Very rare Chanel black leather OTK riding boots

These vintage 1996 Chanel black leather over-the-knee riding style boots rarely appear on eBay, and when they do, expect them to fetch an amazing price.  As these were my size (40 / US 9), I put in a bid, but it was way below the $710 these ended up selling for.  This very popular item received 31 bids.

What could have been extra-appealing about these is that, except for the height, the styling is very unisex.  I could very easily see a man purchasing these as some very high-end riding boots!

It appears from the auction text that the lucky seller was the original owner:
Purchased in 1996 these authentic Chanel boots are still gorgeous, black leather, they look like over the top English riding boots. CC logo on the front, marked on the bottom Chanel stamp, they have been re soled, they have a great distressed look, lined in leather. Claudia Schiffer modeled similar boots on the runway in 1996.