For summer I gave you a list of five essential shoes that you needed to complete your wardrobe for the season. I hope that they worked out for you. Now, as we move from summer into winter, our footwear requirement changes and most of you are looking around for the pieces that are going to keep your feet warm, be comfortable and practical and add that stylish flair to your look this winter.

Of course this does not mean chucking out all your shoes from last season. Hang on to your ballet pumps, especially the classic black flats as these are wardrobe staples now.

Also, make sure your Converse All Stars are in good condition (a spin in the washing machine may not go amiss) as these will be necessary essentials through every winter.

But, in addition to these, here is one of my famous five-step guides to new fashionable footwear for autumn/winter 2009.

Flat boots

The first item you need in your footwear stable this year is a pair of rich, flat, leather riding boots. Of course they do not need to be literally riding boots, but they should have that look about them. They should come up to the knee, be in a dark brown, tan or black leather, and should be wonderfully comfortable and warm.

A strap or two at the back of the ankle or upper calf is lovely, but really there should be little or no other embellishment on the boot. The hero of the item is the quality of the leather, so understand from the get-go that this is an investment item.

If the flat riding boot holds no appeal for you, then you can push it to an extreme and go for an over-the-knee boot. Dramatic and ostentatious, again it is key to keep the leather matt (patent would be way too hoochie), and the quality of the softest and best you can find.

The boots to pack (or give) away this season are the heeled boots to the knee that you wore over your jeans last season — very dated — and any tan suede numbers, particularly with straps and buckles, as these were pretty bad even two seasons ago.

Cage shoes

The cage shoe is the heeled version of the gladiator sandal, and the openness of these shoes should not confuse you as they really are suitable to be worn as a winter shoe.

Combined with opaque tights for all year round wear-ability, the very best of these can be found at Country Road at Woolworths, and Aldo. Look for a platform base, plenty of straps, and the absolute winner would actually be in some kind of animal skin.

Moving into next spring/summer, the YSL cage shoe with more of a grid detail and a chunky heel will be the 'it' shoe of the season, so you may want to leapfrog the winter styles and go straight there if you are travelling abroad in the next few months.

Mary Jane, with a twist

A good classic Mary Jane (heel, round toe and strap that goes over the arch of the foot, fixing with a small buckle on the side) is always a winner for winter.

And this winter they are back in force, but with various twists. Some have a double strap and two buckles; some have a curved or flared heel and some have shiny fabric detailing.

Many are in bright, block colours to lend an infusion of light into the darkness of winter. In short, this season play with your classics.

Of course there is always a winning fashion style. For winter 2009, the Mary Jane with a thick, rectangle, chunky heel is the most commonly seen on the style icons. This also can come with a bit of a platform for that extra height.

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway just in case, those of you who, like me, suffer from the cankle affliction, should stay 50 paces away from a Mary Jane of any kind — no matter how twisted. Bummer.

Lace up brogue

A really fun alternative to the ankle boot or Mary Jane, is the lace up. And it is particularly hot this season when it comes in the pattern of a brogue. You can choose any height from flat as a fly on a windshield at 140kms/hour, through to sky high stiletto vertigo. Just so long as it has laces, you will hit the fashion high notes this season.

With its influence in Victoriana, the lace up is a feminine version of the man shoe. So it works really well when you wear the flat heeled version a wide leg trouser (like Katherine Hepburn) and is equally wonderful this season when you wear the heeled version with a peg-leg trouser.

Seen on many of the catwalks for winter 2009 (including Alexander McQueen, Bottega Venetta, Derek Lam, D&G, Donna Karan, Dior, Prada and Karl Lagerfeld) the lace up is this season's modern classic.

Ankle boot

And finally one must have an ankle boot in one's wardrobe this winter. Worn heeled and round toed, with your floral dress and biker jacket by those who can (long, slim legs with a finely turned ankle), all it needs is a pair of opaque tights.

For those of you on the wrong side of the leg-gifting ceremony, you can rock the same style with cigarette leg or peg-leg trousers. Couple this with a feminine, ruffled blouse and you will be 100 percent on trend.

Don't be afraid of a platform or a peep toe, as ankle boots are more like shoes than boots this season. So, again, shake up the classics and put your own spin on the shoe choices this season.

For more information on Robyn and other footwear fashions, go to: http://styleguidecapetown.blogspot.com