Not long ago, I made fun of a bag over at PurseBlog Savvy because it looked like the designer had skinned a horse in order to make it. Well, I’m about to eat my words, but since I’m doing so over a pair of delightfully unique booties, I’m ok with it.

The Sigerson Morrison Calf Hair Booties are a little bit cowgirl, sure, but they’re helped tremendously by a stark color palette and clean, modern lines. If you’re still going to make fun of me for liking them, please, be gentle.

If this design included brown, it would be all over – they’d be too horsey and I’d be done. But the black and cream combination gives this sleek little bootie a contemporary feel, and it’s certainly an interesting alternative to the omnipresent black ankle boots that have undoubtedly overtaken a mall shoe section near you (not that there’s anything wrong with that). If you’re in to the animal print trend but leopard isn’t for you, maybe these booties are. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $725.