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A Burner Lexicon: Burner Boots

Posted in A Burner Lexicon, and Burning Man

A tired participant in his dusty Burner Boots. Black Rock City, 2009. Photo by Reed.

Burner Boots, –noun, Part of Burn culture’s glammed-up Mad Max fashion aesthetic is its love of boots. The ideal Burner boots are clunky, tall, and resistant to the elements. They might be platforms but they probably aren’t high heels. Lots of buckles, laces, zippers or other hardware will add to their appeal. They might double as goth or punk boots, except for the bright colors, fun fur, and glitter they usually accompany. Burner boots go great with social panties.

For many, their first pair of Burner Boots is gifted to them or discovered at a thrift store. Burner Boots may grow even taller after heavy rains at That Thing In The Desert, when muddy playa dust solidifies in successive layers on the bottom of footwear. These accumulations are known as Playa Platforms or Playa Shoes.

My first Burner boots were a pair of Doc Marten-style knockoffs with flames all over them and extraneous zippers around the toe. They were gorgeous, and I found them for a pittance in a thrift store. They had playa dust permanently dug into the soles, which may have led to their eventual separation from the rest of the boot. As a result, this entry is dedicated to my brand new pair of Tuk Boots and the cute boy at The Alley who sold them to me.

Thanks to Vitiare for input into this entry.

Other entries in A Burner Lexicon can be found at https://kitoconnell.com/lexicon/