I remember passing the time in the downtown mall/bus terminal, circa eleventh grade, gazing at the pairs of thigh-high patent boots displayed in the window of a lingerie shop. At the time they seemed so glamorous, so tough yet feminine. (Little did I know the store was frequented by ladies of the night.)

Over-the-knee boots are back — and this time for nice girls, too. Even Glamour Magazine noted the trend in an online blog (though the writer does wonder if the style is “is a bit too Pretty Woman“).

Two Lips by Kitty Kat

Apparently readers aren’t worried about the “working girl” connotation. First, five out of six styles that Glamour spotlights are already sold out. Second, readers responded with raves like, “Ok, so I was flipping through the April 2009 issue, and I saw a picture of these AMAZING over the knee pink suede boots that I am DYING to get” and “I’m in love! Victoria’s Secret had a pair for 100 bucks. they had the perfect heal plus you could just fold down the top and make them knee highs.”

Tall boots by Giuseppe Zanotti

Glamour readers are not the only ones trying on the trend. Says Fashionising.com: “Over-the-knee boots: they may yet be one of the biggest fashion trends in 2010. We touted them as one of the year’s biggest shoe trends only in mid-May, and yet we’ve already spotted them on everyone from Natalia Vodianova to Kristen Stewart.”

boots by Bronx at Victoria's Secret

And Coutorture.com reported this spring, “Over-the-knee boots were all over the Fall 2009 catwalks, in styles that ranged from stocking-like to trouser-like in their appearance … these boots will undoubtedly cost quite a bit when they hit the retail floor.”

A fetish-inspired style by Alexander McQueen

Cost is a detractor: Most styles on Zappos run over $100, and those that don’t tend to be fashioned from polyurethane. Very Pretty Woman. Another downside is wearability: this is a style that veers easily into fetish gear. (That’s fine if that’s your thing, but it’s a big departure for ballet flat fans…) Or, as Blogger Splendicity points out: “Though I’m not sure about this trend being able to translate from the runway to real life, designers are churning out these tall boots.”

Eve by Dolce Vita

Blogger ShoeGoddess offers up one idea for how to wear her pair of tall Dolce Vita Eve boots: “The cut-out in the back of the boot ensures that you get that full over-the-knee look, but you won’t be claustrophobic at the same time,” she writes. “Flat boots literally work with everything, but I especially like to pair them with skinny jeans.”