Which boots?
Folks, I’m having a dilemma. I can’t decide on new work boots. Here are some options.
The first option is these cowhand-type boots. Ariat Fatbabies. They’re made for working on farms and riding horses and whatnot. Very comfortable with a nice wide shaft. They're kind of cute, right? Also kind of funny. Normally I would only wear western wear if it was thrifted, and only in a kind of ironic way. But I don’t think anyone here would recognize it as ironic – I’m not cool enough anymore (was I ever?), and they're new, not old and funky. People would just assume I had animals or something. Would I be compromising the last remaining shreds of my so-called coolness? Or transcending it? Oh – who cares. I might as well admit they’re my first choice. But I could still be convinced otherwise.
Second option is these Harley boots that are made for riding motorcycles. I've always wanted a pair of these, but are they really what I need right now? I’m afraid they might be too heavy, and I don’t know if I like the heel for working in. It looks like it might hold a lot of mud, goat shit, etc. On the other hand, maybe they’re more sturdy than the cowboy ones? I also like the harness, and the little bit of extra height. These also come in brown.
Third option, another kind of Harley boot, in brown or black. I had a pair of Frye boots just like these, but taller, for about 15 years but I finally had to get rid of them because no matter how much I wore them (I even wore them riding horses for a year!) they just never got comfortable. Possibly they were just the wrong size – the shaft was too tall and they were too tight across the toes. But I always loved the way they look. So maybe these shorties would work? Or are they too long in the toe?
Help me choose! Price is not a consideration, because they’re all within about fifty bucks of each other and that’s not a huge difference to me when it comes to a pair of boots I’m probably going to end up owning for the next five to six hundred years. Also, they will be worn with all kinds of outfits – jeans, dresses, pajamas, opera glasses – and for many various kinds of activities, including but by no means limited to beekeeping, studio building, hole digging, goat wrangling, sheep inoculating, firewood chopping and stacking, dump running, bicycle and possibly motorcycle riding, dancing, shopping and napping.
I’ve decided that as an austerity and expression of non-greedy livin’ I am only going to get one pair of boots this year. So that rules out getting the cowboy boots in brown, say, and the harness boots in black (what is the harness for, anyway? or is it just decorative?). Also, just FYI, I’ve decided against the Blundstones again, because I need something with a little higher top. I don't need a steel toe. Also, there must be no laces, fringes, flaps or other complicated structures that can get grass and burrs caught in them, and mud. Because they are, after all, actual working boots, for working in. Not a fashion statement. At least not entirely.
I know this is a solemn and weighty decision, but I have complete confidence that with help from my friends I will be able to make an excellent choice.
The first option is these cowhand-type boots. Ariat Fatbabies. They’re made for working on farms and riding horses and whatnot. Very comfortable with a nice wide shaft. They're kind of cute, right? Also kind of funny. Normally I would only wear western wear if it was thrifted, and only in a kind of ironic way. But I don’t think anyone here would recognize it as ironic – I’m not cool enough anymore (was I ever?), and they're new, not old and funky. People would just assume I had animals or something. Would I be compromising the last remaining shreds of my so-called coolness? Or transcending it? Oh – who cares. I might as well admit they’re my first choice. But I could still be convinced otherwise.
Second option is these Harley boots that are made for riding motorcycles. I've always wanted a pair of these, but are they really what I need right now? I’m afraid they might be too heavy, and I don’t know if I like the heel for working in. It looks like it might hold a lot of mud, goat shit, etc. On the other hand, maybe they’re more sturdy than the cowboy ones? I also like the harness, and the little bit of extra height. These also come in brown.
Third option, another kind of Harley boot, in brown or black. I had a pair of Frye boots just like these, but taller, for about 15 years but I finally had to get rid of them because no matter how much I wore them (I even wore them riding horses for a year!) they just never got comfortable. Possibly they were just the wrong size – the shaft was too tall and they were too tight across the toes. But I always loved the way they look. So maybe these shorties would work? Or are they too long in the toe?Help me choose! Price is not a consideration, because they’re all within about fifty bucks of each other and that’s not a huge difference to me when it comes to a pair of boots I’m probably going to end up owning for the next five to six hundred years. Also, they will be worn with all kinds of outfits – jeans, dresses, pajamas, opera glasses – and for many various kinds of activities, including but by no means limited to beekeeping, studio building, hole digging, goat wrangling, sheep inoculating, firewood chopping and stacking, dump running, bicycle and possibly motorcycle riding, dancing, shopping and napping.
I’ve decided that as an austerity and expression of non-greedy livin’ I am only going to get one pair of boots this year. So that rules out getting the cowboy boots in brown, say, and the harness boots in black (what is the harness for, anyway? or is it just decorative?). Also, just FYI, I’ve decided against the Blundstones again, because I need something with a little higher top. I don't need a steel toe. Also, there must be no laces, fringes, flaps or other complicated structures that can get grass and burrs caught in them, and mud. Because they are, after all, actual working boots, for working in. Not a fashion statement. At least not entirely.
I know this is a solemn and weighty decision, but I have complete confidence that with help from my friends I will be able to make an excellent choice.
5 Comments:
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Hmm, tough choice but if they are for WORKING then I'd say go with number one.
Take a look at Zappos. They have some cool styles.
Like:
http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/14929608/c/7898.html
or
http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/14929603/c/73935.html
Good luck.
B
Definitely #1! They're going to look great on you and be comfortable, and they'll still look good even when they're dusty and dirty and messed up.
Go with #1. Just think how fab they will look with your Depression dress and an apron!
Those Harley boots sound like they have a lot of drawbacks. You will regret getting a work boot that is too heavy and/or uncomfortable.
I share your philosophy about keeping footwear. I've just resolved to keep a pair of Birkenstock sandals until I die (50 years from now).
you know me--I always tend towards the harley aesthetic, but I agree with Roxanne, I think the others are just as fashionable and probably more practical AND comfortable.
They're also less cliche. Get the western boots!
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