A Discerning Editor Just Found *the* Booties for Fall 2019

Every fall I search for the perfect pair of booties, the kind I can picture myself wearing nonstop for the next six months. And every year, without fail, I can never seem to find the exact pair I’ve been dreaming of. 

See, I have a lot of boxes to check when it comes to booties. First of all, they have to be comfortable if I’m going to willingly wear them to work, to after-work drinks and even on the weekends. To be honest, comfort and function have been trumping fashion for me lately. Five years ago I wouldn’t be caught dead in Teva look-alikes and well, here I am, Velcro-ed into a pair. But I still want to exude a sophisticated air. Is that too much to ask?

My dream booties have to feature some sort of a block heel because they’re easy to walk in, offers just the right amount of height for my closet full of flared denim and mom jeans, and gives me total confidence as I glide through cobblestone streets on my way to Saturday night drinks. Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt if said footwear was just a little different enough from the black booties everyone already owns, because I am not one to blend in with the crowd.

I first noticed Dolce Vita’s Coltyn Bootie during Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale and it was like the autumn gods plucked them from my very mind. A block heel, pointy toe and ever-trendy snakeskin in a fun shade of red? Sold.

I can picture them working with all of my fall outfits from jeans and a leather jacket to a moody floral dress with tights. And the fact that I can wear them while commuting is a huge plus—they won’t add any additional heft to my already-heavy backpack.

As with any thought-out purchase, I like to read the reviews before making the final decision to buy. And glowing praises aside, the Coltyn Bootie seems to have one major caveat: they run small! Multiple people warn that they’re a little snug, so I’ll be going with a half-size larger than my usual. (By the way, if the red snakeskin is a little too extra for you, the boots also come in black mock croc, leopard print, zebra calf hair and classic black leather.)

I think I might have just hit the fall shoe jackpot?