Over the Knee Boots

Over the knee boots are another "must-have" for fall. I have to say, I am not convinced that I cannot live without these. I like the way they look, for the most part- most of the ones I've seen so far are pretty sleek, and basically a taller version of boots I would definitely consider. But I question their practicality- can I really wear these to work? To the mall? To dinner? They seem hard to walk in and hard to wear without looking like a trend slave.

Maybe I need to see them on some real people and try them on myself before I can completely decide. My guess is that compared to my knee-length boots, these aren't going to go the distance in terms of longevity (they are SUPER trendy), they are somewhat uncomfortable (don't know if I need leather touching my thighs, or even my knees), and they aren't entirely appropriate for work (shouldn't be wearing a skirt short enough to see space between the tops of the boots and the bottom of the skirt; FOR SURE should not be wearing skirt that covers tops of the boots).

Thoughts?