Lace-up Boots Find a Place in an Array of Fashion Identities

Women are taking a more rugged approach to footwear with the popularity of the lace-up boot. Often paired with skinny jeans or tights, boots with metal hardware and thick laces running up the ankle look vintage-chic and appeal to those who seek comfort in addition to fashion.
We’ve seen that fashion has become increasingly inspired by menswear. Boyfriend jeans, military jackets with patches and emblems, blazers, and oxfords are the latest trends that fueled an array of smaller trends. The lace-up boot family, in which combat and Victorian varieties belong, has been recently introduced into the fashion world and corresponds with the ever-present masculinity in current trends.
The combat-style boot first came about with the establishment of the authentic lace-up boot company known as Dr. Martens. With a chunky rubber sole and a strong leather construction, Dr. Martens are renowned for their durability in addition to their iconic value. Throughout the boot’s history, the “punk” crowd proved to be their target customer. Those who weren’t quite gutsy enough to don a pair of Dr. Martens but sought a similar lace-up boot needed a style that was a bit more classic and feminine.
Many of the lace-up boots that are on-trend today strike similarity to the traditional Victorian boot with a pointed toe. Made of cream, mahogany, and black leathers, the Victorian lace-up boot is a more elegant approach to the combat boot, often decorated with embellishments such as leather fringe and metal eyelets. While classic Victorian boots from the 1800s often had a tall heel that narrowed towards the middle, the updated style of the boot sports just a short, wedged heel. Victorian boots attract those who buy used garments and footwear, as this variety of boot is more vintage-inspired than the Dr. Marten-style combat boot.
While lace-up boots have already hit the department stores, the more authentic shopper may find just the boot they are looking for in vintage clothing stores, Goodwills, or used online. Frayed laces, scuffed soles, and ripping seams only add more character to lace-up boots, as this shoe should not portray a polished, conservative look.
The fact that the lace-up boot can be worn in both masculine and feminine directions makes them versatile and quite possibly a new style staple. Throw on a flannel, skinny jeans, and wool socks with a pair of combat boots for an ostensibly careless yet still fashionable look. Paired with a lacy, vintage dress, tights, and layered jewelry, the worn and torn boots turn into elegance at its best.
The lace-up boot will prove to be an admired and trendy item because of their ability to attract every persona. After polling three seventeen-year-old girls, I found that combat boots not only appeal to the punk and indie crowds, but of many others in between.
While one girl’s wardrobe was comprised of neon spandex, another’s of feminine, conservative garments, and the third’s style reflecting her down-to-earth nature and simplicity, all three promptly agreed that they would love to own a pair of lace-up boots as a part of their fashion identity. The interviewees valued combat and Victorian boots for their comfort, versatility, and individuality from the common choices of street footwear. Taking what the lace-up boot has to offer into consideration, it is plausible to deem this boot as the most commendable, fresh addition to footwear today.