A classic winter essential but as favourably residing in the greater all weather rendition as well, boots are the type of footwear that is a must indeed in every fashion wardrobe. The very basis of their style is predominantly rested on the requirements in functioning which makes them even more essential features in every consideration of dressing. Attending as well to each of these specifics in fashion and flair and functionability would be many different styles and designs of boots that differ across some aspects of their collective identity. Exploring 8 specific types of boots in all their essentialness and expressiveness-
Chelsea boots
With an origin rooted in the Victorian era and finding particular popularity in the posh area of Chelsea in London, the Chelsea boots have been harbouring a very English flair. An elastic side panel determines essentially the identity of this close fitting style of ankle-high boots. Equally classic is the presence of a tab of fabric on the back of the shoe, for the convenience of wearing. Convenient indeed would be the entire narrative through which Chelsea boots came to be, the elasticised interpretation of footwear facilitating the slipping into and out of them.
Very essentially Victorian is the character of the Chelsea style of boots, with their designing attributed to the Queen’s shoemaker Joseph Sparkes Hall. They quickly became popular a fashion statement sported by men and women alike. The modern day relevance of this style of the boots is no any less fashionable, asserting as classy a dynamic upon that spectrum. Functional still as well are Chelsea boots that happen to be both veteran and versatile an element of iconic almost status in the widely explored dimensions of their construct.
Jodhpur boots
The name of this style of the boot might seem to present an Indianised version of thuniversally treaded in footwear that boots are. But despite the fact that this type did indeed originate from the Rajasthani city of Jodhpur, there isn’t any particularly desi design element to it. In fact the reason why they are so named is very curiously attributed to their inextricable association with another fashion identity which though is very much Indian indeed.
Jodhpur boots are so called because they are typically worn with Jodhpur pants and stem also in that same arena of being part of the riding ensemble. Today though, the Jodhpur style of boots bear close resemblance with Chelsea boots in their modern interpretation. The look of them though is very prominent, with Jodhpurs necessarily asserting in a strap and a buckle bearing. Even when this might not be a feature in their fastening, the strap would still exist without necessarily wrapping around the ankle. A 1920s design and one first sported by local polo riders, the Jodhpur boot soon found popularity in the style choices of the Western world.
Beatle boots
A namesake again, deriving this time upon the global musicalness of the Beatles, this style in wearing the boots has found popularity since the 1960s. They though had been worn since at least a couple of years earlier but finding greater representation with the iconic band’s special interest thrust upon this particular form of its wearing.
Yet again a variant of the Chelsea, Beatle boots emerge as tight-fitting, ankle high makes in a Cuban heel and pointed toe description. A centre seam stitch running from ankle to toe also presents as equally evident a feature of the style. Prominently sported by many a rock bands and artists of the decade of the 1960s, the style has since seen alternating periods of popularity. They happen to be much trendy in the current times and are particularly seen as the premise for high heeled footwear to find favor as a modern day style sensibility even of the male attending.
Go-go boots
Quite unusual a name in seeming, go-go boots do not though allude to the ‘going’ functioning of their kind. The draw instead would be upon the French expression à gogo, meaning “in abundance, galore”, even as the more acceptable theory stems as the boot style taking after the eponymous dance style. Asserting as a low-heeled style of women’s boot most specifically intended for fashion serving, the first working of such identity assumed a white, low heeled vision through its mid calf span of height. These particular set of attributes happened to be an exclusive determinant of the firstest makes of the go-go boot supposedly created by French designer André Coeurrèges.
The evolution and ‘extension’ of the go-go boot though has been expanding the dimensions of its very defining. White of course isn’t the only color that this style encompasses as part of its occurring, and so wouldn’t be the original length as well. Equally stylish even in their knee high reach while allowing also for fashion to flow through many a variations of the heel itself, the go-go heel is a popular culture style reference that has withstood indeed the test of time.
Chukka boots
The game of polo is yet again creating of a separate style of boots, with the chukka period of its play eking out special identity for what is a late 1940s stemming. Residing in a leather distinction of its make, in the uppers as well as the soles, the chukka strikes as a prominently manly pick in wearing. They generally reach up to the ankle and are evident in their open lacing and two or three pair of eyelets.
An eternal favorite, that defies the specific demand of what the typical boot season might entail while also faring as greatly in their pairing with both casuals and formals, chukka boots have retained their features of characteristic identification. Simple indeed in their look but stylish still, the chukka is one classic style of the boots that appeals also to the female fashion flair over and above the measure of its manly beginnings.
Wellington boots
The Wellington style of boots is one such assertion of the footwear that is intriguing indeed. Their look itself is one of distinction but it also is the innate nature of how this type has seen itself morphing over time that makes the style strike as different. Starting out from upon a rather evident aristocratic expanse, even taking that name from their popular wearing by the 1st Duke of Wellington, these have been a development upon the Hessian identity. The 19th century character of its first make ensued as soft calfskin constructs of a close fit. The heels were kept low cut and the boots itself would be of a mid calf height that suited essentially well the sturdy requirements of the high class pursuit in horse riding.
However, this custom curated desicgn also took care of the as essential status in style manifesting Wellington boots as smaart modes of stepping into the informal events of the evening. In fact so frilly in its fashion consciousness would the Wellington boot be that it became the standard indeed to sport by the dandies of that time. Cut to the more current, even when considerably continuing identity of this design as rubber makes of exclusively heavy-duty serving in workability and Wellington boots cannot really claim for themselves that dimension of distinction. They continue to be popular though as utilitarian elements in all durability and convenience of their waterproof, and scouted out thus in this segment of their reputation as helping avoid especially many a discomforts of the weather.
Balmoral boots
The most ‘conventional’ way in describing the Balmoral style of boots has it assuming form as being a bootied representation of Oxford shoes. Undoubtedly then, this style of wearing arises as a sophisticated classification upon the realm of confident strutting about by men essentially. The present day fashion appeal of this type works favorably for women as well even in its prominently opposite gendered origins. A necessary presence within the close laced identity of Oxfords is this low heeled hinging upon the Victorian distinction yet again, associated as it is with personal style preferences of the Queen’s consort himself.
Prince Albert’s demand for style to find functional expression is what led the pair of Baltimore boots to come to be. The Scottish estate Balmoral that the couple would acquire for their own would be the grounds of its ‘christening’. Noted in its asymmetric, curved sole and a waterproofed essence, the Baltimore boot would even be the Queen’s choice of walking the Balmoral grounds. And thus would accrue to this make of the boots an ungendered identity even as the walking necessity of its eking too would go on to tread the dressier dimension such that they dominated indeed the style choices of the period.
Moc Toe Boots
A curious dimension of the boot classification, since the alluding avails more out of its design despite its essence steeped more in functionality, would be the Moc Toe boot. The moc identity is one derived from the moccasin style of stitching that is worked upon the toe box area. But even when the premise of this construct in generally contrasting colors of asserting strikes as a very conscious mode of styling, the truth of the matter is that moc toe boots still manifest themselves essentially as work boots.
Of course the stitch itself can be employed as a decorative element in considerations of fashion and style. But back when it emerged in 1952, it was intended to be worn by sportsmen. The attributes that entailed though out of this curation as durable and comfortable and flexible made the moc boot style also a a favorite of farm and factory workers.
The relevance of their appeal in the modern day manifests as them being versatile choices in functional fashion, as one can amble along indeed the entire duration of their day in these definitely distinctive boots. Statement making indeed in their style, moc toe boots easily crossover across the realms of both work and fashion.
