c



An engineer boot

c

are associated with motorcycle riders and range from above ankle to below knee boots They
have an outside of a typical boot but a low heel to control the motorcycle. To improve motorcycle safety,
motorcycle boots are generally made from a thick, heavy leather and may include energy absorbing and load
spreading padding, metal, plastic and/or composite materials to protect the motorcycle rider's feet, ankles and
legs in an accident. For use in wet weather, some boots have a waterproof membrane lining such as Gore-Tex or
Sympatex.

a 



A racing boot
Similar to touring boots, racing boots are designed for riding a motorcycle on hard pavement (either the street or
a race track) and are usually between 10 and 14 inches in height and made from a combination of leather, metal,
plastic and/or man-made composite materials to create a form-fitting, but comfortable boot. The amount of
armored protection provided by racing boots is usually greater than touring boots due to the increased potential
for injury at the high speeds needed for racing.

Depending upon how form-fitting the boot is, to allow a rider to easily get the boot on or off, the shaft may be
designed to open lengthwise. If so, Velcro is typically used on the inner sides of the opening to allow the rider
to close the boot over the foot, ankle and leg. This allows for some flexibility for the rider to control the boot's
tightness. Some manufacturers also include an internal quick-lacing system between a soft inner leg and the
harder outer shell of the boot shaft to further ensure a tight, but comfortable fit. The heel of a racing boot is
typically very low: not more than 1/2-inch, and sole of the heel and foot is typically rather smooth. A curved
plastic or composite plate may be included to cover the shin of the boot to protect the rider's shin.

The most common color of racing boots is black, but other colors such as white, red, blue, yellow and green
may be combined with black or each other in some fashion. Typical street riders may prefer all black, but racers
may opt for a color combination that matches the rest of their motorcycle leathers, helmet and/or motorcycle.

á 





Touring boots by AXO

Similar to racing boots,



are designed specifically for riding a motorcycle on hard pavement, but
with less armored protection than racing boots since they are intended for riders that typically ride on city
streets and highways, not race tracks. They are usually between 10 and 14 inches in height and made from a
combination of leather, metal, hard rubber, plastic and/or man-made fabrics to create a form-fitting, but
comfortable boot.

Depending upon how form-fitting the boot is, to allow a rider to easily get the boot on or off, the shaft may be
designed to open lengthwise. If so, velcro is typically used on the inner sides of the opening to allow the rider to
close the boot over the foot, ankle and leg. This allows for some flexibility for the rider to control the boot's
tightness. Some manufacturers also include an internal quick-lacing system between a soft inner leg and the
harder outer shell of the boot shaft to further ensure a tight, but comfortable fit. The heel of a touring boot is
typically very low: not more than 1/2-inch, and sole of the heel and foot is typically rather smooth.

Unlike racing boots that are available in a wide variety of bright colors, touring boots are typically only black.

c
 

Motocross boots are designed specifically for off-road, motocross (MX) or all-terrain vehicle riding. To help
prevent a rider's feet and legs from being injured, motocross boots are typically much more stiff than regular
motorcycle boots or racing boots, but are more flexible than ski boots by comparison.
A motocross boot.

Modern motocross boots are usually nearly knee-high (about 16 inches in height) and made from a combination
of leather, metal, plastic and/or man-made composite materials to create a very form-fitting, comfortable and
tight boot. To allow a rider to easily get the boot on or off, the shaft of a motocross boot is designed to open
lengthwise. Multiple adjustable straps (usually 4 to 5) are deployed along the foot, ankle and shaft of the boot to
allow the rider to tighten the boot to his/her preferences and comfort. Some manufacturers also include an
internal quick-lacing system between a soft inner leg and the outer harder shell of the boot shaft to further
ensure a tight, but comfortable fit. To protect the leading edge of the boot sole against rough terrain, a metal
plate is usually screwed in place. The heel of a motocross boot is typically very low: not more than 1/2-inch. A
curved plastic or composite plate covers the shin of the boot to protect the rider from debris that may be thrown
from the front wheel of the motorcycle.

The most common colors of motocross boots are black or white, but other colors such as red, blue, yellow and
green (possibly combined with black or white) are also available. Trick riders often opt to wear white boots as
they are more most readily visible.

ë 


Motorcycle cop boots are designed specifically to be worn by motorcycle cops. Very similar to riding boots,
motorcycle cop boots are typically knee-high (between 18 and 21 inches in height), the foot and shaft are made
from black, smooth-grained, high-gloss leather and the low-heeled sole is made from hard rubber. The boots are
typically form-fitting and intended to be worn over breeches or jodhpurs as part of the motorcycle officer's
uniform.

Many motor officers[who?^ consider the gold standard boot to be made by the Dehner Company of Omaha,
Nebraska. They have been manufacturing shoes and boots since 1875. Their Bal-Laced Boot is the most
archetypal Motorcycle Cop Boot, and was the style worn by the motor officers in the popular TV show CHiPS.

ÿ


c
 
 

oo 

ÿngineer boots are a long-established style of boots used by people in a number of occupations in addition to
motorcyclists.
è  


Wesco Harness Boots

Harness boots are very similar to engineer boots. The boots are most often made of heavy weight leather and
range in height from short (10 inches) to extra high (38 inches). The most typical height is between 10 and
18 inches. The most common color is black, but brown harness boots are also made.

Harness boots are designed to protect the motorcycle rider from the heat of the exhaust pipes and the engine
block and from injury to the foot and leg in the case of an accident while riding and may include a built-in steel
toe cap and metal shank in the heel. Whereas engineer boots have a rounded toe, harness boots typically have a
square toe. Unlike engineer boots that have an adjustable leather strap across the ankle, harness boots have a
non-adjustable system of four leather straps and two metal rings: one strap goes across the top of the foot at the
ankle, one strap wraps around the rear of the foot at the ankle and two more straps rise from sole on either side
ankle. The four straps are held in place by the two metal rings that are located on either side of the ankle.
Typically, these boots possess a pair of pull-straps on either side of the tops of the shafts. Some manufacturers
replace these straps with an adjustable leather strap located on the outside top of the shafts, similar to engineer
boots. Soles and heels are usually made of hard rubber and may either be relatively flat or may have lugs for
increased traction.

Harness boots were originally modeled on the square toed boots prevalent in the 19th century, including those
worn by American Civil War soldiers. Leather straps and rings were added to this style in the 1960s, creating
the modern version of the harness boot, which quickly became a classic. Harness boots are popular among
riders of Harley-Davidson and other motorcycles, among members of the heavy metal scene, and in the leather
subculture.
 [hide^[hide^`J0J J0J
 
Brogues 0 Derbies 0 Loafers 0 Court shoes 0 Monks 0 Oxfords 0 Venetian style shoes 0
c      
Winklepickers 0 Boat shoes 0 Brothel creepers
Ballet flats 0 Court shoes (Pumps) 0 Loafers 0 Slingbacks 0 Mules 0 Mary Janes 0 Mojari 0

      
Saddle shoes 0 Venetian style shoes 0 Winklepickers
Flip-flops 0 Galoshes 0 Geta 0 Moccasins 0 Platform shoes 0 Sandals 0 Slides 0 Slippers 0

   
Veldskoens
Ammunition boots 0 Cold weather boots 0 Combat boots 0 Jackboots 0 Jump boots 0
c



 
Jungle boots 0 Tanker boots 0 Trench boots
Athletic shoes 0 Ballet shoes 0 Boat shoes 0 Climbing shoes 0 Cycling shoes 0 Football
 

 
  boots 0 Hiking boots 0 Ice skates 0 Inline skates 0 Mountaineering boots 0 Riding boots 0
c

0 Roller skates 0 Ski boots 0 Skate shoes 0 Swimfins
 

 Beatle boots 0 Chelsea boots 0 Knee-high boots 0 Go-go boots 0 Platform boot
Australian work boots 0 Chukka boot 0 Cowboy boot 0 Hip boot 0 Rigger boot 0 Steel toe


   
boots 0 Waders 0 ÿngineer boots


 Mukluk 0 Valenki 0 Wellington boots
è


  Buskin 0 Chopine 0 Clog 0 Galesh 0 Hessian 0 Hwa 0 Opanak 0 Poulaine
ë
   
ë
    (also known as 
 
) are shoes, boots, or sandals with thick soles at least four inches in
height, often made of cork, plastic, rubber, or wood (wooden-soled platform shoes are technically also clogs).
They have been worn in various cultures since ancient times for fashion or for added height.

è



Platform sandals with wooden sole

Platform boot, ankle length

Lucite platform shoes

After their use in Ancient Greece for raising the height of important characters in the Greek theatre and their
similar use by high-born prostitutes or courtesans in Venice in the 16th Century, platform shoes are thought to
have been worn in ÿurope in the 18th century to avoid the muck of urban streets. Of the same practical origins
are Japanese  . There may also be a connection to the buskins of Ancient Rome, which frequently had very
thick soles to give added height to the wearer. In ancient China men wore black boots with very thick sole made
from layers of white clothes, this style of boots are often worn today on stage for Peking opera [1^ . During the
Qing dynasty, aristocrat Manchu women wore a form of platform shoe similar to 16th century Venetian
chopine. [2^

Platform shoes enjoyed some popularity in the United States, ÿurope and the UK in the 1930s, 1940s, and very
early 1950s, but not nearly to the extent of their popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, when the biggest, and most
prolonged, platform shoe fad in U.S. history began at least as early as 1970 (appearing in both advertisements
and articles in 1970 issues of  magazine), and continued through the late-1980s. (This is thought not
to be the case in ÿurope or the UK, where they had all but died out by 1979.) At the beginning of the fad, they
were worn primarily by young women in their teens and twenties, and occasionally by younger girls, older
women, and (particularly during the disco era) by young men [1^ [3^, and although they did provide added height
without nearly the discomfort of spike heels, they seem to have been worn primarily for the sake of attracting
attention. Many glam rock musicians wore platform shoes as part of their act.[4^

While a wide variety of styles were popular during this period, including boots, espadrilles, oxfords, sneakers,
and both dressy and casual sandals of all description, with soles made of wood, cork, or synthetic materials, the
most popular style of the early 1970s was a simple quarter-strap sandal with light tan water buffalo-hide straps
(which darkened with age), on a beige suede-wrapped cork wedge-heel platform sole. These were originally
introduced under the brand name, "Kork-ÿase," but the extreme popularity (perhaps fueled by their light weight
and soft leather) supported many imitators. Remarkably, even including all of the knock-offs, and given that
they are said to have never been formally designed there was very little variation in style, and most of that
variation was limited to differences in height.

In February 2006, a Texas-based company opened a website, claiming to be the legitimate successor to the
original Kork-ÿase company. Their site claims that the original company had been founded in 1953, implying
further that their platform sandals also originated in 1953. This is somewhat suspect: aside from being less than
entirely consistent with Linda O'Keeffe's book, ho   
oof    
 co
(New York: Workman, 1996), pp 388±9, it further implies that the footgear in question was introduced just as
the last gasps of the brief 1930s and 1940s platform shoe fads were waning, survived for a decade and a half in
almost complete obscurity, then rocketed to ubiquity at the beginning of the 1970 platform fad, only to be
forced into obscurity, and near-total extinction by successive waves of the fad by the late 1970s.

As the fad progressed, manufacturers like Candie's stretched the envelope of what was considered too
outrageous to wear, while others, like Famolare and Cherokee of California, introduced "comfort" platforms,
designed to combine the added height of platforms with the support and comfort of sneakers, or even orthopedic
shoes, and by the time the fad finally fizzled in the late 1980s, girls and women of all ages were wearing them.
It may also be a by-product of this fad that Scandinavian clogs, which were considered rather outrageous
themselves in the early 1970s, had become "classic" by the 1980s.

Vivienne Westwood, the UK fashion designer, re-introduced the high heeled platform shoe into high-fashion in
the early 1990s; it was while wearing a pair with five inch platforms and nine inch heels that the super model,
Naomi Campbell, took a tumble on the catwalk or runway at a fashion show. [2^ However they did not catch on
quickly and platform shoes only began to resurface in mainstream fashion in the late 1990s, thanks in part to the
UK band the Spice Girls, whose members were known for performing in large shoes.

The United Kingdom (and ÿuropean) experience of platform shoes was somewhat different from that of the
United States. Britain generally is not as concerned with women's feet appearing as small as possible; the long
pointed shoes of the early 2000s, that give an elongated look to the foot, were and are still more popular in the
US than in the UK.

Platform shoes took off in a very big way amongst most age groups and classes of UK men and women in the
1970s. Whilst wedge heels were popular on platforms in the summer, high thick separate heeled platform boots
and shoes were 'all the rage'. Many of the shoe styles were recycled 1940s and early 1950s styles, but both
shoes and boots were often in garish combinations of bright colours.

The trend firmly re-established itself in the Developed World fashions of the late 1990s and very early 21st
century with a much higher threshold of what was considered outrageous: mothers and fathers of 1997 to 2004
typically think nothing of buying their preschool-age daughters and sons platform sandals that US parents of
1973 would not have wanted their high-school-age daughters and sons wearing and UK parents of 1973 would
not have wanted their prepubescent daughters and sons wearing, and the Walt Disney Company has licensed
Mickey Mouse cutouts and "Disney Princess" and "Action Man" images on footwear that in earlier decades
would have been considered totally inappropriate for the company's "wholesome" image.

Buffalo Boots is a brand which platform models were popular, especially in ÿurope (notably Germany and
Scandinavia), from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s.

ÿlton John has a large collection of platform shoes, many of which he auctioned off for charity.

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woman in blue suede Bibaboots, Kings knee-length lace-up boots, 2007

1980s-style calf-length boots woman in black patent knee-
Road, London, 1971
length boots, 1996

? tan leather ankle boot, 2008 ? ?

black leather low-heeled boots, 2008 black leather high-heeled boots, poster for the Vagina Monologues
2009 by Nicky Fernandes, 2008

? ? ?

singer Colbie Caillat in knee length low-heeled, black leather over-the- low-heeled, knee-length fashion
boots worn over jeans, 2008 knee boots, 2009 boots worn over jeans, 2010