Three pairs to add to your footwear arsenal this winter .

With frosty mornings just around the corner, our footwear repertoire could do with a little more practicality and discipline. This epiphany leaves us staring at our suede sneakers, and then at the autumn drizzle outside, and wishing for something a touch more inclement-weather-appropriate. Enter a pair of big, robust military boots. Inspired by those traditionally worn in battalions, these stylish and contemporary alternatives are intended for the decidedly more wholesome purpose of smartening up an outfit yet still retaining an air of punkish nonchalance. They are soaring in popularity as the weather worsens, and an army of them is currently storming the warehouse shelves at MR PORTER. But because the options are many and varied, choosing the perfect boots to suit you can prove tricky. Fortunately, we’ve prepared a few tips to help you take this trend in your stride.

A modern take on the classic combat boot, these gleaming Maison Margiela stompers have a sharply cut leather flap on the vamp of the shoe, giving them a distinctive edge. Boots as smart as this demand a bit of respect, so keep them clean and polished, and they’ll be perfectly at home under a pair of jeans as they will under a slim-fit suit (as long as you tie the laces). Black boots are versatile enough that they won’t look amiss next to most colours, but they’ll look sharpest with more black. Try this pair of trousers from Dries Van Noten – the legs are finished a little higher than usual so they won’t crumple over the tops of your boots, cutting a snappy and considered silhouette.

Less dramatic than their beetle-black comrades but just as stylish, these brown boots from Tricker’s have wingtip broguing and pull tabs at the back, which as well as being a nice touch, makes them easier to get on and off to prevent you spending half an hour lacing them up every morning. Their rich burnished colour will work best with neutral tones, like this colour-block alpaca-blend sweater from Tod’s, which also adds a dash of autumn-appropriate texture to your look.

The slightly lower ankle on this burgundy pair of lace-up boots from artisanal shoemakers Officine Creative gives them a casual twist, good for toughening up an outfit on the weekend or for dressing down at work. Officine Creative’s shoes are made with longevity in mind, and are intended to wrinkle over time, just like us. In this instance, the deep mulled wine hue is a particularly fine selling point – draw it out by co-ordinating them with this burgundy trucker-inspired jacket from Maison Kitsuné.

Shop all military boots here