Men’s Wrangler boot at Arizona Trading Company

Men’s boot at the Antique Mall

Ash-colored boot at Wild Man Vintage

Camel-colored boot at Wild Man Vintage

My feet prefer the company of boots over any other encasement in which I could place them. When I find a pair I like, I wear them until the sole is flapping off and super glue no longer adheres to the half-dozen layers of glue previously applied.

Toward the end of a boot’s life, I hear my mother’s voice in my head every time I pull them on: “Those look awful. Some polish would do wonders.” But because I’m too stubborn to admit when my mother is right, I opted to set out on a quest to buy new boots. It went something like this:

• 3 p.m. Head downtown and, on the way, decide what I’m looking for: brown leather boots that hit at mid-calf and have no heel. Simple enough.
• 3:15 p.m. Walk into Arizona Trading Company, 736 Mass. I don’t find any boots for me, but I realize that this place is a man’s boot heaven. I found some awesome men’s Wrangler boots for $16.50.
• 3:25 p.m. Make it to the Antique Mall, 830 Mass., where I usually buy my boots. Before walking in, I add a stipulation to my “perfect boot” list: no cowboy boots.
• 3:27 p.m. Find booth No. 501 and once again find a slew of amazing men’s boots. No cool women’s boots.
• 3:35 p.m. Find some cool navy blue boots in booth No. 3. They’re way too small and don’t have a price tag.
• 3:40 p.m. Leave the Antique Mall empty-handed.
• 3:44 p.m. Walk into Weavers, 901 Mass., and get momentarily sidetracked by their collection of ’60s-inspired, long-sleeved sweater dresses.
• 3:47 p.m. Again, leave with nothing.
• 3:49 p.m. Get to Wild Man Vintage, 939 Mass. Their selection of boots is beautifully organized into one room. I try not to look at the guys’ side.
• 3:50 p.m. Find two potential options. One ash gray pair, one camel brown pair.
• 3:51 p.m. Realize the ash gray option is a size 7 ½. I try them on even though I’m a size 9. I don’t even get my foot halfway into the shoe.
• 3:52 p.m. Try on the camel-colored pair. They’re a size 8 ½ and have a small heel. They fit, but I’m not completely in love so I move on.
• 4:05 p.m. Walk into Kieu’s, 738 Mass. There are way too many people crowded in front of the shoe wall, so I do a once over from the other side of the store to see if anything catches my eye. The only boots that don’t have heels are suede. Suede is too delicate for my rain/snow/dirt trudging lifestyle. I walk out.
• 4:08 p.m. Start walking back to my car, disappointed with my failed quest.
• 4:09 p.m. Decide to stop at Made, 737 Mass. I justify buying a pair of mittens because of the money I saved by not buying boots.
• 4:10 p.m. Decide to try Brown’s Shoe Fit Company, 829 Mass., as one last stop for boots. I spot some shoe polish and immediately decide to buy it.
• 4:10 p.m. Realize my mom was right (again).
• 4:25 p.m. Get back to my house and polish my old boots. Decide the quick fix will suffice and put off the “new boot” quest for another day.