FINAL TOUCH: A RUGGED REP

Boots. Has another style of footwear undergone a bigger metamorphosis in recent memory? Think about it. Boots used to be relegated to the task-oriented apparel bin. They had specific functions and were expected to stick to them, without fanfare, like the good, pragmatic workhorses that they were. Keep feet warm and dry; slog through inhospitable terrain; protect toes from construction site debris; help cowboys ride horses––you know, boots.

It seems somewhere along the way, however, boots decided to break free from their utilitarian roles and live it up a little. “We can be fashionable too!,” boots declared. Well, spoiler alert: boots have been doing pretty well ever since. Oh sure, they’re still there for us when we have rugged tasks in mind. (Icy sidewalks? Who are you going to call: loafers? Nope.)

But boots, ICYMI, now throw down with the best of them in the style department. Dig around a bit––there are models of brogue boots, chelsea boots, chukka boots, combat boots, desert boots, and lace-up boots that you can pull off at the office, and on the town, with jeans, and with casual suits (true story). Bottom line: boots can––nay, should––be an integral part of your wardrobe. Call it the new urban reality.