Nicky by Matisse

In Stitches: Matisse's Nicky is a wedge boot walking a mile as a moccasin.

We love the return of the moccasin. And we love seeing it seamfully continue the tall boot trend into spring. We feel pressured to insert a 18th Century reference, but rifling through "Last of the Mohicans" or the rest of Fenimore Cooper is leaving us cold. Natty Bumppo these are not; warm weather they are. But perhaps that's it. Maybe we are trying to hard. Shake-shake, clear the head, let's start this again: We love moccasins. Period.

The Nicky by Matisse is one helluva mocassin. This thing's got more whipstitching than the factory floor at Rawlings. The heel cup, vamp and top of the boot shaft are pieced together with a white whip that contrasts, but softly, with the doeskin suede. Let's dwell on that for a second. This suede is ultra-soft. It is delightful. Like a co-dependent lover, it has no structure except that which you give it. The fit is close to your leg or can be schlumped and scrunched and flipped down for something more casual.

There's more going on here than a chic exterior. The upper conceals a hidden wedge-ish bit of padding. It's slight enough that our own eagle-eyed copywriter missed it the first time, but the extra lift will make you feel just a bit taller. Score!

Don these boots with light spring ensembles. We're thinking lots of whites, no tights, long legs. With knee sock trends picking up and sure to head into fall, this boot is a great bridger: it's a spring boot with the easy fit and thin material of a sock. The casual boot, the formalized sock, the slimmed down and lightened up Classic Ugg. And we love the soft grey/beige palette. It reminds us of woodland fauna, hen of the woods mushrooms, tree bark on a mountain prairie and a wide blue sky seen through budding trees.

We started this post trying to force this boot into a Leatherstocking Tale, but it is no effort to say the boot works with the natural/fabric/organic trends cropping up (heh) in jewelry and accessories. The fabric flower necklace (above) is a big, fun, casual puff and is nicely balanced by the hard, sleek, colorful bead necklaces.

Walk tall, look natural, feel great. The Nicky is a great spring transition boot that will wear well into summer.