Over the course of the past two years, Husband Mike has picked up several pairs of truly awesome dude shoes, and we agreed that these purchases were worthy of a Manfashion Interlude. So prepare for some manly thoughts about manly footwear …
Mike’s beloved Montgomery Ward Work Boot, Circa 1980(Yes that is a VW hubcap on my face)
See these boots? I loved these boots. I got them for a dollar at a garage sale in the pouring rain. I didn’t even try them on; I just bought them. I feel very manly wearing boots. Something to do with the clomping, I think.
I had these boots for at least 5 years and they were about at the point where they needed to be resoled when The Ex started to nag me about getting rid of them.
She nagged me for a couple years and I finally relented and bought a new pair of boots that she liked. She talked me into throwing away the other boots. If I’d had a spine back then, I would have said, “I will wear these new boots more often, and this beat up pair can go into the closet for awhile, but it’s not your place to say when I throw out a pair of shoes.”
Would you ladies ever let your dudes tell you when to throw out a pair of shoes? Keep this in mind if you start to think about telling your guy to through things out. Anyway…
I spent years looking for a replacement pair of work boots. The soles never looked right. I went to every Sears and Chet’s Shoes around, and nothing came close to the awesomeness of my 1980’s Montgomery Ward work boot.
Recently I found these Timberland Chukkas
Timberland ChukkaThese shoes are great. Not too heavy but very sturdy, and still nice enough looking for a Saturday in public with Sally. (Seems that was the Ex’s problem with those boots I was tricked into getting rid of.) I’d wear these every day. I’d wear them with shorts, but I won’t since I feel a bit fashionably self-conscious about that. They cost over $100, but tax return money is free money. Plus, did you know you can search for coupons online and save yourself some money? Sally taught me this recently.
But can a person really only have one pair of boots? Yes. But I have more than one. Love them all.
Pair #2 are my John Fluevog Classic Shiny Leather Combat Boots.
God bless you, John Fluevog!These are my favorite. These are the ones I’ll be taking to Iceland with me since I know that I can walk in them for hours and hours without my feet getting tired. They are really heavy, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem for me. The rubber soles are gooey. That must be it.
These were not a tax return purchase, but I must have been flush at the time since I bought these boots with another pair of Fluevogs at the Downtown Chicago Fluevog store. It’s really an awesome store–the chairs are classic velvet movie theater chairs. The sales clerks all had tattoos. These boots were also a symbolic purchase since this was my first attempt of living in Sally’s world of quality and fashionable shoes.
Which do you like best? How many pairs of boots do you have? Come on! I told you how many I have. Would you or have you every asked your significant other to get rid of a pair of shoes?
Next? Motorcycle Boots.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
DH has a similar "searching for replacement favorite boots" story, but no one made him throw his out, he just didn't know boots could get new soles!
I always turn the laptop to him to read the Manfashion Interludes, and he'd like you to let HM know his Fluevog boots are cool.
I'd never make him get rid of anything except holey underwear and socks. I've rescued his favorite beaten-to-death flannel shirt from the trash about 4 times now. He tosses it whenever he catches my closet-purge bug or decides he needs to dress "like an adult". Without fail, every time, he laments throwing it out and I triumphantly produce it. You'd think he'd stop throwing it out by now!
I LOVE this! One of the things that initially attracted me to my boyfriend was his love and appreciation for shoes. He gets it when I find a really beautiful pair that has to come home with me.
Oh, HM, how I love your Fluevogs!
I don't interfere in my Husband M's closet and he doesn't interfere in mine. (He has graciously donated a bit of shelf space in his closet to me, though, because he has more.) I also only offer my opinions of his sartorial choices when expressly asked or if he has a giant stain or rip.
I would never interfere in my husband's closet. And we both have fabulous old Montgomery Ward hiking boots from the early 80's that we still dearly love. His favorite boots though are still his army boots, circa 1952. They have been resoled a couple of times and the leather needs extra care now, but they are still the best.
The Fluevog's are great! Sal's influence is a good thing…
My boyfriend owns this perfectly beastly lined addidas microfibre sweatshirt-thingy. Do I tell him to throw it out?
No, of course not. It spells comfort with a with a capital C for him. Plus I made a conscious decision not to interfere with his wardrobe unasked. How could I claim to love him as he is, if I did so.
I can see that both of your pairs of boots are stylish and I also think that one cannot have too many shoes – although chunky boots take up ever so much more space than a couple of ballerinas.
I affectionately refer to my husband as Mr. Imelda Marcos. He has more pairs of shoes than I do, and that includes at least five pairs of boots. I can't imagine throwing out anything of his, just out of respect. However, I did sorta leave out in the yard and weather (irreparably) an old (really yucky) wood cabinet table that his old girlfriend had given him — it wasn't a treasured keepsake by any means. It stores yard tools now. My bad.
i just finished a massive shoe organization project. I worked for 5 years in charge of the shoe department of a consignment/vintage store. During this time i bought a "few". When I am completely finished i will count the pairs. I am calling it the long count.
I am estimating about 30 pairs of boots right now.
This is not 30 pairs of boots that are worn out and i don't wear. This is 30 pairs of perfectly fitted, well maintained boots.
I am not sure if i should be ashamed or delighted. But i love them all.
o, yes no S.O (coincidence? or do the shoes love me back more?), but would never and have never asked one to get rid of shoes or clothes. Their business not mine. I have got them shoes that I felt they would like, and i would like to coax them over to "my side".
I guess if they smelled bad i would make some one get rid of shoes or boots, but that is it.
My husband has two pairs of boots, and about 10 pairs of dressy shoes (he's more of a dressy shoe guy).
No, I don't make him throw out his shoes – we "archive" them and put them in another closet for a year or so, then we both look at our archived items (clothes as well) and decide what we really want to keep and what can go. It works well for us.
My husband has a pair of old, ratty Converse. He's had them since high school. They've traveled across the country and around the world with him. They are no longer really wearable as shoes: the toe caps and soles have detached from the canvas upper. I cannot, though, possibly conceive of asking him to throw them out – he has a longer-standing relationship with those disreputable old shoes than he does with me. However, he has graciously agreed to grant them a well-deserved retirement, lurking under his dresser, in favor of a pair of Army-issue jungle boots, a rather spiff pair of Doc Martins moccasin-toe ankle boots, and Merrel hikers. I shall get him into 'Vogs one day, though…
I'm glad to see so many of you would never ask an S.O. to throw out something as personal and relationshipful as a beloved pair of shoes. They're with you every step of the way, you know!
You all sound like very nice women.
-HM
I would NEVER make Mark get rid of something he loved, no matter what I might think of it. I did, however, help him cull the vast collection of nearly-identical sneakers he had when I met him, but only at his request.
I'd tell you how many pairs of boots I own, but I've lost count.