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-five 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.
