Christian Louboutin New Simple Botta 120 Boots, $1395 via Net-a-Porter

I’ve always said that when it comes to design, sometimes doing the simple things is more difficult than tackling the complicated. When we’re talking about a shoe or boot variety that’s supposed to be a closet staple, not only is differentiating yourself from the crowd of competitors difficult, but so is sticking within the bounds of what customers want and expect from a shoe that will clock major mileage.

When you add that to the fact that most closet staples are simple and sleek, which means that aren’t forgiving of sloppy design or construction, problems can crop up for lesser designers. The Christian Louboutin New Simple Botta 120 Boots, obviously, are a shining example of the exact opposite – when a designer takes on a shoe we’ve all seen before and still hits it out of the park.

The best thing about these boots is that they don’t reinvent the wheel. If you’re in the market for $1400 boots, odds are that you can also afford to flesh out your shoe collection with a number of zany and trend-specific designs if you so choose. That’s not what these boots are for, though. These are the boots that you can wear to the office with a tasteful skirt suit and a pair of Wolfords, but that also look right at home at happy hour. If you’re a 24/7 heel-wearer, pair them with leggings and a cashmere sweater tunic for the weekends. If you’re blessed with slender calves (I am not), you can layer them over jeans. These boots can be everything you need, and the construction and leather are so pristine that once you have them on, I doubt you’ll disagree with me. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1395.