As an avid fan of boots, my collection of motorcycle boots, cowboy boots, work boots and even some dress boots has grown to about 250 pairs. Yeah, that’s a lot of boots.
Over the last several months as I see ad after ad promoting so-called “new” boots, there has not been a boot that has captured my fancy and where I say to myself, “want to get them?”
Lately… nada. Nothin’. Why?
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Now that warmer weather is upon us here in North America, the leather jackets, chaps, jeans, and breeches are not part of my regular wearing apparel, either on my Harley or around the ‘hood as I go about daily business. Sure, we may get a damp and cool day now-and-then, but for the most part in late Spring, Summer, and early Autumn where temperatures routinely hit the 90s (32C) and humidity almost matches, it’s time for the leather to be given a break.
How do I store leather for a long-term of non-use?
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Last month, a friend of mine posted this message about her son having a motorcycle crash:
This message bothered me tremendously. I know this family. My heart was hurting because I knew from the description of this crash and the biker’s injuries, that recovery would be a long and painful process.
Yesterday, I learned that…
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There is some controversy about what defines generations, including those generally lumped into the class of “millennials” who were born roughly between the years of 1981 to 1997, more-or-less. I generally disavow lumping anyone into any category because I myself don’t fit stereotypical lumps. But that’s another story.
Anyway, I had an interesting conversation with three guys in their late 20s at a professional association social networking and mentoring gathering, and I thought I would convey the boot-related parts of our conversation. (I participated as an old-fart sage/mentor in my role as an officer of the association.)
The boot-related conversation began by one of the young men noticing cowboy boots on my feet, and saying…
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April 25, 1993, was a day that started out cool and clammy. I was going to do something that I had never done before, and I was nervous. What would I wear? Who would I meet? Would I have problems with encounters with other people who may not understand… who may want to confront me with violence?
As I pulled on a pair of tall boots over black denim jeans, a t-shirt and warmer shirt over it, then my “MC club” colors, I hopped on my Kawasaki Vulcan 750 motorcycle and rode into Washington DC and…
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Readers of this blog know that I advocate wearing leather gear more regularly than only to certain events, parties, or once-a-year gatherings of The Great Leather Clan (e.g., MAL, IML, CLAW, etc. — and if you don’t know what these letters refer to, don’t worry about it.) I ought to, with all the leather gear I own.
Leather gear is an investment. Good quality gear — leather shirts, breeches, pants, vests, chaps — is not cheap. So what happens as a guy ages and his gear does not match his once-trim and slim waistline, and the circumferences of his thighs, tummy, chest, and arms?
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Sometimes when I am looking for ideas to write about on this blog, I check a stats log that works with my website boot pages to see what questions or searches are trending. Lately, the most searches that have directed visitors to my website have been about “motorcycle police boots” or “cop boots” or “police motorcycle boots” or even “boots that CHP wears” [sic] and so forth. Literally thousands of searches every week direct visitors to this blog and my website about those boots in particular.
So what’s the story? Why so many searches on those boots?
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As readers of this blog and visitors to my website know, I have a large and extensive collection of boots, ranging from cowboy boots, motorcycle boots, dress boots, and work boots. I only wear boots as footwear — never sneakers, sandals, dorky dress shoes, or the worst of the worst: flip-flops or crocs.
Someone wrote several comments on a recent blog post asking about daily boot wear and care. I thought I would summarize what I know from experience about wearing, caring for, and storing boots. Read on…
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A number of things are coming together — my age and physical capabilities (sixth decade fast approaching), my motorcycle riding skill decline, a business trip to Utah, and major surgery for my spouse (when I will have to remain at home to care for him).
So… with all these things going on, and after recalling how much I thoroughly enjoyed my “Bucket List I” ride in Hawaii, I “pulled the trigger” to plan my second-of-the-year “bucket list” motorcycle ride to…
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I am really slammed at work. The boss remains out and I’m doing his job and my own, supervising and herding cats, attending meetings and giving briefings on the Hill, etc., etc. Even an Act of Congress that affects me directly got passed (quite surprisingly). I can’t really say more about why this month has been so busy, but trust me, it has!
And what’s been on my feet?
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