My First Pair of Boots

There is a thread of responses to a question about when you got your first pair of boots, and how old you were when you knew you were "interested" in boots on the "Boots on Line" discussion board.

I replied to it, thinking back to the days when I spent summers on a family horse ranch in Oklahoma. I was surrounded by cowboys and their boots all the time. I got my first pair of boots at a very young age, and I don't quite remember how old I was -- probably age 5, wearing those cute little-boy boots that they made at the time.

I remember that a sister was getting married when I was ten years old, and having quite an argument with my mother when she tried to drag me to a store to get a new pair of dress shoes. I insisted on wearing my boots. At first, my mother tried to talk me out of it, but realized that I wasn't going to budge, so she just dropped it. I think she thought I would feel funny wearing boots when everyone else was dressed up at the wedding reception. Actually, quite the opposite happened. I loved having my boots be the center of attention!

From then on, it was boots only. I spent most of my time "back East" where I live now from about age 10, only going back to Oklahoma for occasional visits. In my early teen years, Frye boots were all the rage. I clearly remember wearing Fryes in Junior High and High School. I know that I must have had some regular cowboy boots, too, but I think I wore 'em out or trashed 'em (or both.)

I remember being fascinated by watching some other guys in class who wore harness boots. Soon enough, I got myself a pair, and wore them almost exclusively. I couldn't stop fiddling with 'em during class, pulling on the harness straps until they were stretched and almost drooping on the floor. It was kinda cool, in a high-school-kid kinda way.

At age 18, I had saved enough of my own money to buy my first motorcycle. Along with it, I got myself my first pair of "bad-ass" engineer boots, made by Sears. I remember a guy in high school who always wore engineer boots. I think he was my first crush, though I didn't really know it.

Anyway, I can remember placing the catalog order for those boots, then getting the call that they were ready. I rode over to the local Sears store and picked up my boots. I tore the box open and put them on right in the parking lot. I thought "I had arrived."

I still have those Sears engineer boots and most of my Fryes, though no others from my earlier years. Anyway, I thank my buddy Bob for initiating the thread on BOL and some fond memories of my own.