What to Wear with Black Knee High Boots: Outfits by Colour

Black knee high boots go with almost every colour. Black, navy and charcoal make one dark line from hem to floor. Camel, cream and light grey make a crisp contrast, and burgundy looks richer beside black. With jeans, dark washes blend in and lighter washes stand apart. Under skirts and dresses, match your tights to the boot or the hem.

Black knee boots, colour by colour

Colour	What black knee boots do	Tights
Navy	Read as one dark outfit	Black
Grey	Blend with charcoal, sharpen light grey	Black or grey
Camel	Make a sharp city contrast	Black
Burgundy	Deepen the colour	Black or burgundy
Cream	Make the strongest contrast	Black
All black	Finish one unbroken line	Black
Denim	Blend with dark washes, stand apart from light ones	Black, with a denim skirt

Every outfit below is styled with one pair of black leather knee high boots: Black Tulip's Maple Knee Boot in Black. It is the pair you reach for without thinking; the colours around it decide whether the outfit looks planned.

Do black knee boots go with navy?

Yes, and the old rule against it has long gone. Navy and black are close in depth, so together they read as one dark outfit. Wear navy that is clearly navy, not a shade that could pass for black, and the pairing looks chosen, not a near miss.

A navy knit dress with black opaque tights and the Maple Knee Boot in Black is the simplest version. The tights carry the black up from the boot, so the colour changes once, at the hem.

Styling note: repeat black once above the waist, with a belt or a fine black knit, so the navy looks paired, not mistaken.

How do you wear black knee boots with grey?

Grey is where black knee boots look most at home. Charcoal sits close to black and makes a long, dark line. Light grey marl makes a crisp, cool contrast that suits a city morning.

Try a grey knit midi dress with the Maple Knee Boot in Black, the hem covering the top of the boot. Or wear a charcoal flannel skirt with a pale grey jumper, and let the boots do the dark work at the floor.

Styling note: grey tights under a grey dress carry the dress down to the boot; black tights carry the boot up to the hem. Both are right. Pick one.

Can you wear black knee boots with camel?

Yes: camel over black is the classic city pairing. It is a strong contrast, so it works best when black appears more than once. A black roll-neck, a camel coat and black jeans tucked into the boots make camel the one light colour, framed by black at neck and floor.

Keep camel above the knee and black below it, so the coat ends where the boot begins. If camel is your everyday colour and you prefer a softer join, the Maple also comes in Chocolate: see both in the Maple Knee Boots collection. Torn between the two? See our guide to choosing Black or Chocolate boots.

Do black knee boots go with burgundy?

Yes, and it is the richest pairing here. Burgundy is dark enough to sit beside black without a hard break. A burgundy knit dress with black opaque tights and the boots reads as one deep outfit, with the colour doing all the talking.

For the bolder version, match burgundy tights to a burgundy dress or skirt: the colour runs down to the knee, and the boot closes it. Keep everything else black or navy.

How do you wear black knee boots with cream?

Cream is the strongest contrast black knee boots can make: light above, dark below. It looks deliberate when black appears more than once, so give the boot a partner higher up: a black knit over a cream skirt, or a cream cable knit over a black one.

Under a cream midi skirt, let the hem cover the top of the boot, so no leg shows between them. With a shorter cream skirt or dress, wear black opaque tights: pale tights make the boot look cut off at the knee.

How do you wear black knee boots with all black?

All black is the easiest outfit black knee boots will ever wear, and the easiest to get flat. The answer is texture, not colour: knit, wool and full-grain leather each meet the light differently, so one colour has depth.

Try a black rib roll-neck and a black wool midi skirt over the top of the Maple Knee Boot in Black: one line from neck to floor, in three textures. It is the outfit for the coldest mornings and the darkest evenings, and the one that needs no thought at 7am.

Which denim washes go with black knee boots?

With jeans, the wash decides the effect. Black and dark indigo straight-leg jeans tucked into the boots make the smoothest line. Mid-blue makes a clear step at the top of the boot, and light washes make the strongest contrast.

The lighter the wash, the more black the outfit needs higher up: a black knit or coat answers the boots, so a pale jean never looks like a separate idea. Wide-leg jeans go over the boot rather than into it, and a denim skirt takes black opaque tights.

What tights go with black knee boots?

Black opaque tights, 60 denier or more, are the everyday answer: under any skirt or dress they run the boot's black up to the hem. Sheer black tights, around 20 denier, do the same for evening.

Coloured tights work when they match the hem: navy with navy, grey with grey, burgundy with burgundy. What breaks the line is a third colour between hem and boot.

What should you look for in black knee boots?

Height, heel and leather decide how many of these outfits one pair can carry. The Maple Knee Boot in Black is full-grain, LWG-certified leather, cut to sit just below the knee. Its block heel is 56 mm at UK 3 to 5 and 58 mm at UK 6 to 8, and a short inside zip runs part of the way up the shaft. The sole is man-made, with cemented construction.

Maple comes in whole sizes only, UK 3 to 8. Measure your foot once, then check it against the Maple size chart in millimetres, which also lists the calf at the top of the shaft and at mid shaft for every size.

For more on choosing the leather itself, read our buyer's guide to leather knee boots.

For outfits by occasion, see our guide to what to wear with knee high boots.

Black Knee Boots: Questions Answered

What colours go with black knee boots?

Almost every colour in a winter wardrobe. Black, navy and charcoal blend with the boot; camel, cream and light grey contrast with it; burgundy deepens beside it. Repeat black once above the waist and any contrast looks chosen.

Can you wear black knee high boots with a dress?

Yes, with a dress in almost any colour. Under a midi, let the hem cover the top of the boot, so no leg shows between them. With a knee-length or shorter dress, wear black opaque tights, so boot and leg read as one line; sheer black tights do the same for evening.

Can you wear black knee high boots with jeans?

Yes. Tuck straight-leg jeans into the boots: black and dark indigo make the smoothest line, while mid-blue and light washes make a clear step at the top of the boot, which looks deliberate with black worn above the waist. Wear wide-leg jeans over the boot instead.

One pair carries every colour above: the Maple Knee Boot in Black.