Are Kooky Boots The Next Big Trend?

Forget gingham crop tops or diaphanous, swirling 70s-style maxi dresses, because for 2015 the pattern is migrating to your toes. Kooky boots are trending for Spring 2015, cropping up in the most unexpected places from Saint Laurent's Fall 2014 collection to Anna Sui's Spring 2015 runway. So get ready, because this season may give your heels a run for their money.

An obsession with the storied "Boot of the Season" is not a new concept to the fashion industry — in fact, each quarter is marked by a coveted rendition of the classic design. Isabel Marant's Dicker boots had their day in the sun when they appeared on the likes of the Kate's (Bosworth and Holmes), and most recently, Stuart Weitzman's iconic 5050 Boots are so ubiquitous this winter that a celebrity round of "Who Wore It Best" would simply be a stalemate. Of course, one simply can't speak of legendary footwear without mentioning Kate Moss's beloved Hudson wellies or Kate Middleton's Aquatalia's, both of which launched a thousand replicas. However, 2015's ardent fixation on the 70s and the Victorian era has prompted an unexpected uptick in the number of quirky boots on the market for spring. And indeed, the sartorial focus is on fanciful footwear.

Manolo Blahnik Bratti Boots, manoloblahnik.com

Though admittedly an exuberant designer to begin with, Manolo Blahnik's Autumn/Winter collection is overrun with vibrantly hued, modernized-Victorian styles like the embroidered fuchsia Bragina and the cap toe Bratti Boots. Christian Louboutin's hot pink Nail Boots are appropriately named for the crimson-polished nails adorning them, and Saint Laurent's Glitter Finished Leather Knee boots could have sauntered straight out of Velvet Goldmine.

Christian Louboutin Nail Booty, $2,695, us.christianlouboutin.com

Meanwhile, Anna Sui's "Kozmik Rock Star" Spring 2015 collection was punctuated by laced cobalt booties, and Miu Miu's suede lace-ups with jewel heels are part Victorian and part glam rock.

Laurence Dacade Merli Floral-Embroidered Canvas Ankle Boots, $1220, net-a-porter.com

Other designers selected more traditional mediums of embellishments, which make a similarly strong statement. Laurence Dacade's Merli Ankle Boots are outfitted with black canvas covered in delicate, multicolored floral embellishment, and Gucci selected a classic knee-high style with a platform heel, rendered in eye-popping python.

But how does one wear the trend in real life? A pair of shimmering silver boots isn't exactly office-friendly, and fingernail-embellished boots are a bold statement for a Saturday afternoon stroll. Though designers paired their boots with equally ostentatious clothing on the runway, a street style interpretation dictates a touch more subtlety in the rest of your ensemble. In addition, you may want to refrain from flashing a pair of eccentric boots before 6 p.m. unless your office happens to be incredibly artistic, lest you blind your boss with your glittery kicks. And as John Lennon would say, "Shine on."

Saint Laurent Glitter-Finished Leather Knee Boots, $1,395, net-a-porter.com

Images: Getty; Brands