The blend of masculine “toughness” – hiker, military, construction – and feminine discernment make this a versatile boot. It’s so damned cute worked back to leggings and a short skirt and tailored shirt, but it also makes sense with skinny jeans and a simple tee topped with layered chains and a Lives of the Saints bracelet, all the rage in Italy right now (available at the register). Conversely, you could cuff up your boyfriend jeans and butch out these boots, taking advantage of their blue-collar inspiration.

What draws a line through all these outfits is attention to silhouette (softer, more feminine and considered) and material (drool-worthy leathers). The irony is that this shoe is so comfortable you can walk and walk and walk and walk in them. They truly do become a workhorse for your wardrobe!

Legal by Jeffrey Campbell

Zip It: The Legal by Jeffrey Campbell brings closure to the question of a cool wedge.

The first thing you might think when you see the Legal by Jeffrey Campbell is, "Eh?" The second will either be "Whoa" or "Wow!" This is a surprise addition that will stump you or seduce you and we're sure both camps will have their adherents. One thing's for sure: there's one lucky zipper manufacturer out there singing JC's praises.

Perched on a narrow, four-inch wedge sheathed in black suede, the Legal is wrapped in seven layers of chromed zippers that come together at the foot to form an unexpected peeptoe. All the zippers are functional and provide an unexpected degree of customizable fit and creative license with the look. Should you leave them open, closed, or open-and-closed? The bright chrome of the solid pulltabs creates a fantastic visual flash (and not a little bit of noise) on top the criss-crossed wrapping of the metal teeth.

Legal's a costume setpiece for a remake of "The Mummy" produced by The Cure and Trent Reznor. Nevertheless, there's an certain charm to the overt "rebel" in this shoe. It's so earnest we just can't help but love the Legal for it. And in a very strange way, the pulltabs start to read like fringe and, in that way, tap into the Western look that is all over the scene. Has Jeffrey Campbell taken the rock-and-roll rebel and ported it, ingeniously, into the Western camp? Possibly. Marry all that to the Project Runway vibe ("You have four hours and forty feet of zipper to make something wearable ... ") and you have an ostentatious shoe that behaves like a lady. A real rambunctious lady, but a lady nonetheless.

How? With denim, absolutely. Also with spangly leggings. Pick up the flash and dance of these wedges with layered necklaces or big tassled earrings. You can also work back into the punk angle with a bold plaid scarf and jeans jacket with band buttons. However you choose, safe to say the Legal will brng some closure to the question of what to wear.

Maxine Loop Pull On by Frye

To The Max: Frye's Maxine takes the fold-over all the way down.

You know what we love about Frye? Here's a company founded on supplying boots to Union Army soldiers in the 1860s that has kept true to its roots yet serves up current trends. Sure, boots always hold a certain fascination regardless of the era, but think about it: how do you design a functional boot for a Rough Rider that translates some hundred years later into a fashion boot for the chic set?

If you are Frye, you do it by crafting a boot for a specific function then fiddling endlessly with the details. A boot made for soldiering becomes a mainstay of Flower Power becomes a sleek must-have in metropolitan fashion circles. The Maxine Loop Pull On is a classic that feels immediately now: a knee-high boot shaft over a low riding heel and a beautifully rounded toe, all dressed in jet black pebbled leather. What sets it apart is a fold-over that's been folded over nearly to the heel, giving the boot shaft the appearance of being twice as tall as it actually is (it doesn't unfold). A belting detail wraps the boot at the ankle, meeting at back around a signature Frye element: the harness ring.

Frye has taken a common element of over-the-knee boots and taken it to the extreme. It's that kind of innovation that keeps them not just alive, but relevant. The look is sharp and clean. Elegant with a dash of purpose. The elements that once supported spurs for Pony Express riders are now decorative touches that lend confidence and authority to your look. Keep the past present by picking up on that functional essence. Wear these with a long duster. Focus on the texture by layering on cuffed tweed shorts. Give it more edge with multiple long chain necklaces. We love how clean this boot looks from a distance, and how details reveal themselves the closer you look. Like its wearer, the Maxine is sophisticated and complex ... and utterly put-together.

Echo by Sam Edelman

City Mouse: The Echo by Sam Edelman brings urban polish to our fall wardrobes.

Last fall spectators became a huge trend. Combining this traditional menswear look with feminine touches was a contest amongst brands. Who could one-up the other with another clever take? This season the interest in menswear continues, but the spectator fire has reduced to smoldering embers which, as any grill aficionado knows, is the best time to cook. Sam Edelman must love its barbeque; their Echo is a smart and sophisticated spectator that stands alone this fall.

Available in brown leather and black patent, we much prefer the patent. The predilection rests on this shoe's most lovely feature: a vamp made of softest felt. We love the hard sheen of the jet black patent against the matte charcoal felt. It's Mad Men: Brylcreem and wool suits – urban and full of verve. The easy brown feels more laidback, and today we're just in a city mouse mood. A patent-wrapped heel and notched toecap feel flashy and office; the felt calms it down with a cozy, casual touch. The boyish four-eye lace-up over a patent tongue is just plain cute.

The menswear trend continues, Sam keeps the spectator alive and felt is showing up in a number of styles this season. This shoe is so relevant. With less spectator-specific styles around, it's also unique. The color-on-color palette makes for a subtle transition from what is yesterday's news to today's headline. Read all about it.

Erna by Nina

Bedazzled: The Erna by Nina is a scintillating evening pump.

In a season glorifying boots, it's nice to take a step back and see what else is debuting in this, our favorite season. Amongst aisles of leather and suede, booties and over-the-knees, studs and buckles perches an evening shoe flashing a different kind of allure: the Erna by Nina. Once known only for its run-of-the-mill wedding heels, Nina has in recent seasons reinvented itself, becoming much more fashion forward and relevant. They have dazzled us, literally, with the Erna.

This silver peeptoe pump is sheathed in hundreds of tiny silver fishscale paillettes and topped with a spray of clear glass gems on the toe. The shimmery discs subtly shift color from steel at the peeptoe to an irridescent purple at the midstep and finally gunmetal blue near at the heel. The result is a shoe that's not so much flashy as scintillating – a shimmering pump on a 4-1/2" silver leather heel with a hidden 1/2" platform.

Shine a light on the Erna and you will light up the room like a disco ball. This is an evening shoe, a dancing shoe, a social shoe that demands a dark, rich pallette to showcase it: think navy, black, gray. The paillettes on Erna, besides having their own tint, pick up and reflect the colors around them. This shoe is sassy and bold. It makes us want to move, to move the light around the room, to be the center of attention. It's a shoe that makes us feel light and lighter in our step. Like the best of evening shoes, we love these Ernas because we don't just wear them, we shine in them.

Trevis by La Canadienne

When It Rains ... Trevis by La Canadienne adds some style to cold weather looks.

If there's one thing they know in Montreal, it's weather. Gorgeous, cultural and fun as the city may be, there's no escaping the fact that it is an icebox come winter. Is it any surprise, then, that a city so frozen and fashionable should be the headquarters of La Canadienne?

Makers of waterproof boots for forty-five years, La Canadienne has gained a reputation for infusing cold-weather footwear with fresh and easy style – something we weather-beleagured Chicagoans can appreciate. They reaffirm their style stuff this season with the Trevis, a black, sueded, knee-high with faux fur lining on a contoured rubber sole. Much like a mullet ("business in front, party in back"), the Trevis multi-tasks its fashion and function with a chic boot shaft over a no-nonsense sole.

Style is literally sewn into the upper. The outer, waterproof shell is longer that the interior creating a perennial slouchy look. Flip down the top to reveal the ash grey furry lining when cold weather catches up to you. The bottom of this boot is a workhorse: the TRP outsole is molded for traction to keep you on your (dry) feet while providing flexibility. The insole makes use of technology beyond our ken – "Antibacterial hydrophilic breathable Microfibre Lining" – so we're just going to write that off as "effective." The rounded toe is casual and easy. Work this back to leggings as the weather turns colder.

Trevis is stylish in more than just the fashion sense. Like all La Canadienne products, the shoe is produced with a finger on the conscience of its customers: the environment plays a large role in the design and production of every boot. Fighting the environment with the environmentally friendly? We can dip our toes in that.

Rayne by Dolce Vita

When It Raynes ... The Rayne by Dolce Vita pours style into a great transition shoe.

We've finally received our Dolce Vita and we couldn't be happier. The Rayne is very trans-seasonal with a 4-1/2-inch knife wedge heel, peeptoe and open upper enclosed with woven straps. (There's a half-inch platform hidden in there as well.) That height and open space lend themselves to a huge fall obsession: leggings! While the weather is still warm, the Rayne is great as-is. When cooler weather hits, warm up with bold textured tights in metallics and patterns like lace.

We like the idea of pushing the menswear look. Rayne has a great gamine feel to it under some rolled boyfriend jeans or oversized, rolled shorts. Top with a long vest that hits mid-thigh or a knit sheath dress. Or try pairing Rayne against a tailored plaid top that will echo the basket weave of the shoe. A trilby or porkpie hat finishes this boyish look, while a large structured bag like a leather shopper or weekender keeps some girl in this guy aesthetic.

The consensus in the store is that this is a leg's shoe. The silhouette is a combination of sleek yet substantial heel and the chunky bulk of the woven strapping. The result is a strong profile that reinforces the clean lines of your leg in tights or tight jeans. Use big, structured bags and tailored tops to further exaggerate the lines of your body.