Time for a proper shopping session: what we like about the Esprit boots is that they get the balance just right. A little rock, a little city smart, as easy with a skirt as with a slim jean. Cool, in other words. Made from suede, and available from Esprit.

Pair of black biker boots with buckles and a cleated sole resting on a stone step
Black suede biker boots with buckles worn with a midi skirt
Black suede: softer, but still rock

A Western spirit for the square-heeled Fru.it Now boots. Aged leather, neat finishing, beaded straps at the ankle: rock boots with a feminine edge, at Jefchaussures.com — check stock before you fall for them.

Aged leather boots with a square heel and beaded ankle straps
Square heel and beaded straps: the Western spirit, reworked

A simpler look: half-biker, half-city boots in brown leather with an ankle strap, inside zip and round toe. Pier One, at Zalando.

Young woman sitting by a window wearing camel biker boots with a square heel
Woman zipping up the inside zip of a brown leather boot in a fitting room
Inside zip and strap: the city boot that's easy to pull on
Close-up of the straps and flag emblem on a camel boot
The little flag emblem: the pair's discreet signature

Hilfiger Denim gives us a smarter take on the biker boot, borrowing a little of the riding boot's polish with its straps and small square heel. A round toe that isn't too round, grained vintage-effect leather, camel, real character: we like them. Hudson Hilfiger Denim boots, at Zalando, in three colours.

Woman walking away from the camera in strapped navy suede boots
Navy suede for rock-chic style in town

We fell hard for the Kéy Té By Kallisté boots in navy suede. Soft shaft, ankle strap, buckle on the shaft, round toe: they're just right, and they'll bring a rock-chic note to your autumn outfits. At Sarenza, in two colours.

Camel grained-leather Hilfiger Denim biker boots worn on a cobbled street
Grained camel leather: riding-boot polish with a small square heel
Navy suede Kéy Té By Kallisté boots with an ankle strap and buckle
Navy suede: the season's rock-chic note

Racy biker styling from Marc O'Polo, which has come up with an elegant chocolate leather pair with studded straps, round toes and small square heels. At Zalando.

Three pairs of biker boots in biker, city and vintage styles lined up on a plinth

Properly rock and properly thought-through, the Zign boots pair beautiful glossy black leather with a small studded shaft in silver, complete with straps. Round toes, small heels and split shafts: these don't do understatement. At Zalando.

You don't need to be a fashion insider to work out, from the windows and shelves of shoe shops online and on the high street, that boots of every kind aren't going anywhere yet. Among the season's big trends, biker boots are a strong presence, in many variations: full-on for devotees of biker style, polished and neat for city riders, reworked fashion versions for those who aren't really bikers at all but are very, very into fashion. And if you think biker boots lack femininity, look at what they do to a silhouette the moment you pair them with a fluid skirt or a knitted dress.

What to spend

Prices cover a wide range: budget around £60 to £105 for a leather pair from more accessible names, around £130 to £215 for a more elaborate design with a proper cleated sole, and upwards of £260 at labels with a more refined finish. What pushes the price up? The quality of the leather, the sole, the detail of the straps and studs. Our advice: go for leather or suede rather than synthetic materials, and keep an eye on end-of-season reductions and the January sales, where good pairs turn up without breaking the bank. Check delivery and stock for each retailer before you commit.