Perhaps not everyone knows, or maybe everyone does, that the boot was once worn only by men. It did not even remotely fit into the ranks of women’s clothing. If in the Middle Ages some ladies wore them for riding, it was not until the 19th century that women allowed themselves to use them. But we’re talking about ankle boots, high to the ankle at most. They are functional, certainly not loaded with the sensuality that, almost always, they convey today. It is only in the 1970s that, thanks to the invention of another absolute myth such as the miniskirt, the leggings are raised and the boot becomes the symbol of a femininity that will never retrace its steps.
Boots in contemporary fashion
Today fashion offers boots, ankle boots, cuissardes in every season. It no longer matters whether it is cold or hot, functionality is absolutely ‘old news’. Only style matters, which now runs through every psychic phase of fashion: there is the sexy thigh-high-high, but also the low, decorated, rounded bon-ton.
There is the carrarmato sole typical of bikers, in which aggressiveness seems to bark already from afar, which coexists with the Texan capable of recalling Western influences.
In short, boot it must be and boot it is. Nothing and no one is looked at in the face anymore.
This is not only said by the runways that are celebrated in the fashion capitals, where there is rarely a release that does not propose a boot, it is also shouted by the very young designers, those who have yet to make their mark on the great book of fashion, but who already see in the aforementioned an excellent starting point.
The innovation of student designers
We have taken as an example, the young students of the Arsutoria the workshop school in Milan, who in the annual footwear design course -where they learn about materials, lasts, patterns and make real prototypes that become the standard-bearer of their ideal collection – have for the most part chosen the boot as the specimen to take in the final exam of their training.
This was done by India’s Brahamjyot Singh, who, wanting to start a brand that is mindful of the importance of staying up-to-date with consumer demands and preferences, and that uses a data-driven approach to respond quickly to market changes, chose to make a Texas boot of his own, remarking on how much the boot-trend is undoubtedly on the crest of the wave.
For Fenella Davis, from England, the boot was also the best way to interpret timeless elegance and attention to detail capable of winking at the softness and elegance of form.
Traag, on the other hand, is the slow fashion brand conceived by Julie Delancker (Belgium) that offers comfortable, timeless and elegant shoes.
For her, slow fashion means being intentional and thoughtful in your clothing choices. Being more environmentally friendly and more economical. Her boots are designed as a tailored, timeless suit. A style that does not forget to fit the wearer’s foot perfectly and that makes upcycling its strong point.
For German Marius Klein, the boot is undoubtedly a very important model, as he has managed to design two in one. His almost playful approach actually declares a definite intent. In his final project in Arsutoria he studies a collection that “wants to represent a mix between comfort and an avant-garde women’s shoe in boot form.”
We close with a model with great impact. The one designed and made by Negin Taghavi Jourabchi from Iran. It is actually not a boot at all, but is meant to represent a place where fashion meets architecture, science and technology. It focuses on eliminating boundaries and experimenting with new constructions. In addition to a formal collection of elegant handmade high heels developed in 3D design, she pushes the boundaries of footwear design with limited edition sculptural pieces.
Yet, mind you, she also brings the softness of her vertiginous décolleté up the ankle and approaching just the semblance of a boot. After all, what could be more architectural than a nice high boot on a sculpted heel.
So, long live the boot, which we will see reincarnated again in a thousand other creative fashions.
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