I’ve always wanted a pair of ’60s-style Beatle boots but they were always so damned expensive, especially the REAL ones. So I decided to see what Zappos.com had to offer in that style since I had a $15 coupon code from them burning a hole in my virtual wallet that I needed to use sometime between now and the end of March. So I started searching their site and BINGO. I found these Giorgio Brutini ’60s-style Beatle boots that look GREAT. OK, maybe not quite as great as the Cavern Boots I’d been wanting to get, but they’re at least half the price of those, so I think I can handle the slight design downgrade. But I’m pretty excited… as excited as a guy can get over getting a new pair of boots, anyway. I’ve never owned a pair of these before… the closest I’ve had was a pair of Dr. Marten’s chelsea boots several years ago. Aside from those and the occasional heavy work boots I wore in the warehouse at CompUSA, I’ve rarely ever worn boots in my life. A pair of Harley Davidson motorcycle boots I bought a few years ago collects dust in my closet (they’re just not comfortable and only look right if I wear very baggy pants… which I have, um, ONE pair of). And I still have yet to even own a pair of regular lace-up Docs. True, I had the GI-style black leather combat boots when I was a slam-dancin’ young punk rocker, and at one time in my junior high school years I owned a pair of cowboy boots (“shit kickers”), but normally I’m a sneaker guy. Been wearing Chuck Taylors, PF Flyers or Vans since high school. But, shit, even a new pair of Vans will run you over $50 these days (the slip-ons are over $40 themselves), so I didn’t see the big deal in plunking down a little extra cash on a nice pair of boots, especially ones that come with such rave reviews as these. Yes, it sounds like the sole is pretty thin and I’ll probably end up taking these to a cobbler to have some protective rubber soles put on, but other than that I think they’ll be perfect, and I’m really looking forward to wearing them. They should be arriving tomorrow, thanks to Zappos’ free next-day shipping. I’ll try to keep you posted.