My friend Priya says I treat boot shopping like dating: I open fourteen tabs, get attached to one on day two, find a reason it won’t work, and go back to the ankle boots I’ve had since 2019. She’s right, and she’s the one who suggested the exercise. Write the profiles. See who you’d actually text back.
Three new arrivals from Mimmu, the Italian bootmaker whose homepage slogan is “Nothing ordinary about me,” which is also, honestly, a dating-profile line. All three went up on their site between September 21 and 23. Here’s who matched.
Nadine, 7 cm
About me: Western ankle boot in smooth leather with a crinkled finish. Back zip. And a metal toe cap, which is the first thing everyone asks about.
Looking for: wide-leg trousers or a midi skirt. Mimmu’s own words. Nadine likes balance.
Comes in: black, grey, brown or green. €219.
My notes: The toe cap is the kind of detail that either becomes your whole personality or annoys you by November. The grey version is the quiet one. I kept going back to it, which usually means something.
Lilith, 7 cm
About me: Beige suede, side fringe, leather sole, handmade in Italy.
Ideal weekend: “aperitifs, casual evenings, city weekends, or stylish countryside getaways.” (That’s from her official bio. She’s the most booked-up of the three.)
Price: €239.
Status: basically taken. When I checked, the only size left was a 38.
My notes: Fringe on a boot is a commitment. On Lilith it runs down the side instead of all the way round, so she reads Western without reading costume. Beige suede and British drizzle are not natural partners, though. I’d spray her before the first date.
Abigail, 7 cm
About me: Mottled-effect leather that reads as animal print, rear zip, slim silhouette. Mimmu calls her one of the slimmest styles in the collection.
Comes in: light brown, brown or green. €219.
Looking for: “occasions when the high heel takes center stage.”
My notes: The green one. I didn’t expect to type that. Green animal print sounds like a dare, and that’s exactly why I keep thinking about it with black tights and a plain dark coat, where the boot is the only loud thing in the room.
Who got the second date
Abigail in green. Nadine was the safest match and Lilith had the best bio (and, unless you’re a 38, is already seeing someone), but Abigail is the one I opened in a new tab four separate times, and I’ve learned to trust that more than any list of pros and cons.
The one Priya set me up with
There’s always a friend-of-a-friend. Mine was in the Last Chance section: the Marlene, a black leather boot with hand-brushed toes, a lambskin lining and an extralight rubber sole. Down from €259 to €168.35 when I looked, and every size from 35 to 42 still there. A rubber sole is also the most sensible thing anyone has said to me about a UK winter. If you want to test whether you’re a Mimmu person before paying full price, Marlene is the low-pressure coffee date.
Before you swipe right
- Prices are in euros; it’s an Italian shop. Sizes run EU 35 to 42.
- They ship worldwide, but free shipping is Italy-only, so the UK delivery cost will show up at checkout. Look at it before you fall in love.
- Their homepage talks about wabi-sabi, the beauty of the imperfect. Handmade leather creases and marks in its own way. If you want boots that look identical in year three, this isn’t the match.
Meet all three at Mimmu here. It’s an affiliate link, so I may earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
Priya’s verdict on my pick, for the record: “Green? Finally, some growth.”