Julie Rath: Puddlejumping and Lady Carrying

BFI National Archive, “Between Showers,”  1914.

True, I have been posting a lot lately about men’s boots, but in the winter,  sometimes all you see on a person is his outerwear and footwear, and that’s why  I’m a little obsessed. My general feeling about mens footwear is that it should  be streamlined and not chunky or clunky. However (and maybe it’s the Maine in  me), but when it comes to boots and outdoor gear, I love the look of something  rugged and tough. It just screams out masculinity. Like this is a guy who would  scoop me up, carry me across a puddle and deposit me on dry curb.

Here are my picks for rugged, lady-scooping goodness:

Red Wings

Red Wings have enjoyed a monster resurgence as of  late, largely due to smart partnerships with some major clothing companies.

These babies above are a J. Crew exclusive. If you  get them, make sure you go with the “dark wood” color. “Dark straw” is a color  no one should ever put on his or her body, I don’t care how close to the ground  it is.

I also really like the cleverly named Irish Setters.

All that distressing though limits them to weekend wear unless you work in a  casual office setting. A work-friendly option in this line would be these.

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Wolverines

Here is another classic American brand that makes you think of cattle hides  and country gentlemen. They have several elegant styles, but my favorites are  the Burton,

the Ascot,

and the Darby.

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Filson

These are a great choice too (and currently on  sale!). The website says they’re “a favorite of upland bird hunters,” but I  assume they’ll work just as well for when you’re heading out to chug beers and  watch a game.

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Billy Reid

I’m really drawn to these Roper Boots as well. It’s wellington meets cowboy  boot in the best possible way…brilliant!