Step in Style Black Over-the-Knee Platform Boots with Drawstring

Black over-the-knee platform boots with a cord at the top

These over-the-knee platform boots by Step in Style pair a long, close shaft with a heavy sole. The shaft is 58 cm high and the platform is 6 cm, so they add height without a thin heel.

The upper is black faux leather. You pull them on, a short zip at the bottom of the shaft helps your foot through, and a drawstring at the top keeps the shaft up on your leg.

At a glance

The piece: model 216659 by Step in Style

Step in Style is a footwear label we buy through a fashion wholesaler in Poland. The supplier files this model under over-the-knee and thigh-high boots. Its description text says knee-high, but with a shaft of 58 cm and the photos in front of us, over the knee is the right word.

The supplier's text gives the rest: a massive platform, a slip-on shape with an extra zip at the bottom of the shaft, a drawstring at the top, and insulation at foot level only. The photos add a round toe and a sole built up in layers with a deep tread.

Who they're for

For you if you want long boots with attitude and still want to walk a full day in them. A flat platform spreads your weight over the whole foot, which most people find easier than a stiletto.

They ask for some confidence. A boot that ends above the knee changes the proportions of whatever you wear with it, and the chunky sole is not shy.

Closer look: what the maker's data and the photos show

• Shaft height 58 cm (maker's data); ends above the knee on the model (photos)
• Platform height 6 cm (maker's data); sole in stacked layers with a deep tread (photos)
• Slip-on with a short zip at the bottom of the shaft (maker's data)
• Drawstring at the top of the shaft (maker's data), tied in a bow at the back (photos)
• Fabric insulation at foot level only (maker's data)
• Round toe and a pull tab at the heel (photos)

The supplier does not give the width of the shaft or the material of the sole.

Materials and build: faux leather, lined at the foot

The maker lists the upper as artificial leather, which we call faux leather. In the photos it is smooth with a soft sheen, and it creases softly along the leg the way a supple shaft does.

The inside is insulated with fabric, and the supplier is specific that this is at foot level only. The long shaft is unlined as far as the data goes. So think of them as autumn and winter boots for the city and wear tights or long socks under the shaft when it is cold.

Size and dimensions: go by the insole

The maker gives an insole length per size. Size 38 measures 24.5 cm and size 39 measures 25.5 cm, so the step between those two is a full centimetre. The other steps are half a centimetre.

Measure your foot standing, from the heel to the longest toe, and pick the size whose insole is a little longer than your foot. The shaft is 58 cm high in every size. Where it ends on you depends on the length of your leg: on the model it stops a hand's width above the knee.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table. Insole length is the inside length of the boot. Measure your foot from heel to longest toe and allow a little room.

Styling: short hem or skinny leg

Boots this long need room to be seen. A short skirt or a knitted dress that ends above the top of the shaft leaves a strip of leg or tights between hem and boot. An oversized jumper worn as a dress does the same job.

The other way is to tuck in skinny jeans or leggings and treat the boots as the lower half of your outfit. With the heavy sole, a long coat or a boxy leather-look jacket balances the weight at the bottom.

Occasions

The supplier suggests them for autumn and winter outfits. They fit a day in town, a concert, drinks, a night out where you will be standing for hours. The tread on the sole is deep, which is welcome on wet pavements, though the supplier makes no claim about grip or rain.

Care: no instructions from the maker

The maker's data we receive has no care instructions for these boots. We would rather say that than guess. If a care card comes in the box, follow it.

A habit that suits any long boot: store them upright or laid flat, with the shaft unfolded, so it does not crease where it bends.

The wow detail: the bow at the back

The drawstring is there to hold the shaft up, and it ends in a small bow at the back of your thigh. On a boot with a sole this tough, that little tie is the soft touch. People walking behind you see it first.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the boots are unworn and still in the original packaging with the tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More boots, high and low, are in our women's boots collection.