I don’t know about you, but I am being bombarded daily from boot retailers promoting “back to school boots.” Well, good for them — get the kids out of sneakers and into real footwear. And if printing the logo of a university on boots will get guys to wear them with their jeans tucked into them, then I’m all for it!

What’s trending now with back-to-school boots?

Current-day guys are choosing reasonably-priced, comfortable boots with square toes, low(er) heels, and rubber soles. Yeah, it seems as if the square-toe boots are all the rage these days. Lower heels (one inch on a thick rubber sole) are easier to walk in. Also, boots that are not “too high” leave plenty of room for air to circulate around the feet, so they do not feel hot.

For a time, not that long ago, wearing roper boots was common among guys in high school and college in the U.S. midwest and south. Ropers are short, simple, no-frills boots with low heels. You will see guys wearing ropers still these days; they’re just not quite as common as what is trending now (see below.)

Gone are the days of traditional cowboy boots with tall shafts, pointed or rounded toes, and moderately high heels. Regular cowboy boots are not quite as common as they once were. I do have to admit that boots with leather soles and 1-5/8-inch heels (or higher) are not that comfortable to walk in. And in school, walking a lot is common in building hallways and across campus.

And loooong gone are the days of Frye boots. Man, back in my high school and college days, wearing Fryes was de riguer among all the guys. There were not hangups about wearing Frye campus boots that were long, lean, have a rounded toe, and had a 2-1/2-inch heel. Guys would walk such that you would hear the heels clunk as they were walking. Today, most guys have lost the nerve or feel (incorrectly) that Frye boots — especially the campus boot style — are “too feminine.” Heck, back in my day, the jocks were the trend-setters in wearing Fryes that the rest of us admired (and adopted.)

I have over 100 pairs of traditional cowboy boots, and I wear them when I am not riding my Harley (in which case, I choose motorcycle boots.) I admit, I do not have to walk that much at work.

However, just recently, I was offered a great deal on a pair of USA-made Chippewa boots in their “Arroyos” lineup of field boots, model 29328 (photos here). Funny, in Spanish, the word “arroyos” means streams or gulches. This just goes to show that manufacturers choose names that sound rugged, despite not having much direct connection with the product.

Back to the boots: these new Chippewa boots are interesting, and I can understand why they are being promoted by retailers as “back-to-school boots.” They are well-made, and have a thick Vibram sole. The leather foot is black and the shaft is brown. Worn like guys wear boots these days with jeans over them, you don’t see the brown shaft unless you sit down and your jeans ride up the boot shaft a little bit.

These boots definitely look masculine — much more “guy-like” than sneakers or dorky flip-flops.

I like these boots. They are very comfortable. I wore them to work yesterday and was quite comfortable in them all day. And yeah, I wore these boots with dress slacks, dress shirt, and a tie and went to several meetings with management. No biggie. No one — NO ONE — says anything about wearing boots with dress clothes in an office. Those who are concerned that anyone would say anything are just being timid.

These days, if someone asks you about “what footwear should I get to wear to school?” Answer with “square toe, low-heeled, USA-made boots.”

Life is short: wear boots!