Boots: They Rock My Footwear World

The other night I was hanging out in my dressing room with Cheapy, Cheapy Jr. and the cat--who, by the way, recently again peed on my gym bag. We were chatting and playing with dump trucks and pennies and having a good ol' family time. Then Cheapy got some miserly wild hair and he took inventory of all the boots in my closet. He counted 19 pairs. (He missed my snow boots and the two pairs of Uggs I only wear to yoga class.) Then he needed a Scotch.

I don't think that's excessive. Cheapy did. But here's the thing. I don't really like shoes. Stop laughing. What I mean is I don't like pumps and flats and things that aren't boots, sandals or slingbacks. Normal sort of shoes never seem to fit me correctly. I get blisters. It's generally not good. There are exceptions, of course. I love my green Camper pumps which are comfy enough to walk around New York in. And I've just about worn in a pair of cute bronze metallic flats I got a few winters ago. (In theory flats should be more comfy than heels. I find that's not generally the case. They ouch me up just about every time.)

But boots...Boots rock. Boots are cool. Boots are chic. Boots are tough. Boots are feminine. Boots are utilitarian. Boot go with everything. I wear them in summer, winter, spring and fall. I wear them with dresses, skirts, jeans and shorts. I wear them casual; I wear them dressy.

Twenty-two pairs of boots is not that many, really. I have five pairs of rain boots--tall, short, mid-calf and crazy-wellies. I have the aforementioned snow boots and Uggs. I have tall brown and tall black. I have a few pairs of ankle boots. I have flat boot, mid-heel boots, and high-heel boots. I have a weird hot pink suede pair I got in Paris while high on cheese (maybe I'll wear those this week). I've got pink lace up Timberlands that are good for any weather and any day when I want to have a footwear conversation with everyone who walks by. I have the magic Stuart Weitzman pair that get better every time I wear them.

What Cheapy doesn't understand it that one pair of boots does not go with every outfit. He forgets that Material Girl is a Girl and doesn't wear a button down shirt and khakis every day (oh the horror!). A Girl needs a boot wardrobe just as a girl needs a clothing wardrobe.

I'm currently coveting this pair of Frye Mildred Engineer boots in sapphire. Who has boots that color? That's fabulous. (I'd like to branch out beyond black, brown and pink. I want sapphire and cognac and merlot and olive green and a nice warm gray--maybe even something metallic.) My discretionary fund is spoken for with these beauties that are together tough and girly. Engineer boots with heels? That's brilliant!

The cat also recently peed in Cheapy's shoe closet, home of approximately 17 pairs of boring guy shoes, now stinkier than normal.