NEW YORK (AP) — These boots are made for baring — a little toe, that is.

For summer lovers who just can't embrace autumn styles yet, consider the peep-toe bootee a transitional model.

With an '80s vibe, designers have created this twist on the shoe bootee that was last year's must-have item. Now, with heels chunky or slim, in black leather or head-turning purple suede, they come with a small toe opening or with lots of artful cutouts that show some top-of-the-foot skin.

"They have the cool factor because they're leather, they're sleek and have a lot of hardware like studs and grommets," says Michelle McCool, fashion director of Cosmopolitan magazine, which features the bootees in its September issue. "They're edgy and modern."

And while you may be wondering what exactly this shoe is, Gregg Andrews, a fashion director for Nordstrom, likens it to a hybrid of the classic peep-toe pump, the gladiator sandal and the bootee.

"It's sort of the merging of three great shoe styles into one," he says.

McCool adds: "You get more bang for your buck."

The bootee will keep your look current while adding a touch of sex appeal, she says. "The openness of the toe makes it sexy. And most of them are on a high heel, and that's sexy."

While feet still are likely to be bare in the bootees right now, you don't have to put them away when the temperatures cool. Add tights or leggings, and wear them through the colder months.

And the really good news? There were even more peep-toe bootees on the runways during the recent New York Fashion Week previews of next spring's styles.

"Open-toe bootees seem popular as the rush to wear a total boot does not play well with our global warming," says Candy Pratts Price, executive fashion director at Style.com. "Also, I believe the gladiator sandal was so popular that it is slowly evolving into a boot with still some openness."

She warns that not all of them are sure-fire hits, and one needs to choose carefully to complement clothes and personal style.

The bootees, which often exude toughness, lend themselves to many of the overall trends for this season, including the rocker and the futuristic warrior.

A less aggressive version would have feminine ruffles or cutouts, suggests Jennifer Gosselin, Piperlime's vice president and general manager.

Not one of these is for the shrinking-violet type, though.

"It's not your average boot. It's not your average sandal," Andrews says. "You have to be a confident woman to wear it."

They work well with jeans (skinny or boyfriend) and leggings, and give a new look to the little black dress, Gosselin says. They can even take you to work.

"They look great with a pencil skirt to spice up office attire while still staying appropriate," Gosselin says. You can add a blast of colour with blue or purple suede; for a more conservative look, wear the bootees in a rich fall colour, like brown.

While women wore stockings with the peep-toe pump when the style emerged in the late 1930s, the look has long been the subject of debate, says Colleen Hill, assistant curator of accessories at The Museum at FIT in New York.

"As bare legs became more acceptable over the decades, it was no longer deemed necessary to wear stockings except for the most formal occasions," Hill says. "Although wearing open-toe shoes with stockings is still considered by some today to be in 'bad taste,' it has been adopted as a high-fashion look, perhaps for that very reason."

To wear the look with the modern open-front bootee, there's classic fall black and grey hosiery or jewel tones like plum and purple.

"You can also have fun with some print and pattern," says Nordstrom's Andrews. "Lots of leggings have a bit of sheen, often a metallic sheen or leather-like finish to them — those are very fun."

Wearing the same colour tight or legging and bootee, like black, makes your legs look longer, as will wearing a shorter cut boot, he notes. "Very few women can wear a hemline, a leg and a shoe of different colours," he says.

And when it comes to how many toes to bare, the styles range from just a small peep toe to a full open front where four or five toes can be seen. "This bootee — there's a sophistication to it," Andrews says. "That little flash of skin makes it very alluring."