# Harness boots



## Dave (Mar 17, 2003)

What do you think about harness boots, be they made by Frye, Double H, etc.? Would they or would they not look silly on those who don't own or ride motorcycles?


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

I sometimes like to dress in a semi-cowboy-ish manner, probably due to my Southwest heritage. Personally, I prefer harness boots over most cowboy boots. Harness boots, although a type of motorcycle boot, are also associated with heavy metal/hard rock, although those associations probably began by way of the association between metal/rock stars and motorcycles.

They would definitely look cool if you were going to a rock or metal concert and were dressed accordingly. If you wore them in Nordstrom or Brooks Brothers, the people there would probably wonder if you were lost.

By the way, lots of people that don't own boats do own boat shoes...


----------



## My Pet. A Pantsuit (Dec 25, 2008)

I've known people to wear them simply as work boots, and that's mostly what I've thought of them as. They certainly look better than the average fare, IMHO.


----------



## Youngster (Jun 5, 2008)

I always advocate for the inclusion of a good pair of boots in any wardrobe. However, I would say harness boots are only a good choice if you do plan to at least occasionally ride a motorcycle in them. They are a fairly traditional style, though I find plain ropers or engineer's boots to be more versatile for everyday use, and no worse for practical purposes. 
Really though, I think you'll find that lacers are generally more useful as practical footwear.


----------



## Bradford (Dec 10, 2004)

Dave said:


> What do you think about harness boots, be they made by Frye, Double H, etc.? Would they or would they not look silly on those who don't own or ride motorcycles?


I wouldn't really say they are Trad in any sense of the word and while it certainly wouldn't hurt to actually ride a motorcycle, as others have said, lots of people who never set foot on a boat still own boat shoes.

That being said, I don't ride a motorcycle, but I do have a pair of Frye Brando harness boots and really enjoy wearing them.


----------



## Steve Smith (Jan 12, 2008)

They were a huge fad item in the mid 70's. Almost every high school kid had a pair.


----------



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

I do have a pair of Wesco Harness boots, as well as a pair of Wesco Jobmasters. Both pair of Wescos were purchased under the guise of safety gear needed to insure I remained in one piece while riding my HD. While I have to admit the Harness boots (and a crash bar) did prevent any major injuries to my lower leg or foot, when I had to lay the bike down, I will also tell you...there is no fool so obvious as an old fool, as the bike mostly sits parked in the garage these days and the boots sit, mostly unworn in my closet. Before you spend a lot of money on a pair of harness boots, strap a pair of five pound weights on your ankles and walk around all day, that way. Heavy harness boots are not the most comfortable choice for regular wear footgear! :teacha:


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

I've actually done that. Back when I worked as an EMT, I sometimes wore five-pound ankle weights on each leg. That job involved a lot of walking and driving, and I barely noticed the weights, even at the end of a 12-hour shift.

But surely harness boots don't weigh five pounds each.


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

Far fetched as it seemed at the outset, this thread has turned interesting. Look at these...








​Bondage boots!!! I haven't seen those since the Stonewall Riots.



> By the way, lots of people that don't own boats do own boat shoes...


 But they are wrong to do so. Would you wear sneakers unless you were sneaking around?



eagle2250 said:


> ...I remained in one piece while riding my HD.


Why is it I'm having this gawd awful time picturing_ you _on a Harley?



JJR512 said:


> Back when I worked as an EMT, I sometimes wore five-pound ankle weights on each leg.


??? Why would you do this? What are you leaving out? This isn't another one of your plagiarized scribbles from Amazon.com, is it?


----------



## Dragoon (Apr 1, 2010)

Steve Smith said:


> They were a huge fad item in the mid 70's. Almost every high school kid had a pair.


Yep, I graduated high school in 1978 and thought I was very cool in my "Dingo Boots". These days I much prefer Justin Ropers.


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Peak and Pine said:


> ??? Why would you do this? What are you leaving out? This isn't another one of your plagiarized scribbles from Amazon.com, is it?


Regarding the last part of your question...I don't quite know what to make of that comment. I mean I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a joke or if you're thinking of someone else. I don't believe I've quoted anything from Amazon on this website at all, and when I quote from other sources, I try to quote the source with attribution, which, in my opinion, precludes the plagiarism charge.

But in answer to the first part of your question, I did that to get a workout. Kind of the point of ankle weights, really. I figured as long as I was walking around for much of the day, I may as well get some extra use out of my time and energy.


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

Please accept my apologies. I am very sorry. I have confused you with JJDY with whom I had an interesting exchange the other evening concerning Huey Lewis music. My gross mistake.

But you know, not necessarily you, but anybody reading, why so many screen names that are just a string of letters or numbers that are unpronounceable and therefore often forgettable. I'm not sure now it was even somedy called JJDY with which the exchange occurred so I may have maligned him too. I should and will shut up now.


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Peak and Pine said:


> But you know, not necessarily you, but anybody reading, why so many screen names that are just a string of letters or numbers that are unpronounceable and therefore often forgettable.


No harm done! :smile:

Funny you should mention about cryptic names, though. I actually recently explained the meaning behind my name, JJR512, in another thread here: [post=1107775]Graduation-Gift[/post] For the record, it is pronounced with each letter and each digit said distinctly, as "jay jay are five one two", not "five twelve" or any other way. I see that I have neglected to put my real name in my signature, which has been my custom at other message boards (putting it in, not neglecting to do so), an error that I have just now corrected.


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

You pique my interest further. Why is it you don't want to be called JJR five twelve?


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Peak and Pine said:


> You pique my interest further. Why is it you don't want to be called JJR five twelve?


I am reminded of an episode of _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ in which Dr. Pulaski had been pronouncing the android Data's name with a short 'a' instead of a long 'a'. When he corrected her, she said something to the effect that both pronunciations are acceptable for the word, so what's the difference, to which he replied: *"One is my name, the other is not."*


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

It occurred to me to add that the technical reason why it's pronounced "five one two" is because that is how I said it to myself every time I had to enter it as a security code (see the post I linked to previously for the explanation behind that, if you haven't yet).


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

While typing my inquiry it occurred to me that folks get to be called whatever they want however they, but I just ploughed ahead anyway. Should we exchange again, know that I leave the net screaming when references to Star Trek are made.


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Screaming whenever someone mentions a particular topic reminds me of this one episode of Star Trek in which...nah, I'm just kidding.


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

If you want something similar that would probably work, you can try a pair of snake boots, like the ones Gokey made famous. They have a bit more history in the look. and MacRostie Leathers (left & right) both sell them.

(Arrow Moccasin)

(Quoddy)

On the other hand, ring boots are made by most of the American moccasin makers, although I really never hear them brought up... not sure on this one.


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

My preference, really, would be to get a boot similar to a harness but without the actual harness, then add a boot chain... kind of like at


----------



## sdjordan (Oct 29, 2008)

Gross.


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

My dittos machine is busted. Would that it were working right now.


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

sdjordan said:


> Gross.


You're certainly welcome to your opinion, and you're certainly welcome to state your mind. Just as I am free to wonder why it's necessary to be so negative, rather than leaving the conversation to people who are actually interested in the subject, or at most, simply stating that it's not your thing.


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

I wouldn't be so quick to be so hard on Jorden. He was simply being succinct. Will you be less rough with me if I say the same but take more words saying it?

The pics that Katon have posted look to me down right gaudy with the buckles and the bangles and the straps. Subtlety nowhere in sight. Weird shapes and designs. Too bright colors and too big stitching. And they look uncomfortable.

The one you posted with the metal stars, that looks like what Malcolm MacDowell wore in A Clockwork Orange, the stuff of skin heads and neo-Nazis. I mean this, that goes beyond unappealing into down right scary. I was joking earlier when I mentioned the Stonewall riots, but this footwear has all the makings of last call at The Mine Shaft. This is unpleasant stuff and it conjurs up hordes of bikers coiming at you on thunderous bikes and Altamont and the Stones murder and everything antithetical to me in footwear or dress in general.

Maybe that's some of what Jordan meant by gross. (That this topic and pics are posted means we can all have a go at it, no? Drinks at my place after this cools off.)


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Regarding the pictures that Katon posted, I share your general distaste for them, yet I chose not to say so, because I had nothing to really say about them, and just saying that I didn't like them seemed to me to be more negative than was really necessary for a pleasant conversation. However, I have no problem with what you've said about the picture that I posted, because instead of just saying "gross", you actually provided a thoughtful commentary on why you don't like them. By doing so, you've made it possible for your comments to be rebutted, which I shall do in the following paragraph.

The decoration on the top part, the stars, is irrelevant as it was not that to which I was calling attention. Rather, the chain below the boot was my main point. It is the chain that I was referring to when I said I would like to get a harness boot without the harness but with a boot chain. The decoration on the upper leather band could be anything, and there are, in fact, over a dozen styles at just the one website from where that image came. The actual boot is identical to a harness boot, it's just the chain that's the main difference; the leather strap could be plain, as it is on a harness boot, if one preferred.


----------



## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

Dingo Boots. Just for the thing for guys still driving that Trans-Am with the T-tops and big ole chicken decal on the hood. Accessorize with a wallet with a chain attached and a leather cowboy hat. ("Keep on Trucking" t-shirt optional).

Seriously, what does this have to do with TNSIL style clothing? My, how this forum has fallen...

Scott


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Naval Gent said:


> ...Just for the thing for guys still driving that Trans-Am with the T-tops and big ole chicken decal on the hood...


I believe you are the only person I've ever known to correctly refer to the bird on the Trans Am's hood decal as a chicken. I'm very impressed. Most people assume it is a stylized image of a firebird. As you seem to be already aware, it's called the Screaming Chicken. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screaming_Chicken


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

JJR512 said:


> By doing so, you've made it possible for your comments to be rebutted, which I shall [now] do...


And you have, thoughtfully so. Now, would you like a scotch or a Dos Equis? From the boots, I don't think you're the mimosa type.


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

What does Naval guy mean by TNSIL?


----------



## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

Peak and Pine said:


> What does Naval guy mean by TNSIL?


You don't want to know, it's worse than "trad."


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Peak and Pine said:


> And you have, thoughtfully so. Now, would you like a scotch or a Dos Equis? From the boots, I don't think you're the mimosa type.


Believe it or not, I have never in my life had even a single sip of Scotch. Rum is my favorite hard alcohol. I don't mind whiskey if it's a very high quality; I would probably like fine Scotch. In general, I'm not a big fan of straight hard alcohol, and I actually prefer mixed drinks, despite the fact that some retrosexuals still consider mixed drinks to be the provenance of homosexuals.

I'm also not a big fan of beer. I would usually rather have Coca-Cola. I don't mind Dos Equis, but prefer Corona over it.

I do, in fact, absolutely _love_ mimosas. In fact, I now have a strong urge to go out and buy a bottle of champagne...so thanks a lot.


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

Tonight I have learned more about JJR512 than I even knew about my own son, the one who grew up to be a policeman just so he could arrest me for being a bad father. Life is circular and life is cruel. But you live and you learn and tonight I learned what a retrosexual is. And even my check speller is unaware since it just underlined it in red. Life is moving too fast for me. It was only last week I learned what a homosexual is. It's like what Forsberg2000 does to himself, but they do it to each other. And I thought h*mo was just the yankee way of pronouncing homie and would smile when the neigbor kids would shout it at me. How little I knew, how much I've learned.


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Peak and Pine said:


> But you live and you learn and tonight I learned what a retrosexual is. And even my check speller is unaware since it just underlined it in red.


My spellchecker suffers from the same ignorance, and I only learned of that word earlier today. I was obliged to define the word "appropriate" for another member here, and when I went to Merriam Webster's website for the exact definition of "appropriate", the word "retrosexual" was presented on the home page as #1 on the top ten list of user-submitted words (vol. 3)*. Little did I know I would have an opportunity to use this newly-learned word so soon after learning it!

* If you actually go to that website, you may have to refresh it a few times to see what I mean, since upon loading, the page will randomly display one of three definitions; the other two are "haphephobia" and "green-eyed monster".


----------



## harvey_birdman (Mar 10, 2008)

For whatever it's worth I have a pair of Wesco Western Boss boots, which are almost identical to the Harness boots, but without the harness. I wear them only when I intend to ride my motorcycle.


----------



## Falstaff (Oct 18, 2007)

First, I grew up in East Texas. I love cowboy boots (I have four pairs -- including two in which I used to work cattle). And I hate harness boots.

Second, why is this posted here? I would never consider cowboy boots, of any sort, trad.


----------



## Charles74 (May 2, 2010)

I say wear them. I have a pair and wear them with jeans


----------



## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

A) I had a pair back in the 70's when they were called Dingo boots. B) Wouldn't wear them now unless riding a motorcycle. C) Definately nowhere in the same universe as Trad...am perplexed as to why they would show up on this forum instead of the fashion forum. D) What on earth is a "retrosexual"? I just learned what a "metrosexual" is a short time back...doesn't seem to have anything to do with sex. So I'm assuming a retrosexual is someone who used to have sex...but hasn't in a very long time. I agree with whoever said the forum as really gotten weird.


----------



## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Saltydog said:


> D) What on earth is a "retrosexual"? I just learned what a "metrosexual" is a short time back...doesn't seem to have anything to do with sex. So I'm assuming a retrosexual is someone who used to have sex...but hasn't in a very long time.





> Retrosexual
> 
> Definition: a man who adopts a traditional masculine style in dress and manners
> Example:
> "Think of him as the anti-metrosexual, the opposite of that guy who emerged in the 1990s in all his pedicured, moussed-up, skinny-jeans glory. That man-boy was searching for his inner girl, it was argued. The retrosexual, however, wants to put the man back into manhood." - Lini S. Kadaba, Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr. 7, 2010


From Merriam-Webster Online, although not in their main dictionary yet; it's on their home page, although you might have to refresh a few times to see it, as it randomly shows up.

Other definitions can be found at https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=retrosexual


----------

