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TOS Boots
For a person trying to complete a TOS uniform, the boots can be one of the most tricky things to achieve. Completing a classic women's uniform is often easier, because plain black boots are more easily available for women on the retail market. Men's uniform boots can be harder.By the way, marching band boots can be exactly what you need for the classic women's uniform ensemble. Diana Wilson reports that the Nancy boot has a 5 cm (2 inch) heel, and the top of the heel to the top of the boot at the calf is about 33 cm (13 inches). Meanwhile, the Dallas Gotham boot has a slightly lower heel, but a higher shaft.
Funtasma Hero 100
The first stop for many are black Funtasma Hero-100 boots. They're available at most internet sources like Amazon or eBay, and cost less than $100 as I write this. They're fine in terms of covering your feet, being black, and being tall. However, other than those functions, the boots are just plain wrong in all the details. They don't have the slender Flamenco appearance...rather they look more like rubber wellies you'd wear while gardening on a rainy day.
That harsh assessment made, I note that I wore these the first few years of conventions, and they did the job. I still keep a pair on hand, and would wear them if I were doing something in a rough, outdoor environment, and didn't want to damage my better boots.
Bear in mind that in TOS, they didn't ALWAYS wear their tight black boots. In outdoor sequences, for example in the episode "Arena," Shatner wore black lace-up wrestling boots. (Perhaps the Metrons equipped him with those, to give him...equal footing...with the Gorn.)
My point is....if you want to wear the Funtasmas, go for it, and anyone who disses you for it should watch more Trek and remind themselves what IDIC means!
Unless you are made of much tougher stuff than I am, you'll want to buy some orthotic inserts for your Funtasmas. They'll make them much more comfortable.
Low Lennons
The next step up might be to buy a pair of black, "Low Lennon" boots from Beatwear Sixties Limited. Google them, and look for their Low Lennon boots in Black Calf leather. Last I checked, they were a bit more than 200 pounds, or a bit less than $300. I don't recall the cost for shipping, but it wasn't too bad. Also, they ship rapidly--I recall I had the boots within a month or so after ordering.
The boots are great, and very comfortable. I don't use orthotics when I wear mine, but I recommend you experiment. Don't be alarmed by the bright red interiors...you won't see that when you're wearing them.
The only problem with these boots is that they're just not quite tall enough, so while (for me) they look great when I'm standing or walking, if I sit down my pants rise up above the top of the boots. The top of the boots are 25 cm (10 inches) above the level of the boot interior.
Caboots
I've seen some folks wearing boots custom made by a Texan company called Caboots. This firm looks like a solid, custom boot maker but I cannot fully recommend these boots for Trek purposes. While they are great looking, quality boots, they don't quite have the graceful style that Trek boots should have...which ultimately have a Flamenco soul. The Caboots books look too much like they're made by a cowboy boot maker...they're much more equestrian in design. They should have a terrifyingly pointy tip and much higher heels.
Given no other alternatives, these definitely are nice boots, but for the price ($500 as I write this in 2023), I'd recommend Duran's (described next), or possibly even trying to have a pair of Beatwear boots modified.
Duran's
I think that the latinum standard is to get a pair of boots from Duran's. The boots will end up beautiful, and are the favorite of the dedicated costumers that I know.
When you're ordering boots from Duran's, you contact them and they will send you instructions on how to measure your feet. (Google Duran's Dance Shoes in Los Angeles--as I write this, they're on 2719 East 4th Street). You'll trace the outline of your stockinged foot on a piece of paper (really, get someone else to do this for you), and will complete a set of measurements. One thing you'll decide is how high the boots come up. I recommend you put on your hero TOS pants, stand up....sit down....see how high the pants rise up. Make sure the boots easily stay under your pants. This all depends on your height.
You can coordinate with the staff at Duran's and perhaps have them send you the uppers (top part of the boots) before they attach them to the soles, if you're worried about the fit. If you're in the Los Angeles area and could visit them, you could ask them if they would make the measurements on site.
Inquire about the wait time. It might be a few months...it might be several. The cost will be around $400...maybe more, maybe less.
Overall, I'm very happy with these boots. I'm not used to wearing such high heels, so orthotics are mandatory! It takes a few wearings to get the boots used to your feet, so expect the first few wearings to be the least comfortable.
In all the images on this page, I'm wearing Anovos pants.
Ooh....here's a treat. Beth and I were in SoCal and so dropped in at Duran's (with an appointment) to have Beth's feet measured for a pair of her own boots. While we were there, Isabel kindly showed us around the build area. It was fascinating to see how her expert staff created these boots. Here are a few images, which Isabel said we were free to show on social media...
