These Boots are Made for Teaching

Hi, there! Check out this cat who is partially famous for wearing boots! Gosh, I love those swashbuckling boots. My sister even has a pair just like 'em.

I'm excited to share a post from a new guest blogger, Shana Youngdahl, who teaches at UMF in English and creative writing. One day Shana asked me if I thought readers might like a post about boots, and I was like, yeah! Who doesn't love to wear an awesome pair of boots, right? Did I say "a pair"? Silly me. As if one only has one awesome pair of boots!

Read on to hear more from Shana about one of her favorite things--boots!

My love of boots is deep and longstanding. By the time I was in high school the item that topped my Christmas list was generally a new pair of boots. At that time, it was generally Doc Martins, the more eye-holes, or stranger the pattern, the better. My black and white checked Docs were a favorite gift from my parents, and I was very proud of my beat-up black 18-eyes scored from a local thrift shop and purchased on my own. Steel-toe boots were a must for concerts, not only did they protect my toes, but they were a handy weapon should anyone take my presence at a concert as consenting to any crowd-member’s touch.

I no longer possess any of those old favorites. I don’t even recall where, when, and how they slipped out of my life. Likely it was slow as they were gradually replaced by a new love: dress boots. I bought my first pair of dress boots toward the end of college when my first internship required a shift toward office-appropriate attire. Truthfully, boots were always about what to wear with the right dress or tights, avoid heels and other uncomfortable shoes while still looking like I could kick a bit of butt if necessary. This feeling of power from the boot was the same as a punk 16-year old as it is as Professor.

Dress boots allow me to wear a dress or skirt and still walk the mile from my house to campus on chilly fall mornings. I look professional, but can still play tag with my kids on the way to school, or if I forget something in the photocopier and have only a minute to get to class I can run without risking a break to my ankles. I know some women, and probably many professors, love heels. I support that. For me, though, the dress boot is the ultimate footware. At present, I own three pairs of dress boots, two are hand-me-downs from my hip big sister (who also introduced me to Doc Martins long ago), and one is a pair that I bought myself on sale for Christmas and when I showed them to my sister she said, “Hey! I have that same pair!” She isn’t a professor, but she is a high school science teacher who teaches college-level courses.

Every work morning in the fall I pick between the burgundy Keens, the gray dress boots and the black water-proof Merrill’s. The weather as well as my outfit is a factor, the gray dress boots are the fanciest, have no traction, and don’t like the rain. They are flannel-lined and so nice on a crisp dry morning. They also work nicely with an extra layer of boot socks folded over the top. If it is colder, the burgundy Keens win as they are shearling-lined. My staple boot from September through May is the black, mid-calf waterproof Merrill. They are sturdy enough to wear in rain, sleet, and snow. They match everything and because they are mid-calf they are comfortable to wear even with dress-pants or jeans.

Of course, when the snow gets deep, I often put the dress boots away until it starts to melt because, in Maine, the Bean Boot is dressy enough for the classroom and they look just fine with a skirt.

I totally agree. I love, love, love, Bean Boots of all shapes.

Hey, there! Are you interested in writing for What Professors Wear? If so, send me an idea or a completed post! ~ MK