History Main / BootsOfToughness

** [[Characters/BatmanTheCharacter Batman]] started out wearing a typical "Superhero" suit, with footwear that was more like a form-fitting slipper than an actual "shoe", but more recent depictions have him wearing something more akin to a [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/batman-706-eye-of-the-beholder-part-three-speak-no/4000-258315/ boot]], often with a [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/batman-608-hush-chapter-one-the-ransom/4000-124939/ closeup]] of the tread while he's [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/arkham-reborn-3-part-threethe-ghost-in-the-machine/4000-187349/ kicking]] someone or swinging.

** [[Characters/BatmanTheCharacter Batman]] started out wearing a typical "Superhero" suit, with footwear that was more like a form-fitting slipper than an actual "shoe", but more recent depictions have him wearing something more akin to a [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/batman-706-eye-of-the-beholder-part-three-speak-no/4000-258315/ boot]], often with a closeup of the tread while he's [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/arkham-reborn-3-part-threethe-ghost-in-the-machine/4000-187349/ kicking]] someone or swinging.

** [[Characters/BatmanTheCharacter Batman]] started out wearing a typical "Superhero" suit, with footwear that was more like a form-fitting slipper than an actual "shoe", but more recent depictions have him wearing something more akin to a boot, often with a closeup of the tread while he's [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/arkham-reborn-3-part-threethe-ghost-in-the-machine/4000-187349/ kicking]] someone or swinging.

** [[Characters/BatmanTheCharacter Batman]] started out wearing a typical "Superhero" suit, with footwear that was more like a form-fitting slipper than an actual "shoe", but more recent depictions have him wearing something more akin to a boot, often with a closeup of the tread while he's kicking someone or swinging.

** Rather than the pixie boots his predecessors wore, ComicBook/{{Robin}} III ([[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim Drake]]) wears metal toed tabi boots.

* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'': In the early 70's Supergirl wore slippers. Then she changed her costume and replaced the slippers with knee-length red boots made of a fabric just as invulnerable as herself.

* [[Comicbook/{{Apocalypse}} The title villain of]] ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' wears combat boots that not only are true to the comics, but have the practical effect of making his portrayer Creator/OscarIsaac [[ScullyBox look taller]].

* Discussed in ''Film/FallingDown''. Bill finds a hole in one of his shoes early on in the film and decides to replace them with some hiking boots, given that he's been attempting to get across Los Angeles on foot all day. Heading into Nick's army surplus store, he asks Nick for advice. Nick shows him two pairs of boots, one of which is a fancy pair that he is disdainful of and the other which he describes as this trope. While describing both pairs, he does so to disparage a gay couple who are browsing. Of course, since Nick turns out to be a Neo Nazi, this should come as no surprise. After Bill kills Nick and takes a number of items on BallisticDiscount, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it pan up on his new outfit shows that he's opted to take the expensive boots, likely out of spite.

* ''Literature/TheHollows'': Rachel's entire team wears boots, specifically chosen for toughness, style and comfort given their jobs.

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': When Aragorn is first introduced, the narration spends a while describing his boots. They're well made of good material and well-fitting, but dirty and worn, because he's worn them for years, travelling the wilderness.

** Several of the Doctor's incarnations have had boots as part of their regular costume, although the type of boot itself varied. The Third and Fourth wore knee-high boots; the Sixth, Eleventh and Thirteenth wore ankle-length boots (the Eighth also wore ankle-length boots at the end of his life, with cavalry gaiters added bringing their length up to knee-high); the Ninth and Twelfth (and the Fugitive Doctor) wore rugged Doc Marten (or Doc Marten-like) boots, in keeping with their more abrasive personalities. The War Doctor, the incarnation who fought in the Time War, wore modern combat boots, again with gaiters to increase their length.
** Ace habitually wears rugged Doc Marten boots, rather than the fashionable shoes favored by most companions.

* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': [[CombatMedic Taiga Hanaya]] wears combat boots as a part of his soldier attire along with black shirt, camo pants and a single dog tag. Sometimes he exchanges the shirt and pants for a black scrubs set. It compliments his pragmatic nature and fighting prowess both in hand to hand combat and as the story's [[ShellShockedVeteran original]] Kamen Rider. Aside from that, [[JerkassWoobie he]] is a massive edgelord in need to mantain a "[[SourOutsideSadInside villainous]]" reputation.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Wendy Corduroy wears mud caked boots and more often than not comes off as a slacker. But in "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E2IntoTheBunker Into the Bunker]]" she fights an inhuman monster that has taken her shape, and acquits herself admirably against something quite strong. It should be mentioned that Wendy is the only daughter of an extremely tough lumberjack.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': In the episode "[[Recap/{{ThePowerpuffGirlsS2E9ImaginaryFiendCootieGras}} Imaginary Friend]]", the girls create a imaginary friend to counter Patches, Mike Believe's antagonistic imaginary friend. The girls' is a super-strong, super intelligent bunny scientist in a floral-print dress and combat boots. The boots are a trait added by Buttercup, who is the more tomboyish of the trio.

** Batman started out wearing a typical "Superhero" suit, with footwear that was more like a form-fitting slipper than an actual "shoe", but more recent depictions have him wearing something more akin to a boot, often with a closeup of the tread while he's kicking someone or swinging.
** Rather than the pixie boots his predecessors wore, ComicBook/{{Robin}} III (Tim Drake) wears metal toed tabi boots.

* ''VideoGame/{{Elsword}}'': Among Rena's advanced classes, Wind Sneaker wears boots and is tougher at physical combat - especially kicking - than her other classes Grand Archer and Night Watcher, who wear CombatStilettos.

* Batman started out wearing a typical "Superhero" suit, with footwear that was more like a form-fitting slipper than an actual "shoe", but more recent depictions have him wearing something more akin to a boot, often with a closeup of the tread while he's kicking someone or swinging.
* ''ComicBook/HackSlash'' has Cassie Hack wear black boots that help her with the dangerous [[SerialKillerKiller activities]] she involves herself in. They also help to cover up her [[AgonyOfTheFeet missing toes]].
* Rather than the pixie boots his predecessors wore, ComicBook/{{Robin}} III (Tim Drake) wears metal toed tabi boots.
* In the early 70's ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} wore slippers. Then she changed her costume and replaced the slippers with knee-length red boots made of a fabric just as invulnerable as herself.

[[caption-width-right:229:These boots were made for walking...all over you.]]

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]" the War Doctor, the one who fought in the Time War, wears boots. His more pacifistic incarnations wear shoes of various kinds.

* Shiki Ryougi from ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'' undergoes a drastic internal transformation following her two-year coma, going from an angsty, confused teenager to a brutal, if sentimental CombatPragmatist. The only outward change that signifies it, however (besides a slightly different haircut), is that she goes from wearing geta (traditional wooden sandals) to practical army boots.

* ''Literature/AClockworkOrange'': When Alex describes his gang's uniform, he specifically calls out their heavy boots for kicking.

* ''VideoGame/NightInTheWoods'': It's hard to tell with the art style but Mae, the player character points out in a line of dilogue that she's wearing boots which fits her tough tomboy personality.

%%(ZCE)* ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'': [[TheBigGirl Det. Rosa Diaz]] wears leather motorcycle boots that are as tough as she is. (Is she tough? How so? This example says nothing to someone that doesn't know the series.)

And that's just what they'll do\\

* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': [[CombatMedic Taiga]] [[BackalleyDoctor Hanaya]] wears combat boots as a part of his soldier attire along with black shirt, camo pants and a single dog tag. Sometimes he exchanges the shirt and pants for a black scrubs set. It compliments his pragmatic nature and fighting prowess both in hand to hand combat and as the story's [[ShellShockedVeteran original]] Kamen Rider. Aside from that, [[JerkassWoobie he]] is a massive edgelord in need to mantain a "[[SourOutsideSadInside villainous]]" reputation.

* Rather than the pixie boots his predecessors wore, ComicBook/Robin}} III (Tim Drake) wears metal toed tabi boots.

* Rather than the pixie boots his predecessors wore, [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin III]] (Tim Drake) wears metal toed tabi boots.

* Rather than the pixie boots his predecessors wore [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin III]] (Tim Drake) wears metal toed tabi boots.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1524723987014304900
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

* Rather than the pixie boots his predecessors wore [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin III]] (Tim Drake) wears metal toed tabi boots.

* In the early 70's ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} wore slippers. Then she changed her costume and replaced the slippers with knee-length red boots made of a fabric just as invulnerable as herself.

* ''Film/{{DEBS}}''. All the TeenSuperSpy characters wear black shoes with heels except for Max, a tough black chick who wears black combat boots.
* [[Comicbook/{{Apocalypse}} The title villain of]] ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' wears combat boots that not only are true to the comics, but have the practical effect of making his portrayer Creator/OscarIsaac [[ScullyBox look taller]].

* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' / ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'': Ares, the God of War, wears combat boots in his tough-guy BadassBiker guise. Mars Ultor, his Roman alter-ego, also wears them, though he appears as an actual soldier.

%%(ZCE)* ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'': [[TheBigGirl Det. Rosa Diaz]] wears leather motorcycle boots that are as tough as she is. (Is she tough? How so? This example says nothing to someone that doesn't know the series.)
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. In the AlternateRealityEpisode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E9TheWish The Wish]]", a DarkerAndEdgier Buffy wears cargo pants and combat boots, in contrast to the ActionFashionista we're used to.
* ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' likes this. Mal, Zoe and Jayne are the show’s tough characters and they all usually wear rugged boots. Jayne’s look like a work boot style while Mal’s and Zoe’s are high brown ones. Zoe manages to look fashionable in hers too.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': The only classes who ''don't'' wear boots are the Scout, who opts for cleats to go with his sports theme, and the Spy, who wears dress shoes to go with his three-piece suit.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': Undyne wears boots most of the time and is a huge badass.
* ''VideoGame/NightInTheWoods'': It's hard to tell with the art style but Mae, the player character points out in a line of dilogue that she's wearing boots which fits her tough tomboy personality.
* [[TheHero Rean Schwarzer]] from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' wears boots from the second game and beyond.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'': Daria and her best friend Jane, equally prickly and indomitable, and equally fans of combat boots.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Jorgen Von Strangle is the toughest Fairy in Fairy World, and dresses like a {{drill sergeant|Nasty}}, right down to the combat boots.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Wendy Corduroy wears mud caked boots and more often than not comes off as a slacker. But in "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E2IntoTheBunker Into the Bunker]]" she fights an inhuman monster that has taken her shape, and acquits herself admirably against something quite strong. It should be mentioned that Wendy is the only daughter of an extremely tough lumberjack.

* ''ComicBook/HackSlash'' has Cassie Hack wear black boots that help her with the dangerous [[SerialKillerKiller activities]] she involves herself in. They also help to cover up her AgonyOfTheFeet.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Jorgen Von Strangle in the page image is the toughest Fairy in Fairy World, and dresses like a {{drill sergeant|Nasty}}, right down to the combat boots.