The History of Boots

As the cold weather creeps in, it brings with it the season of the boot. Even though they technically had a summer moment with the chunky black boot trend, we can finally wear them without the irritation of sweaty feet. Boots have been a staple part of chilly weather fashion for most of our lives. We’ve worn them as babies, toddlers, teens, and adults, but where did boots even come from?

The earliest depiction of people wearing boots is in a cave painting found in Spain. Of course, they were not anything like the high heels or thigh highs you can find today, but as the song says, were “made for walking.” Boots were originally made as a form of protection and support for extreme weather conditions. As time progressed to the Renaissance era, thigh highs were making their mark, but not in the way we see today. They were actually only worn by men, as it was against the law for women to wear them. Women could only wear ankle boots and nothing higher than the calf. Due to height originally being associated with masculinity for Europeans, high-heeled boots were first made for men. It wasn’t until the late 1700s that boots with heels became marketed toward women. They found that high heels made their feet look smaller.

In the 1800s, the iconic cowboy boot was invented. Unlike the college gameday or line-dancing uses we see today, they were first created and worn for cowboys. They were made from the skin of all different types of animals (sorry vegans!), like buffalos, alligators, and cows.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, boots began to be used for modern use by men and fashion for women. Boots were worn for sports, hunting, in the military, or just day-to-day duties. At this time, the evolution of boots hadn’t seen any major changes. Of course, there were little shifts in designs here and there, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that a newly styled boot became an iconic part of fashion history. In 1964, the go-go boot, created by André Courrèges, made its appearance. Often paired with bright tights or maybe a glittery dance piece, the go-go boot set the standard for modern boot fashion. As time passed, the heel of the boot got higher and higher, leading to the ‘70s disco boot. The '70s were all about getting the highest heel possible. It’s not surprising that by the 80s and 90s, everyone ditched the aching feet for something a little lower. People either wanted low-block heels like Prince, slouched boots like Madonna, or grunge-type combat boots like Winona Ryder.

The early to mid-2000s was literally all about “boots with the fur”, from the timeless Ugg boot to Timberland fur boots. Boots were worn year-round at this time because fashion came first.

Thanks to the progression of time we now have endless options. People are now wearing boots from pretty much every time period. Whether it be Dr.Martens, Uggs, Timberland, or Hunter, there is a boot somewhere out there for anyone and everyone.

Strike Out,

Writer: Shari Ryant

Editor: Cristina Angee

Tallahassee

The End

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