Karen Gillan Makes Khaite Sock Boots and Velvet Work for Summer

Karen Gillan worked two cooler-weather style codes into a summer race weekend look on Sunday, wearing black sock boots and royal blue velvet to the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” actress attended the race as a guest of TGR Haas F1 Team, trading the barely-there sandals and stilettos often seen around Grand Prix weekends for Khaite’s Arizona Stretch Ankle Boots in black.

Khaite’s Arizona boot is made in black napa leather with a stretch ankle shaft, back zip closure, leather sole and low 40mm heel. The ankle-height pair had a snip toe and center seam running down the front, with the fitted shaft sitting close to the ankle rather than slouching around it.

That combination made the pair the key to Gillan’s seasonal switch. Sock boots have long belonged more naturally to fall and winter wardrobes, especially after the stretch-boot wave of the mid-2010s pushed second-skin shafts, pointed toes and pant-boot hybrids into fashion’s mainstream. Gillan’s version was quieter than those earlier high-heeled, spandex-heavy versions, but it carried the same close-to-the-leg idea into June through black leather, bare legs and a shorter hemline.

Instead of tucking the boots under trousers, Gillan paired them with a royal blue velvet blazer and matching miniskirt. The jacket had notched lapels, a single black button and slightly long sleeves. The miniskirt left a stretch of bare leg between the velvet hem and black boot shaft, keeping the heavier textures from feeling out of season.

As for accessories, Gillan wore glossy rectangular sunglasses, delicate rings and a dainty necklace. She completed the look with a quilted Chanel classic flap bag with a chain strap and gold-tone CC hardware.

Gillan’s shoe choice also fit into a wider return of close-fitting boots across recent celebrity looks. Paris Jackson wore beige Mugler sock boots with a monochrome look at the brand’s fall 2026 show in March, while Nicole Scherzinger’s mesh Louboutin Kate Max Booty at The Abbey in May worked near the same slim, ankle-hugging territory.

The Monaco appearance comes as Gillan continues work on Amazon MGM’s “Highlander” reboot, which stars Henry Cavill as Connor MacLeod and Russell Crowe as Ramirez. Gillan plays Heather MacLeod, Connor’s first wife, in the Chad Stahelski-directed film.