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?

There are several reasons I have reached this point.

1. Saturation. Yes, even I admit that a guy can have more than enough boots to last him and an army a lifetime or longer.

2. I already have them. That is, when I see boots advertised or promoted by retailers, I look at my website and say, “already got ’em.” Or “already have something so similar, these aren’t any different just because another label makes them.”

3. I insist on wearing the boots that I own. I don’t just collect boots for collecting (or hoarding) purposes. Other than my Frye boots that I retain fond nostalgic memories while wearing them in high school and college but can’t wear any more — I really do wear almost all of the rest of the boots that I own by actively managing the collection and transferring about 40 pairs of boots each month from “active” to “less active” storage. Because I really do wear almost all of my boots, I don’t need new boots to wear. That simple.

4. My feet have changed with age. Yeah, the ol’ feet get more tired easily and arches have begun to fall and cause the ol’ dogs to spread. Some of the cool boots that used to fit me well just plain hurt after wearing them for a short time. I am finding that I tend to favor boots that are more forgiving to the feet and have lower heel heights. Lower-heeled boots are less painful to wear for extended periods of time.

5. Along with foot changes, my lower legs have also changed so they’re a bit wider around the calf. Walking and exercise keep fat off, but loss of muscle tone with age is causing the lower legs to expand a bit. Thus older tall patrol boots can’t be worn with leather breeches tucked into them because it causes squeezing pain on the legs. The boots still fit, but the calf circumference isn’t working for me. Soon enough (more or less), I will probably part with tall boots that either don’t fit me well with breeches, or are as heavy as Frankenstein’s boots (i.e., tall Wesco boots. Can’t wear them any more; they just plain tucker me out when I lug them around at the end of my legs.)

6. I am focusing more than ever on retirement. I hit the magic age where I have been aiming my savings to be able to retire comfortably in just a few months. However, I do not intend to retire any time soon because I love my job and what I am doing. As long as that feeling of productivity and genuine contribution to society by doing what I do prevails, I’ll keep working. But more than ever, instead of contributing to my own “boot fund,” I am contributing to a Roth IRA. How “old-guy” of me, eh? I don’t waste money with expensive monthly cell phone ransoms that make rich companies richer, I don’t have a mortgage or other loan payments, we eat at home every day, and we don’t go out for entertainment. I have zero debt. Thus, spending is low and savings is high.

7. I’m just tired. Can’t quite explain it, but I’m old, settled, and set. I don’t really need or want new boots. My needs and interests have changed.

Well … now you have it. This Bootman is contemplating going into a BAR (Boot Acquisition Retirement.) Who woulda thunk that of Booted Harleydude?

Life is short: enjoy what you have and live life to the max with what ya got.