Tread Lightly: Winter Boots

Okay, now that Hurricane Karl has been covered and I've finally run through my last bit of post-election stress disorder, let's talk about something that affects us all profoundly: winter boots. Everyone has piped in with their comments and predictions about the subject, and whether its Mukluks, moon boots or the still-ubiquitous Uggs, the consensus is winter footwear is heading in a decidedly comfortable, practical, almost rugged fashion. I have a theory that the footwear that shows up on the streets actually suggests and directs the rest of "fashion": I'm thinking of how cowboy boots were everywhere a few years or so ago and just this fall I'm seeing western shirts and a general Southwestern flavor to things in stores (and selling quite well on Ebay, judging from the amount of times that I get outbid on perfectly shrunken boy's plaid western shirts.) Or how 60s and 70s-inspired slouchy suede boots from last year seemed to precede the other relics from the era, such as ponchos. (Personally I've taken to wearing my beat-up riding boots around town, not only because I actually ride horses but because they are incredibly well-made and comfortable. And they look great with pea coats and herringbone blazers!)

Boots have taken on an outdoorsy, almost rustic air, and people seem to be veering from the ironic 80s aesthetic into a comforting, almost pastoral homespun feel rooted in the early 70s. (This in itself is highly ironic, considering the intensely urban milieus that such displays pop out of.) But what's next in the stylish boots saga? I personally am awaiting some sort of combat boot happening, no doubt from a subconscious desire to evoke the joys of my fast-receding adolescence and no doubt because a little punk energy would be welcome in the air of an uncertain political climate. (Not to mention that the schizo tendencies of fashion dictate that after a few seasons of one direction, we may sharply veer towards its dialectical opposite.) Deep in my basement, just waiting to get out, there's a pair of beat-up black leather army boots held together with duct tape, with "I OWE YOU NOTHING" scrawled on them. (I was a huge Fugazi fan in high school.) With any luck, they'll be showing up in a Marc by Marc Jacobs runway collection anytime soon.

Posted by Kat in Shopping
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