I came to see the Elizabeth and James E-Moxy Booties for the first time because one of my friends on Twitter sent me a link to them, professing her dislike. The link was actually to the brown suede version of the design, which I tend to agree are not the most attractive shoes I’ve ever seen. Redone in black leather, they’re not half bad.

What this design does really well is take fall’s trends for black leather booties and platform work boots, combine the two, and strip them down to their most essential elements. In doing so, some of the faddish qualities are eliminated from both and the shoe turns out to be a simple, very sexy, somewhat affordable fall option.

One of the best things about this particular pair of booties is the height of the shaft. Many of fall’s “work” boots have an ankle aspect rise, which means that they come up to the part of the leg above the actual ankle joint, but still below the calf. Those booties can look awkward with dresses or tights, but this design ends right above the actual ankle joint, which makes them wearable with a wide variety of looks and hemlines.

It’s also worth mentioning that although this shoe looks very tall, it has a five inch heels and a one-and-a-half inch platform, which puts the actual foot rise at 3.5 inches. They may in fact be more comfortable and maneuverable than they appear to be, and at this price point, it might be worth the shot to find out. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $395.