2022 Plans

Hey there… long time no see! I am doing well, though tolerating the below freezing weather here in the Mid-Atlantic has not been that easy after spending a month in Puerto Rico from mid-December through January.

With it being so darn cold, full leather (shirt, jeans, boots, and even a leather tie for closing the gap at my neck) and my favorite Schott or Langlitz jackets are keeping me warm. Also helps to allow me to turn the heat in my house down a bit to save on home heating costs.

While I was in Puerto Rico, I totally “reset myself” and feel much more positive moving forward in my new life. Mind you, I still miss my husband; the grief is less acute, but still there.

For my “2022 reset,” I made plans related to my boots and leather gear. Interested?
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Wesco Boots

My Wesco Boots “On” the Bean at Millenium Park

The West Coast Shoe Company, aka Wesco, has been making boots since 1918. Their boots are recognized and know the world over for their rugged design and construction that provides long-lasting — more than a lifetime — of wear. Go ahead, abuse the hell out of these boots. They can take it. Built tough for harsh environments like wildland firefighting (where they got their start) to being worn while riding a motorcycle.

These tough boots are the supreme in the industry, top-of-the-line, with prices commensurate with their quality and USA-handmade construction.

Yes, I have owned and worn Wesco boots for many years. Here are a thing or two I have learned about them…
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Tribute: “Stompers” Mike McNamee

I was saddened to learn that Mike McNamee, former owner of Stompers Boots of San Francisco, died on Thursday, August 23, after a brief illness.

His death was a shock to me. I had last spoken with him by phone in December. I feel badly that I had let so much time pass before trying to get in touch again.

I think it is safe to say that Mike was about the most profound influence on “booting Booted Harleydude” than any other. Read on for some stories…
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Culling the Herd

Loyal readers of this blog and my website visitors know that I own a large collection of boots. Cowboy boots, motorcycle boots, work boots, dress boots. Lots of boots.

I have stated frequently in the past that I wear (most of) my boots. No use in having such a large collection without actually wearing them, eh?

Well… things are changing. I had a look around this past weekend, and realized that…
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Cleaning Lug Soles

I have a number of pairs of boots with Vibram 100 “big lug” soles. They provide great traction and are like snow tires for the feet (provide you are over 40 years old and know what snow tires are). I have these soles on Wesco boots, my loggers and work boots, and a number of my motorcycle boots.

But with lug-soled boots, one has the problem of mud, dirt, and road salts getting caked into the lugs. My buddy WC asked me recently, “how do you recommend removing the gunk that cakes up in lug soles?”

Simple answer…
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Tall Boots for Men

I am asked from time to time what manufacturers and styles of tall boots I like to wear, and do I enjoy wearing tall boots over my pants, jeans, or breeches. This post is about my preferences for tall men’s boots, especially nowadays where my lower legs have lost muscle tone with age.

There are four basic styles of tall boots designed for men. They are…
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Website Boot Pages With Highest Click Through Rate

I have an interesting non-invasive piece of software on all 729 of my website’s pages that gives me interesting summary information about website visits.

An intriguing detail shows the “click-through-rate” which my software defines as:

what percentage of people exposed to my website using Google for a given search actually clicked on the result for my website.

Here are the results of what types, styles, and manufacturers of boots draw the most visitors to pages on my website as a result of a google search.
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