A poll has revealed rising sales of flat footwear, notably riding boots, during the Fall 2012 season.

The survey into US shopping habits was conducted by WWD's Footwear News, which interviewed retailers including online shopping websites Gilt Groupe and Piperlime.com. Both sites have reported non-heeled boots as bestselling items.

"Flat boots specifically have been a trend. We can't seem to have enough riding boots," explained Jyothi Rao of Gilt Groupe.

Meanwhile, styles including ankle and weatherproof varieties have been selling well at Piperlime. In continuation with the trend, equestrian styles have been favored by consumers.

"We saw a little bit of softness in boots early in the season, but it's really turned around, which has been great," said Jennifer Gosselinof Piperlime. "Riding boots are definitely top-of-mind for consumers, and that's really paid off."

The news of flat boots increasing in popularity follows a recent prediction by technology corporation IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) that 2012 will see a rise in flat shoes.

By analyzing conversations between bloggers, Twitter users and internet commentators over the past four years, IBM has charted trends related to heels.

According to the report released in November, enthusiastic discussions about high heels peaked at the end of 2009, while in 2011 social media has been dominated by comments praising the practicality of flat shoes.

Meanwhile, riding boots from brands ranging from designer (Marc by Marc Jacobs) to high street (Topshop) have been appearing on interactive fashion website Polyvore this month, where fashion fans share their favorite outfits.