Steam-Punk Boots

These are a pair of Ralph Lauren wool and leather "riding" boots I bought on sale. I loved them, but the lycra lining tore at the ankle almost immediately, and they began sagging at the ankle. This project began as an attempt to shore them up so they wouldn't sag.

I've only decorated the left one; the right one hasn't inspired me yet. They are decorated with brass hardware such as wing-nuts, acorn nuts, some kind of lamp finial, brass wire, a heavy-gauge copper wire, and black rubber tubing. Because these are slip on, the majority of the hardware isn't a problem (I get stopped a lot and asked how I get them off, to which I say, "blowtorch,") and is "glued" on with some stuff called "Titen" that keeps screws screwed until you want to undo them. The one exception is the ankle strap, which is almost invisible in these photos, but is located between the two copper strips, on the 6th set of eyelets. It has to be screwed on either side, and runs around the back of the ankle. I've lost a lot of hardware because the vibration of walking makes the nuts rattle off, and I plan to replace the strap with a longer one that only requires one nut on the outside eyelet.

Taking a photo of these things is a pain!