male monday: bridging the gap in boots

image via the new york times

my friend J is on the perennial (not to mention unenviable) quest for the perfect pair of what he calls "man boots." now, you might be thinking, "unenviable? why? searching for the quintessential pair of boots sounds like fun!" to which I would agree. but, I'm female.

typically, men's boots don't mess around. they're made for the snow, the backcountry, construction sites or the ranch. but the office? or happy hour? not so much. 

lucky for guys, though, designers are realizing that more men want boots that can be worn to work or for a night out – that is to say, more men are looking for style-conscious boots as a fashionable alternative to the traditional dress shoe.

this story by david colman in last week's new york times explains why that is, and how it's panning out for designers, customers and shoe sellers. this is my favorite part of the story (it made chuckle!):

"until recently, [style-conscious] boots were not easy to track down. historically, the kind of work that calls for boots is manly, outdoorsy stuff: loggin’, weldin’ and ropin.’ less manly work (typin’, conference-callin’ and lunchin’) has been the province of the dress shoe."

typin', conference-callin' and lunchin'! hee, hee.

anyway, I'm curious to see where this new world of men's boots will lead. it's exciting to think that the typical guy's boot – something once considered clumsy, industrial and function-specific – is transforming into something more refined, graceful and universally appealing.

my friend J, for one, will be thrilled...