Boots that is (you lot have a dirty mind). Chunky boots are everywhere this season. And I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a pair for a few seasons now. Then we went and got a dog (did you even have a lockdown if you didn’t get a dog?), and I thought I could very easily justify a pair now that I have to walk him in the rain/mud etc.

Before I get in to the whole chunky boot chat, I should apologise for my total absence from here in the last few months. I have been writing loads of stuff, but it all seemed a bit trivial and pointless compared to everything else that was going on in the world and so I never published anything. But, well, I’ve decided its time to just crack on, in spite of the shit show that’s playing out around us.

Back to boots. There are loads of chunky boot options out there, like I say, what with them being dead trendy and everything. Which is sort of annoying in some ways, because everyone will be wearing them. But, I can’t resist. Here are the contenders.

Chunky Sole Leather Chelsea Boots – & Other Stories £165

I totally heart these…

Vagabond Tara Leather Long Boots – Tower London £135

These were also in the running…

Zara Mid Heel Ankle Boots – £39.99

After umming and ahhing over the above options, in the end, I decided it had to be classic Dr Martens. Although, the style I picked are maybe a bit of a cheat as they have a zip….

Dr Martens 1460 Alternative Boots from Office – £159

Apparently, Dr Martens are notorious for being bad to break in, but I ignored that and as I’m dead mean to my feet anyway, I just threw them on the first time and stomped out into the night. Big mistake. Huge. No skin left on the backs of my heels. It was two weeks before I recovered.

Or you could go with these….

Dr Martens 1460 Pascal Fur Lined Boots – £159

Which due to their fur lining means they don’t need breaking in. Apparently. The reason I know this, is because my best mate bought these and called to gloat about how she still had skin on the backs of her heels, despite the fact she’d worn them all day (cheers for that Anne).

So if you do go down the Dr Martens root, don’t do what I did. Here are my top tips for having heels with skin on:

1. Wear them round the house at first, for no more than a half hour at a time.
2. Wear thick cotton socks (or roll down thin socks) the first few times you wear them.
2. Use a boot stretcher for the toe area if that’s the are that’s bothering you.
2. Use a softening agent that isn’t too strong such as Dr. Martens Wonder Balsam
4. Gently bend your boots to ease areas of stiffness such as the instep
5. Buy shares in Compeed.

Hope that helps. xx

P.S. Here is our dog, Cooper…