Designer Shoes

Posts Tagged ‘boots’

Regular readers may remember way back in October, when I mentioned Christian Louboutin’s claim that Barbie’s (yes, the doll) ankles were ‘too fat’ for his shoes. Well, today I am pleased to report this event hasn’t soured the relationship between the shoe designer and his plastic friend, as he is now set to release the second of his series of three collector’s Barbies. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to shoes (as everything does), I must admit I have something of a passion for boots. In fact, I never quite feel comfortable unless I’m wearing boots… Be it out in the street, in a bar or even lounging around at home – I have boots for every conceivable situation and I love them all. What I don’t love, however, is attempting to put my boots on whilst wearing trousers – especially jeans. You must know what I mean; you pull you trouser-leg taut, tug on the first few inches of boots and, immediately, your jeans start bunching up… The futher you pull the boot on, the more the jeans bunch and so the cycle continues until you’re left looking like an extra from Pirates of Penzance!

This cannot be allowed to continue! The women of the world cannot be forced to suffer this trial every time they want to wear their favourite boots. HENCE, we are proud to bring these to your attention – jean straps!

When first I heard of the Jean Straps phenomena, I thought it was a new designer (French accent, Jean Strapes), but then I realised it was something far, far better. Stirrups, for lack of a better word, which you simply clip around your calf, holding you jeans taut and tight beneath your boots. In short – no more bunching! What’s more, they’re under a tenner to buy, yet will save you hours of faffing and years you’d otherwise lose to stress! Totally simple, totally effective and totally discrete. Perfect.

I support the jean straps movement 100%. Find them here, at Jean Straps.

In the last post my male-only panel admitted that they found pointed-shoes either an intimidating display from self-interested women, or a sad attempt to fit into a pre-conceived idea of what looks “good” by women desperate to be liked. Today we find out what they thought of women wearing boots.

Be they sexy stiletto-heeled designer pieces or hard-rocking goth-extravaganzas, boots tend can be very attention-grabbing and statement-making. Hence my panel of men said they considered boot-wearers to be confident, hard to intimidate and secure in their style. I would like to add to this that, conversely, boot-wearing women may actually be shy, easily-intimidated people that are trying to look confident by drawing attention to themselves. Whichever is the case, wearing boots does take at least a small leap of faith that unifies boot-wearers as brave people; people that aren’t afraid to be different, aren’t afraid to draw attention to themselves and aren’t afraid to fall and break their heels!

The general reaction to boots was a positive one from my testosterone-fueled panel who agreed (almost to a man) that most boots are sexy, attention grabbing and – interestingly – that they suggest a women is probably single! When I pursued this point it transpired that the guys considered that women who wear boots “are doing it to look attractive to men”, hence it is more likely that they are single.

So boots was a big thumbs up! I do wonder what they’d say to pointed-toed boots…maybe I’ll ask them in future weeks, but next time we look at sandals, flip-flops and trainers in this guide to What Do Your Designer Shoes Say About You?

Boots cover the foot and the ankle, sometimes extending to the knee or even the hip. In the majority of cases, the heel of the boot can be distinguished from the sole, even when the two are made of the same piece of material. Although they were traditionally made of leather or rubber, boots are now made from a wide variety of materials – depending on the intended function. Hardy boots, designed to withstand the elements, are commonly still made of leather or rubber and are created in a single closely-stitched design to prevent the entry of water, snow, mud or dirt. Although often insulated, most boots are not waterproof and require special treatment to prevent the entry of water.

Fashionable boots commonly come with tapered, high or stiletto heels as well as platform soles, pointed toes and zippers. Long bootleg designs are growing in popularity at the moment and commonly have a loop or tab at the back, to provide greater leverage for putting the boots on. Another popular alternative is to have long zippers up the side of the boot, allowing the wearing to get the boot on easily before zipping it closed around their leg.

Until the end of the Victorian period, men wore nothing but boots in the daytime- leaving shoes for women. Nowadays, although work boots may be made of tough leather with thick rubber soles and steel toecaps; dress boots are available for men as a stylish alternative to evening shoes at formal occasions.

The range of boot styles is far too vast to even scratch the its surface in this post, so look out for future posts about specific types of boots!