These Black Boots Are Different from Those Black Boots

"These have an almond toe. Those have a rounded toe. These have eight pairs of eyelets and a Vibram sole. Those have twelve pairs of eyelets and a leather sole. These are suède. Those are also suède, but the nap runs north-south rather than east-west. These are waterproof. Those are . . . also waterproof. No, wait, neither is waterproof. That other pair of black boots is the waterproof pair."

"These I bought on sale. Those I bought on Facebook Marketplace, before my account was suspended-IN ERROR, but have you tried communicating with Meta? Like screaming into the void. This other pair, I paid full price. These I bought a half size too small because they were the only pair left and were just too good. I was certain at the time that, if I wore them every day, they could be stretched enough to feel comfortable with a thin sock. A very thin sock."

"This pair, well, what can I say? They're perfect. Almost perfect. They do give me hot foot because they're not so breathable. Kind of surprising for a boot at this price point, to be honest. But they do keep my tootsies dry! I have to take them off at the office or my feet start sweating, but outside, in the rain, on days when the high is between thirty-eight and forty-four degrees Fahrenheit? They're perfect."

Multiple pairs of boots are compared across toe shape, eyelet count, sole type, suede nap direction, and waterproofing status. Several buying sources are noted, including sale, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and full-price purchase, with anecdotes about account suspension and nostalgia. Fit issues include a half-size-too-small pair and an unworn eBay pair that feels bulbous. One pair performs ideally in cool, rainy weather but causes sweating indoors. Some boots are solely decorative and stored carefully in dust bags and archival linen boxes. The collection emphasizes practical differences, sentimental choices, and varied usage contexts.

Read at The New Yorker