For fall, the thigh-high boot dominated the runways. At nearly every show, suede and leather varieties appeared, making it clear that this tough — yet sexy — trend is here for good. We tracked the style through the ages, beginning with The Three Musketeers and ending with several of our favorite fashion-show looks.

c. 1905: The Three Musketeers made the folded-down thigh-high boot a popular style for men during the early twentieth century. (Photo: Getty Images)

Late Sixties: In 1968, French designer Pierre Cardin put models in gold and black patent-leather thigh-high boots with low heels. (Photo: Getty Images)

1990: Julia Roberts sported high vinyl boots in Pretty Woman. (Courtesy of: Touchstone Pictures)

2004: Madonna rocked a lace-up pair onstage during her Re-Invention tour. (Photo: Getty Images)

2006: Anne Hathaway wore Chanel boots for her role as a transformed fashion assistant in The Devil Wears Prada. (Courtesy of: 20th Century Fox)

October 2007: J.Lo wore a spike-heeled, sky-high pair of Christian Louboutin boots to MTV's TRL. (Photo: Getty Images)

2007 - 2009: Rihanna performed in thigh-high boots at three separate performances: in Dublin, December 2007 (left), at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2008 (center), and at a Pepsi-sponsored Super Bowl event in January 2009 (right). (Photo: Getty Images)

May 2008: Carrie Bradshaw wore a black suede pair with a fur coat and a fedora in the SATC movie. (Courtesy of: New Line Cinema)

February/March 2009: Prada, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton (among many others), showed thigh-high boots on the runways, making it one of the biggest trends for fall 2009. (From left: Louis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci.) (Photo: Imaxtree)

February 2009: You know it's a trend if Carine Roitfeld wears it. The French Vogue editor hit the fashion shows in NYC wearing Margiela's nail-heel boots. (Photo: Patrick McMullan)

April 2009: Last month, Lady Gaga wore a lace-up nude pair with, you guessed it, no pants. (Photo: Splash News)

from New York Magazine