What to wear under boots

[lil_becs]

Hi, Ive just recently bought a pair of knee high boots (I couldnt find a pic that even slightly resembled them) I was wondering what some of you wore underneath your own boots. Ive only worn them twice and each time i wore a thin pair of black socks but when i went to my friends house and she put on her boots she had nothing on underneath. What is the norm as ive only ever had a pair of no heel ankle boots which i did wear with socks becs

[Adeana]

knee highs with pants or sheer hose if wearing them with a skirt

[BlondeBimbo]

Depends upon the fit. When I can, I wear stockings/knee highs and a pair of thin socks, if I cannot then it's just stockings/knee highs to match the rest of the outfit. BB

[lil_becs]

Thanks guys, i still cant find a similar picture but one thing i have noticed as i was skimming through ebay trying to find a better pic, every pair of boots that was a big size didnt look as good because they didnt have a nice arch. Since the shoe was bigger it made the heel look crappy. This is the one thing thats good about having small feet, even a small heel looks good on size 4's and 5's. thanks for the boots help

[pussyinboots]

'POP' sox - always with boots. Or panty-hose if I'm wearing a really short, tight skirt - which is often !!!

[Adeana]

yeah...I have worn ankle socks with ankle boots....hehe...I guess the ankle thing matched and I did it!

[thehighheelsgirl]

I really hate wearing hose so I usually wear my boots barefoot....

[heidi.bier]

Unlike most of the members on this list, I am not very good at walking in very high heels. I wear my knee high boots quite often as they are much easier to walk in then pumps or sandals. I love having lots of padding in my shoes or boots so it feels comfortable, almost like wearing sneakers. Because of this, I almost always have both nylons and socks on inside my boots. If I am afraid of my nylons running, I have been known to wear two pairs of nylons and no socks inside my boots. Does anyone else do this?

[Alexa]

I like wearing boots, but I don't like feeling too enclosed by socks or stockings, so I'm usually barefoot in mine. I like a fairly close fitting so my feet don't move about too muchinside and ideally I like them to grip around the top of my foot so my toes don't become forced into the toe box and get squashed together. A good squirt of antiperspirant in the morning before i put them on keeps the perspiration at bay. If 'm going out in the evening I usually have a shower after work and change into something different, which gives my feet a rest and means that they're not in the same position all day, which helps my staying power! In fact, putting a fresh pair of boots on gives me a little boost - like having a cup of coffee or starting something afresh. It's good if I get stuck with a problem that I'm working on, or can't think wha to do next. A change of boots and it's like getting a new perspective on things. Alexa

[melanief15]

I like wearing boots barefoot or with pantyhose in summertime. In wintertime with Pantyhose and onvery cold winterdays additional with leggings. In high heels I use gel pads for more comfort.

[heidi.bier]

I am quite surprised to find so many people on this list like to wear nothing under their boots. For me, if I do not wear my pantyhose and socks underneath my boots, my boots will chafe, my boots will smell, sweat will ruin the leather or fur lining of my boots and most importantly, it will be an uncomfortable experience. Uggs or Emu are the only exceptions where I can see how going barefoot in them would be okay. Of course, I am sure you have developed a system to be comfortable without socks or nylons. For myself, by wearing socks made of wool under my boots, it absorbs the sweat so smell is not a problem. I can then wear my pantyhose over my socks to give my legs that flawless glossy look above my boots. I find it comfortable that way, no worries about sweat, no chafing and also the socks prevent my pantyhose from catching and running.

[karen]

With boots, I'll wear plain ankle socks if I want that bare look, but most of the time, I'll wear panythose.

[heidi.bier]

With boots, I'll wear plain ankle socks if I want that bare look, but most of the time, I'll wear panythose.

What is your favorite style of pantyhose?

There is a kind which I am trying hard to find. I have seen it in magazines, I have seen other people wear it at parties but I haven't found it just yet. It has a pair of pantyhose which has a dark pattern where stockings and garters would be and flesh color where skin would be showing had I been wearing stockings and garters. I think those are very flirty and would go well with my collection of dress boots and pumps.

[karen]

Yeah, it depends. There are the lacey panythose that I like to wear. It's very sexy. And then there's the regular sheer pantyhose in which I like nude, off white, or darker pantyhose like navy blue or black. It just depends on your outfit.

[heidi.bier]

During the warmer months, I find myself wearing the glossy skin tone pantyhose more then the darker colors even though I personally think the darker colors are more mysterious and are favored by myself. Karen, you have navy blue? I take it you match that with a navy blue skirt or pumps?

[karen]

Yes. I also have skirts in red, black, and dark purple too.

[heidi.bier]

Yes. I also have skirts in red, black, and dark purple too.

Is this your color combination Karen?

red skirt + nude pantyhose + black pumps

black skirt + nude pantyhose + black pumps

purple skirt + black pantyhose + purple pumps

navy blue skirt + blue pantyhose + blue pumps

[karen]

I can mix and match the red skirt with anything. Same with nude panythose. Or you can wear them all dark. Great combos.

[heidi.bier]

I like the skintone ones very much too. I just get the suntan ones so it gives my legs some color as I am very pale and this seems like a good way of getting a suntan without any risk of sunburn or cancer

[Alexa]

I don’t want to give the impression we’re all a bit grubby, getting sweaty wearing boots on bare feet! I don’t know how other people handle it, but as I’ve said before, my own strategy involves antiperspirant, which is usually fairly effective. As a lot of the grime that builds up in boots and shoes comes from skin that one sheds, I give my feet a good rubbing over with a pumice stone two or three times a week to get any excess skin off in the bath rather than in my shoes. If there’s any residue in my shoes or boots I wipe them out with a wet wipe and let them air for a day or two before I wear them again. Plus, when I’m working from hope I’m either barefoot or change my shoes frequently for a bit of fun between tasks. When I’m at work I often take my shoes or boots off under my desk. All my boots have zips so it’s only a moment’s work to put them back on again if I need to. So overall, they’re probably only on my feet for an hour or two at a time. When you think about it, it’s probably no different from wearing gloves on ‘bare’ hands!

Alexa

[heidi.bier]

It is nice that anti-antiperspirant allows you to wear shoes without socks. I know that everyone is different. You also mentioned that you slip your heels off under your desk at work and slip them back on when you need to. Have you ever been caught without your heels on Alexa? I would have to respectfully disagree with you about how wearing gloves bare is like wearing boots barefoot. Boots are often made of harder materials that chafe unlike gloves. Also, the average female weight between 45 kg to 60kg applies a lot more weight and stress on our feet then on our hands. The heels also applies additional stress on our feet that is not on our hands. I applaud you though for not having to bother with so many things like me and being able to walk in such high heels though Alexa!

[Alexa]

Hi there Heidi, Yes, of course, shoes are different from gloves in the eways you identify, and many more besides. I was just trying to highlight how wearing socks or hose with footwear is considered normal whereas few people would consider wearing an extra layer under gloves. Gloves don't get sticky and smelly because we take them off a good deal, and most people wash their hands several times a day so there isn't the same sort of build up of sweat and dead skin! Yes, people come in my office and find me with bare feet fairly regularly. No one has complained. I always put my shoes or boots on if I have to walk around my building or go to another building, attend a meeting or anything else that involves me being 'on display', so I haven't had any complaints. I work in a university which means there's a certain amount of sartorial emancipation, but most people are very unadventurous. Sometimes I get the impression that they tend to wheel me out when the organisation has visitors rather often, to add a bit of local colour! Alexa

[karen]

Hey Alexa, I hear that trapping sweat using antipersperant isn't healthy. Like all the bacteria from sweating gets stuck in your feet or body (when you use on underarms and such). I feel it's better to let it out. Perhaps an alternative like some baby powder might help. That's why I like wearing sandals and pumps. You can slide your feet in and out easily when it gets hot. That way, you won't let it build up.

[heidi.bier]

Hello Alexa, Working in a university must have its own unique dress code. I know in many colleges throughout Europe & the States, students tend to be so focused on studies that fashion is not on their radar. I have often times seen students, especially near test time, wear Barbie pajamas with flip flops to class, no makeup and hair so messy Medusa would cringe. I take it you can dress very casually at your office too, right?

[Alexa]

Yes, where I am seems to have a fairly casual approach to dress. There was a senior manager a while ago who tried to encourage a collar and tie approach for the men, but he's not with us any more. However, it does give me the freedom to indulge some of my eccentricities.

Yes, I can appreciate Karen’s concerns about antiperspirant, but it doesn’t seal all the pores shut, it just yields a percentage reduction in sweating. Maybe only 20-30%, but that makes me a lot more comfortable for one! Likewise, with the bacteria – they’re all over our skin anyway, and serve a valuable protective function too. They’re somewhat depleted by the compounds in the various sprays we use, but there seem to be enough left to keep my skin happy. Mainly, the active ingredient is some sort of aluminium compound, usually aluminium chloride. If aluminium chloride compounds are present n the kind of strength you get in prescription strength products (of the kind that you get given for hyperhidrosis ) there are some report of them creating skin irritation. Otherwise, with over-the-counter cosmetic products, they’re unlikely to do you any harm. There are occasional cancer scares about using them under your arms, but fortunately, there’s no solid evidence yet according to the US FDA and CDC, so for the moment i think we’re safe. I’ve tried powder, but it doesn’t slow my sweat glands down in quite the same way, and it leaves a residue. So it looks like I’ll keep spraying for the time being and carry on with my sock free existence!

Alexa

[karen]

Yes, I hear about the key aluminum ingredients in antipersparents too and how it may have that cause. I've always just gotten away with body spray, perfume, and lotions. Luckily, I don't sweat much since i work in an office all day where it's ALWAYS cold!!

[heidi.bier]

Yes, where I am seems to have a fairly casual approach to dress. There was a senior manager a while ago who tried to encourage a collar and tie approach for the men, but he's not with us any more. However, it does give me the freedom to indulge some of my eccentricities.

With the change in senior management, I take it you are free to wear anything you want, whenever you want now?

What sort of heels have you been wearing to work lately that might make you hot during the brief periods you have them on?

I am considering using the idea of baby powder, consisting of talc or corn starch to keep that fresh feeling before I go to work. That might prevent my from sweating and making my wool socks damp everyday at work as I wear those and pantyhose inside my padded fur lined boots.

When I am sitting at my desk and no one is watching, there have been times when I have been tempted to unzip my high heeled boots to air out a little bit but I would be so embarrassed if anyone ever saw me do so!

[Alexa]

Well, I suppose there are limits to what we can wear – we couldn’t wear anything indecent; I think people might complain. Equally, there might be objections to anything that was offensive – t shirts with inappropriate slogans or swear words, for example. But otherwise, there’s a certain amount of flexibility. I tend to go for a sort of Goth style usually. This started in my teens and I’ve yet to tire of it. Footwear wise, I’ve been alternating between some Pleaser Teeze strappy pumps, some Bebe Liza pumps, some Office ‘Big Fun’ pumps and a pair of their Paradise open lace ups lately, to name but a few. And boots of course, when it’s not so sunny. In this country we don’t really get that many very hot days, so there’s no air conditioning. It sounds like there’s air conditioning in Karen’s workplace, if it’s cool all the time. In Britain you’re seldom very far from the sea, so it tends to keep the climate cool and damp most of the time. We do get some very cold or very hot days but usually only a handful in the course of the year.

Go ahead and take your shoes or boot off in the office Heidi – I’m sure no one will complain! Anyway, you seem to favour so much hosiery and socks too that I’m sure a little fresh air would do you good once in a while.

All the best,

Alexa

[heidi.bier]

Hi Alexa,

Since you are going for the goth look, are all your clothes, shoes and makeup black? I can see the time saved in not having to worry about color co-ordinating everything.

You mentioned you alternate between some Pleaser Teeze strappy pumps, some Bebe Liza pumps, some Office ‘Big Fun’ pumps and a pair of their Paradise open lace ups lately. Do you keep them all at the office under your desk so each time you step out, you can do a fashion show by wearing new high heel sandals?

As for myself, I would dare unzipping my boots only halfway down on a really hot day if no one was around. If I was wearing just one or two pairs of pantyhose underneath my boots, then it is fine. If I wore my wool socks as well as pantyhose inside my boots for padding that day, then I wouldn't want others to see the thick wool socks I have on inside, it doesn't seem to match with the rest of my outfit LOL

[Alexa]

Yes, you're quite right - most of my ensemble is black. I tend to favour dark metallic shades of nail varnish and either red or purple lipstick. I don't have different shoes all lined up under my desk. In case I havre a situation where I can't possibly wear heels I have some emergency flat pumps in a drawer. Oh, and a spare pair of heels in case the ones I've got on are chafing and I need a change, but that rarely happens these days. I'm sitting here at my desk putting off starting my next task, with my shoes off. I've got dark green nail varnish on my toenails and a couple of toe rings on each foot, so my feet are fully dressed even when my shoes are off! I keep several pots of nail varnish ar work, in case I need a touch up or feel like a change of colour. Alexa