Variously Vicariously Booted

Guest post by “VicariousAttorney”

Hi, I am a regular follower of this blog. I was invited to write this post to describe my first contact with this blog’s author when I finally got nerve enough to send him a message to say

that I found his blog when I was searching for information about boots that I might wear to my office in downtown DC. I work as an attorney in a government setting, not in a traditional law firm. I did that route for a while but opted to work in a less demanding but no less stimulating environment.

As expected for attorneys, I wear business suits to work, and have worn suits for my ten years of work in the legal profession since graduating law school back in my home state of Colorado. What shoes with suits? Usually Allen Edmonds, but occasionally some other brands — but always dress wingtips or brogues.

Where I grew up in rural Colorado, I wore boots. I liked them. I still have a couple pairs of Justin boots that I wear on weekends, but (until now), never to the office.

That changed about six months ago when I was checking out this blog and BHD finally convinced me through his writings to move from being “vicariously booted” by reading about the boots that he wears to actually buying and wearing a pair of good-looking Lucchese boots. My wife thinks they look nice. She has also complemented me on how much more confident I appear. I can’t say exactly why, but I do feel more confident — once I got over being concerned about what other people might say.

In the office, I work with about 20 professionals, 10 of them attorneys. Not a one — not a single one — said anything about me wearing boots when I first began wearing those Lucchese boots.

An office mate said something once in February after a snow storm that she thought my choice of boots for the office was wise. I smiled and thanked her. I also kind of giggled when watching my co-workers clean off their dress shoes after walking in the snow and salted sidewalks the way that I used to. I was obsessed with having clean, shined shoes.

Now I have clean, shined boots! In fact, my wife liked how I looked in them so much that she bought me another pair for Christmas. She got me a pair of black ostrich boots. Man, they’re nice. (She has great taste!)

Anyway, I am now joining the group of no longer vicariously “wearing” boots through BHD, but actually wearing them. Just like the lucky guy in his office who got to wear boots for the first time last week, I too am now enjoying wearing boots again.

Admittedly, I have not “fully converted” to wearing boots every day, but I do at least once or twice a week now.

Oh — why did I write BHD? Not only to thank him for the encouragement, but also to get a suggestion on my next pair of boots. I will never have the size of the collection that he does, and I will never ride a motorcycle. But I will wear boots more often! Thanks, BHD.