Desert boots came onto my radar circa 1997 or 1998. So vividly I recall a style page on the front half of an autumn issue of ‘Teen magazine featuring desert boots of various styles, colors, and heel heights. The article advised winterizing a short skirt with tights and a pair of boots. I knew that my parents would never foot a bill for a pair of shoes with a price tag of 50 to 100 dollars for a seventh grader. The price point seemed too aggressive then, especially since my school shopping just happened only two months earlier. Over twenty years later, you could say that the page left an impression on me.
As an undergraduate, I purchased a pair of Clarks Wallabees from a local boutique. They were the first pair of shoes in which I invested after my Birkenstock Boston clogs, both of which I saved up and paid for my own dang self. With the exception of the days I was required to wear pin attire, if I was not wearing one pair, I was in the other pair. Even in the winter, the south does not bring weather that requires anything heavier. While Wallabees are not explicitly called out as desert boots, I stand by the high cut ankle version falling in the same category.
I have considered purchasing the wedge version of the desert boot since 2013. Back then, I had concerns about how comfortable they would be on my mile and a half uphill commute on foot. I distinctly recall nearly rolling my ankle several times while wearing the Wallabees and every time I had the wedges in my online shopping basket, my mind goes back to the numerous near-catastrophes. Perhaps I should stick to the flat soles; I can see them going perfectly with a rugby shirt and tweed miniskirt.
