Adventures in Boots

Each winter I find myself fretting and wishing I had the pair of perfect boots.  Not since I was 20 have I had a pair of boots that I have just LOVED and worn to bits.  Even then, my feet ended up growing out of them first.  They were black leather, knee high, full lace up with a louis/victorian heel.  I wore them all the time!  They were my perfect boot.

Since then, I have not been able to find anything that compares.  I’ve had Dr Marten boots, which are supremely comfortable but not exactly ‘girly’.  I have cowboy boots, which are great, but don’t necessarily go with everything.  I’ve had cheap “one season only” boots because they were a good cut, but not leather, and I’ve had leather boots that I got at a good price or as part of a deal, but can’t wear for extended periods of time or when I’m walking a lot because of the high heel.

So what do I look for in a boot?  Well I do have a checklist, and if the boot doesn’t fit, I don’t wear it! (awaiting groans of bemusement at the bad pun)

• Low, substantial heel – I have to be able to wear the boot for more than an hour, so low heels are a must.  The heel must be at least 1″ square, something that won’t have me teetering.
• Mid-calf length – Too low and they look silly, too high and they won’t go around my rather exaggerated calf.  Mid calf seems to be a good height for me.
• Leather – Having had synthetic boots and shoes in the past, they just don’t have the lasting power of leather.
• Lace up – I just prefer it.  I think it has more character than zips.
• Simple style – A lot of buckles, ruches, straps and ‘hardware’ can age the boot, style wise.
• Rounded toe – This might seem silly, but pointy toed shoes ANNOY me.  I have a size 8 foot on a 5’2″ (158cm) body, I don’t need an extra 2″ of  apparent foot length.  Squared toes reminds me of “The Witches” by Roald Dahl, and just can’t seem to wear them without giggling.
• Not ridiculously expensive – I don’t have a great deal of expendable income to toss around on shoes and clothes, as I prefer to spend it on technology and makeup (go figure), and I like to thrift/make/make do/mend as possible.

Not an impossible list… right?  Well, not really.  Most boots I try on tend to fall MAJORLY short of one or more of the points on  my list.  Ones that fit like a dream are too expensive, ones that aren’t are just not comfortable, or just aren’t what I’m looking for.  Happens EVERY year (or whenever I decide I want boots… or shoes for that matter).

This year was no different.  Having a definite idea about what I was willing to compromise on, and what I wasn’t, I set out and tried on at LEAST 12 pair of boots.  Understanding that I automatically discount knee highs and “booties” (really don’t like that name), there really wasn’t a lot left in between.  After 4 hours of disappointment and frustration, I left my boot search to a later date.

The next day I was chatting with a girlfriend online, and we were discussing boots and shoes and a Google search brought up a store that happens to be close by.  Perusing their boot category was not a waste of time at all!  Not only did it look like they had a suitable boot, they were on sale!  After ascertaining they had the right colour and size, I shot over with The Boy and my Mother-in-Law (to get a second opinion).  They colour they were was what they called “Burnished Black”, which basically meant that it looked a little vintage and faded.  To me, they just looked ashy.  So before I wore them, I gave them a good buff up with some black polish and they came up looking black and spiffy, while still retaining a vintage look.

So here they are.  My new boots!  I just love them!