Rihanna steps out in kinky knee-high boots on LA shopping trip

Having already earned style-icon status, Rihanna is taking her daring fashion-sense to new heights.

The singer was spotted sporting Hollywood's latest must have - a pair of sexy knee-high gladiator boots - on a shopping trip yesterday.

But despite the growing status of the Balenciaga boots, which will surely score points among the fashion elite, the jury will be out as the singer appears to have gone overboard.

SOS: Rihanna has a fashion emergency on a Hollywood shopping trip on Thursday

At £3,600 a pair though, Rihanna could be justifying the expense with a cost-per-wear rationale, no matter the occasion.

Teaming the flashy black and white gladiators with a multi-coloured top and an array of accessories, the singer seemed somewhat overdressed for a stroll down Melrose Avenue with boyfriend Chris Brown.

Still keeping mum about their relationship however, the couple made sure they weren't seen together, walking on separately and communicating by mobile phone as they continued to shop in West Hollywood.

Boyfriend Chris Brown casts an admiring look as the singer shows off her £3,600 Balenciaga creations

The pair recently returned from a holiday in Barbados, where they were less discreet in their attempt to conceal relationship.

The sexy pop star, 20, was first linked to 19-year-old Chris last year when he re-worked her megahit track Umbrella as Cinderella Under The Umbrella.

They recently collaborated on Rihanna's latest single Disturbia, which is currently sitting at number nine in the charts.

He originally wrote the song for himself, but decided it would sound better with a female voice so naturally, his girlfriend was the first person he offered it to.

Chris will soon join Rihanna in the charts when he releases his new single Kiss Kiss in a few weeks.

The romance rumours stepped up a gear when Rihanna took Chris to meet her family in Barbados in February, where the singer/actor was spotted seated beside Rihanna's father Ronald Fenty at her concert.

They were also photographed kissing in a hotel pool in Jamaica just days later.

Last September, Brown admitted he had a crush on the pretty singer, but insisted they were just friends.

He said: 'I might have flirted a little bit with her. But we're just friends. We're great friends. We haven't taken it to that next level yet...'

When asked about their relationship in May, Rihanna said: 'We are great actually. We have been friends for three years now.'