Seventies style has come back with such force, it has completely changed our summer closets. We’ve embraced flared jeans. We love our platform clogs. We dream of nothing but boho blouses. And as fall approaches, it’s clear that ’70s boots will be an essential item in our wardrobe too.
Spotted in the collections of Chloé and Isabel Marant and on the feet of celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Bella Hadid, and Taylor Swift, these boho boots have a fresh and breezy energy that’s hard to resist. The thing is, it’s not just one style of boot from the decade that’s making a comeback—it’s all of them.
Whether casually elegant in the style of Jane Birkin, or something eye-catching like Bianca Jagger might wear, the best outfits take inspiration from the decade’s most stylish women. Read on to see which ’70s boot styles are making a comeback (and how to style them now).
White boots
Bianca Jagger in 1971
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Claudio Lavenia/Getty Images
White boots were a staple in the ’70s, especially when used to balance out monochromatic combinations. Just look to Bianca Jagger, who never did anything by halves and always found a balance between drama and elegance in her looks. Today the legacy of white boots lives on. Look for knee-high or pointed-toe styles that will ground even the showiest ensembles.
Slouchy boots
Twiggy in 1975
Getty Images.
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
Despite being the face of the 1960s mod girl, model Twiggy is also just as synonymous with the aesthetics of the ’70s. Her slouchy boots and wide-leg pants—majorly on trend back then—are both are seeing a resurgence. Today they create a nice visual tension with streamlined pieces such as a structured blazer or tailored skirt.
We The Free Janey Engineer Boots
Azalea Wang Wink Slouch Boots
Square-toe boots
Jane Birkin in 1970
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Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images
Celebrities like Jane Birkin made a strong case for square-toe boots as an elegant and timeless shoe, perfect for finishing off a minimalist pairing of a T-shirt and flared pants. Modern style influencers haven’t changed the approach much—square-toe boots still look best with jeans and a T-shirt, though now we’re adding a very ’70s-inspired suede jacket.
Linea Paolo Saylor Square-Toe Boots
Suede boots
Actor Ursula Andress in 1973
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Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
In the mid-2010s, Stuart Weitzman’s iconic Highland boots, especially those in suede, were the It shoe. Block-heeled, flat, mid-calf, or over-the-knee—whatever version you preferred, it was still a hallmark of the era. But look back at any archival photo from the 1970s, and you’ll see that the boot style was on trend decades earlier. This season you can nod to two different periods in fashion history by embracing the boot style. Suede boots are particularly effective when paired with other warm earthy tones like brown, copper, or mustard.
Cowboy boots
Farrah Fawcett in 1977
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Raimonda Kulikauskiene/Getty Images
TikTok may have convinced you that dressing to an aesthetic is a new concept, but Farrah Fawcett was practicing the technique well into the 1970s. The actor was just as known for a sporty look (white shorts, tennis shoes) as she was for a Western-inspired outfit of plaid shirt and cowboy boots. Today cowboy boots are something of a neutral—wear them with denim, sequins, strappy silk dresses… They can be functional or glamorous, and often both.
Matisse Gaucho Western Boots
A version of this article was previously published in Vogue Mexico and Latin America.
