Boots and Heels as a Fashion Statement

Boot Fetishism is very closely related to shoe fetishism . Many of the same sexual appeals regarded high-heeled shoes apply to boots. In most cases the fetish of the boot is accompanied by a fetish for the material which it is made from. Examples could be leather or latex . High-heeled boots help to elongate the calf, creating a longer-legged appearance which is generally considered to be more sexually attractive.

In general, boots can be divided into three primary structural categories and sub-divided from there. There are ankle-length, knee-high , and thigh-high boots .

There are many potential turn-ons that could arise from boots. Usually the action of the wearer's legs provide many of arousals boot fetishists have. For instance, slowing crossing the legs after being seated or small subtle movements of the booted legs can provide for a visual stimulus. In cases of leather boots, the leather itself can be very reflective and glossy and create further visual appeals. The heels of the boots can also provide sexual appeal, the most common sexual heel being the stiletto heel . The soles of women's boots are attractive as well. Male homosexuals fetishsize military and motorcycle boots . The association of power and authority with the boot is a large part of gay male leather fetish organizations like BLUF.

Go-Go Boots

Go-Go boots were originally created in the 1960s with the intention that they should be worn while dancing. The term is said to have been originated by André Courrèges, who made a white, low-heeled boot, rising a bit above the ankles. The term is often used to define all types of fashion boots for women, usually knee-high boots worn with a miniskirt or dress.

During the sixties and even today, Go-Go Boots are thought to be a form of female empowerment.

Knee- High Boots

Knee-high boots are boots that rise to the knee, or slightly thereunder. They are generally tighter around the leg shaft and ankle than at the top. Mostly made of a synthetic rubber (PVC, Neoprene®, etc.), they are used by fishermen, dairy workers, stable hands, duck hunters, clammers, etc. to protect the feet from water, mud, manure, etc. and to provide traction on slippery surfaces. Most slip on, but there are varieties with buckles and those that lace up.

Knee-high boots have existed in the fashion world since at least the 1950s. Fashion knee-high boots come in all materials, leather and rubber seem to be by far the most popular choice, and black is a frequent color. Many have a zipper closure. Furthermore, most varieties of knee-high boots have a substantial heel built into them, anywhere from 3 inches and up.

They can also be known as muckers or fishing boots .

Kinky Boots

Kinky boots are boots which are intended for, or by some people are connected to, an outright sexy appearance or even to boot fetishism, a kind of shoe fetishism which thus make them a form of fetish clothing. The term is ambiguous, since what can be considered kinky by some can be seen as elegant and trendy by others.

Boots of this type, and specifically the thigh-high leather boots worn by Honor Blackman in her role as Cathy Gale in The Avengers are referred to in the 1964 song "Kinky Boots" by Honor Blackman and Patrick Macnee. Usually, nowadays the term is probably most connected to the type of thigh-high boots used e.g. by Julia Roberts in the movie Pretty Woman and by Madonna in her Re-Invention Tour in 2004.

Boots, Footwear and Pop Culture

Since World War II a significant shift in pop culture has taken place: from the production of culture to the consumption of culture. Commentators have noted that those in power exploit consumers to do more of the work themselves (for example, do-it-yourself checkout lines), and advertising on television, movies, radio, and in other places helps those in power to guide consumers towards what those in power consider needed or important.

Popular culture has multiple origins. In conditions of modernity the set of industries that make profit by inventing and promulgating cultural material have become a principal source.

Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. It stands in contrast to classical music, which historically was the music of elites or the upper strata of society, and traditional folk music which was disseminated orally. It is sometimes abbreviated to pop music, although pop music is more often used for a narrower branch of popular music.

Pop Culture and platform boots in Asia are woven around each other. Another recent trend was wearing boots with twenty-centimeter platform heels. There have been at least five reported shoe-related fatalities, one involving a twenty-five-year-old who died after tumbling off her own footwear, and another who lost control of her car's brake pedal and crashed into a pole, thereby killing her passenger.

Chuck Taylor made waves with the Converse. Chuck Taylor All-Stars are canvas and rubber shoes produced by Converse. They were first produced in 1917 as the "All-Star", Converse's attempt to capture the basketball shoe market. They were not particularly popular until basketball player Chuck Taylor adopted them as his preferred shoe. He was so impressed with the design that he became the shoe's leading salesman. After proposing a few changes to the shoe, the shoe got its current name and Chuck Taylor's signature on its ankle patch.

Consumers demanded more color and variety from the shoe, as well as more colors in order to match basketball teams, so colored and patterned shoelaces became popular to complement the two colors, black and white, available before 1966. Afterwards, more colors became available as did styles. A low-top or " Oxford " and high-top versions, and later knee-high versions were produced. More materials were offered for the construction, including leather, suede, vinyl, denim, and hemp. Some versions of the shoe were offered that were without laces, and held up by elastic. These new versions of the shoe were also co-designed by Chuck Taylor, shortly before his death in 1969.