Ditch the Chucks and strap on the boots. These boots are no longer just for trucking around in the mud.
Boots that were once used purely for functionality at work are now considered a fashion must for men’s footwear.
Not everyone is converted, and the boot fad still has some skeptics. However, for many others, boots are an everyday accessory.
Houston Tanner, a senior majoring in microbiology, is an example of a boot skeptic.
“I think there’s a couple of reasons to wear boots,” Tanner said. “First off, you got cowboy figure boots … and the other boots are for girls.”
Like many others, Tanner sticks with sneakers as his everyday shoe choice. He may feel that boots are only for cowboys working on the farm, but other men disagree with this opinion.
Kev Nemelka, a senior majoring in art history and curatorial studies, explained his personal style.
“If I’m wearing boots, I try to go Goth or forester/Cabelas style, depending on what I’m wearing,” Nemelka said. “I don’t like tucking my jeans into my boots. I usually just peg or cuff. Dr. Marten boots are my favorites — they’re the most utilitarian, and everyone can pull them off.”
As fashionably acceptable as these boots may be, they aren’t the most comfortable to wear. Some complain that they suffer for their fashion.
“I also always keep a pair of Birkenstocks in my library locker so I don’t have to clod around in boots all day,” Nemelka said. “It’s rather obnoxious.”
Nicholas Rust works at the Macy’s men’s shoe department in the Provo University Mall and sees countless numbers of men purchasing boots.
As far as style goes, Rust explained that a popular brand is currently Steve Madden. The brand offers very trendy looks with a European inspiration. Men are becoming more and more concerned about the style of their boot.
Danny Gessel, a junior majoring in physiology and developmental biology, is an avid boot wearer.
“There’s a feeling that accompanies boot wearing,” Gessel said. “It’s a feeling of class—yet rugged at the same time. Boots can be very versatile. I’ll wear them to nice occasions and to hike in the woods. I think the trend of boot wearing is spreading quickly across campus, and I kind of like it because men just plain look good in boots.”
