Walk It Out (Part II)
“These Boots Were Made for Walking…”
We are back with Entry number #2 of shoes. If you missed last week’s entry, we discussed formal men’s shoes, the different types of formal shoes, and ways to pair them with different fits to change the look. It’s definitely a great way to use shoes that are already in your closet to change your current look for the low.
Anyway, this week we are talking boots. Now I’m not talking about Red Wing steel toes or the kind you put on to go hiking. I’m talking about something a bit more fashionable. Per last week's entry, we need to discuss a couple of things before we get started
Rule #1 of fashion: Everything ain’t for everybody. Just because you see it working for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you.
Fashion is about self-expression. If you like it and it’s who you are then rock that shxt!
Alright. Now that we have that covered let’s first get into the 5 primary categories of boots.
Dress Boots
Dress boots are basically the high-top version of formal shoes. They come in the same categories as the laced formal shoes (oxfords, derbys). I have seen monk strap formal boots that are also very stylish. These boots are the type that are designed to be worn with formal attire (basically anything lower than black tie) which is part of the reason they have a polished refined look and are often made of high-grade materials. They are often built with leather soles, which means they are easy to take to a cobbler and resole, leading to a bunch longer shelf life.
Casual Boot
Casual Boots often have a similar silhouette to formal boots but are typically made of less formal materials. The dead giveaway for these is the rubber or plastic grip bottom they have. They almost never have the same detailing you’ll often find in formal boots (such as broguing) They are great all-around/any situation types shoes, but we’ll get to the different ways to add them to an ensemble a bit later.
Chelsea Boots
Colloquially known as “brunch boots”. These boots are almost always come in a laceless, slide style. Unlike the previous two boot categories, these usually come in a wide variety of materials. From leather to suede, to velvet, to canvas. Because of the many material options they often come in a bunch of different colors which adds flexibility that the previous options don’t bring.
Chukkas
Chukkas are another casual type of boot. Similar to the Chelsea boot, these boots come in many materials and thus come in many different color options. The laces add a different flavor than the Chelsea boot. They’ve become much more popular in the last 5 years or so.
Work Boots
“Work Boots” aren’t real work boots. Wearing these boots on a construction site is going to get your feet effed up. They are called that because they often replicate the work boot look. These boots are a multi-material type of shoe they are a bit less flexible from a fashion standpoint. However they still definitely have their place in certain looks and can turn an ensemble from mediocre to amazing.
Okay, so we’ve identified all the boot types How do they best fit with your fits? Let’s get one quick rule out of the way first.
Unless you’re from New York, boots with shorts ain’t stylish.
If you’re wearing a tank top do not wear boots.
It’s going to be a ‘No’ for me Dawg.
Starting from the bottom to the top, we’ll start with the work boot. In my opinion, work style boots only really work with denim and maybe some fitted color khakis. The bigger question is over the boot or in it?
I personally prefer either boots rolled up or tucked in. The mid and upper of the boot is too nice looking to be hidden under the denim. I think there are times that it’s nice to have the jeans over the boot depending on the look.
Chukkas are great flex shoes, they work well with almost anything that is not really formal, you can rock them with almost everything (not shorts) except formal clothes.
Chelsea boots and casual boots are a bit different they can be dressed up or down, but just about any fit works with these. Whatever you’re wearing if there are pants involved just add some chelsea or casual boots to jazz it up.
Finally, formal boots are the ultimate all-purpose boot. They work with anything you wear except for probably cargo pants. If you wear those stay away from the cargo pants.
So that concludes our bit on boots. There are many types of boots beyond the ones we covered here but these are the big 5 categories that 90% of boots fall into. Boots are most often worn in the fall and winter seasons, but I’ve seen them work with spring and summer fits (especially with things like plaid). It’s all about creating your own style though.
- Rob Immortal