Unless you’ve got a walk-in-wardrobe the size of Narnia and a golden bounty as big as El Dorado’s, chances are you’re going to have to wear your newly purchased footwear more than once. Which also means you’re going to need a pair that goes with more than just those pleated pinstripe trousers you drunkenly bought while browsing the internet late at night. Enter stage right, how to wear Chelsea boots.

Learning how to wear Chelsea boots will be the most versatile stomper lesson you will get this season. They pair effortlessly with tailoring, work well with selvage denim for hardwearing, Western-inspired style or with some black skinnies for more of a grungy feel.

The first instruction in how to wear Chelsea boots is: black is the most versatile choice, able to go with any trouser colour or style. Brown works best with lighter and mid-wash denim, and a midnight blue pair can look especially strong alongside some slim black trousers.

A streamlined, slim and tapered Chelsea boot from a great boots brand tends to be smarter and will look better worn with equally sharp tailoring as a result. A pair with a chunky rubber sole on the other hand is the way to go for hardier weekend looks.

Whichever style you go for you’ll get away with wearing them under some billowing wide legs, but you’ll be missing half the show if you do so – aim for a tapered hem to allow the boots to shine. Bigfoots among you should also watch out for pointed boots that can end up looking canoe-like, so head for more flattering rounded toe shapes instead.

Apart from these simple rules, the Chelsea boot is one of the easiest footwear styles to get right, working for occasions that stretch right across the dress code spectrum. Got a date? Casual work pints? A big interview? You only need one pair of boots for the job.