The Route to the Right Boot

The Route to the Right Boot

Reine Gammo

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly As the winter season approaches, boots are already coming out of the closet. Even though I think it is slightly early to be wearing them, some boots I’ve seen need not be worn in any season, at any time. Here are some of the boots that are good, some that are bad and some that are just plain ugly.

The Good - Knee High Leather Boots A good pair of knee high leather boots can go with everything. Leather is better than synthetic materials as it will not make your feet sweat and yet will retain heat and keep your feet warm. They will also be easier to clean and will last longer than any other material. Knee length is very flattering as it can elongate your appearance as well as enhance certain outfits. For example, they look great with coats that cut off slightly above the knee. Photo: overstock.com

Leather Alternative However, for the people who are against leather, you can try pleather (short for plastic leather). But make sure it has a supple texture as well as an authentic look. Some pleather boots look a little too much like plastic: mainly, the synthetic patent ones. These will go on the bad list! Photo: www.alternativeoutfitters.com< /i>

The Good - Suede Boots Suede is a great looking material. It looks especially good in brown shades, like dark brown, cognac and tan. Suede is tricky however, because some suede boots are not made for extreme winter. Suede doesn’t handle snow well. It becomes discoloured and the material starts fading and loses its soft texture and smooth appearance. Also, some of these boots were not made to keep your feet warm; they were primarily made to look good. So be wary of that when you’re shopping for new boots. If you want them for everyday use in wintertime, you might want to avoid suede and go for leather. Photo: Zappos.com

The Good - Detailed Design To add spice to your boots, a nice detailed design can go a long way. You can be wearing the most mundane outfit and these boots would spice it up. These designs vary from buckles to studs to ribbons and detailed stitching. However, avoid boots that are trying too hard. For example, don’t get boots that have more than one kind of design on them, because that will make the boots look too cluttered and would also be hard to match with outfits without looking like you’re clashing. Photo: Marc Jacobs

The Good - The Colour of the Season Purple is the new black this season. Purple boots can add spice to a lot of your outfits; just make sure it’s the right shade. A dark purple on slouchy, mid-calf suede boots is a great addition to your shoe collection this season. Photo: Zappos.com

The Bad - Rubber Fishing Boots The fascination with these boots still eludes me. The only reason to wear them is if you’re going fishing or maybe looking for worms in a muddy swamp. What makes them even worse is that they come in colours that are too bright for winter as well as patterns that are completely hideous and don’t match anything else. So I repeat, unless you’re a fisherman (or fisherwoman), I advise you to stay away from these boots. Photo: www.palm-intl.com

The Bad - UGGs I can’t seem to stress this enough: UGGs are a disgrace to fashion. I have been at the receiving end of many rants about how comfortable and warm they are, but there are better alternatives to these atrocious sins of fashion. They do not look good, they do not look dressy and they do not match everything. They creep up everywhere and are matched with everything from short mini-skirts to leggings. I’ve actually witnessed them being worn during the scorching days of summer and my question is: WHY? They are an old fad that should have died out by now, so if you still own a pair, I suggest putting them out of their misery and hiding them in the dark corners of your closet.

The Ugly - Furry Boots I think there is something profoundly wrong if you can wear these without minding that you look like you have dead animals on your feet. These boots look especially hideous when they get dirty in winter with the dirty snow. If you want to wear these, you might want to move to the North Pole where you can blend right in with the furry animals. What could be worse than furry boots? Pink (and other similarly hideously coloured) furry boots! So if you see them in a store, call PETA and run away. Photo: www.kaboodle.com

The Ugly - Florescent Colours Yes, they do exist. I find it hard to believe that someone could actually design something like this, but it has been done. Florescent shoes should not exist, let alone in wintertime. The winter is about dimmed colours. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t wear colours, just as long as you don’t glow along with the snow. Be aware of which colours are good for each season and which colours need not be worn in any season. Photo: blog.theshoegoddess.com

Time to Reboot To get you started on the right path to the right pair of boots, keep these three simple things in mind the next time you go shopping for new boots: comfort, warmth and practicality…and, of course, stylish to boot.