Outdoor Insight

52 • Outdoor Insight • August 2017 BOOTS FOOTWEAR N ot too long ago, boots were worn only for specific tasks. Rain boots kept the water out, work boots never left the job site, tactical boots played it safe and outdoor boots walked on the wild side. As the upcoming styles shown here illustrate, the boot is becoming the uber all-around shoe. In its role as one-style-fits-all-activities footwear, the boot is getting more difficult to fit into any one category. And that, according to brands and consumers, is the point. Crossover and custom are the catchwords of the future. Although the experts have different opinions about the next big thing, it is clear that with new technology like 3D printing, which some brands are beginning to explore and use to create prototypes, the boot will continue to evolve. "Automation and 3D printing will allow us to achieve a lightweight, durable and more cost-effective product," says Steve Nelson, senior designer/developer for Rocky. "As an example, using laser roughing will allow for more complicated outsoles to be bonded to full-grain leather. Many of these processes are done by hand and can be done quite well. However, repeatability and time consumption remain obstacles." Nelson says that 3D printing is likely to change the style of athletic shoes and therefore boots. "The simplification trend is very popular in athletic shoes where simple uppers with intricate subtle details are used in place of a more layered, multiple-piece upper," he says. "Multiple-piece uppers require a lot of steps. With an upper that has been printed, we could reduce those steps by 50 percent or more in some cases." At some point, it will emerge not as a boot or a shoe but as some- thing much greater than the sum of its toes and heels. Q continued on next page REBOOTING THE BOOT Vasque's Clarion '88 By Nancy A. Ruhling Photos by Frank James

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