theses boots are made for walking

• Behind the Song
• Nancy Sinatra

Behind the History and Meaning of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” by Nancy Sinatra

by Jacob Uitti January 8, 2023, 10:37 am

It’s the anthem of feminine power. It’s the song that says, “Not only will I triumph over you, but I’ll look good while doing it, too.” It’s a song about fashion and not giving any f*cks. That’s right, it’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” by Nancy Sinatra.

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Let’s dive into the history and meaning of the song.

The Meaning

Right as the foreboding acoustic and chromatic bass begin, you know you’re in trouble. The mood of the song, even as it just begins, puts you on your heels.

Written by country star Lee Hazelwood, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” was first made into a hit by Nancy Sinatra (daughter of singer, Frank Sinatra). It hit the charts on January 22, 1966 after a release in December of 1965, and peaked at No. 1 in the U.S. and U.K. Since the song’s release it has been covered by others, from Billy Ray Cyrus and Megadeth to Jessica Simpson.

While the song was made famous by Nancy, Hazlewood said the writing of the tune was inspired by a line Frank said in the comedy western, 4 for Texas , in 1963. The line was, “They tell me them boots ain’t built for walkin’.”

[RELATED: The Meaning Behind the Song Lyrics: “Fancy” by Bobbie Gentry]

In the song, the boots are made for walking. They’re made for walking out on no good, cheating men and they’re good, furthermore, for walking on their hearts before the head out the door. The track appeared on Nancy’s 1966 album, Boots . It was a follow-up to her popular tune, “So Long, Babe.”

Writing the song, Hazlewood wanted to record it himself. He even said that “it’s not really a girl’s song.” But Nancy talked him out of it, saying, “Coming from a guy, it was harsh and abusive, but was perfect for a little girl to sing.” Hazlewood, perhaps receiving an offer he couldn’t refuse, eventually agreed.

Sings Nancy to her no-good cheating boyfriend:

You keep sayin’ you’ve got somethin’ for me Somethin’ you call love but confess You’ve been a’messin’ where you shouldn’t ‘ve been a’messin’ And now someone else is getting all your best

These boots are made for walkin’ And that’s just what they’ll do One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

The Recording

The music for the song is just as impactful as the substance and performance from Nancy.

It was good largely because it was performed by the Los Angeles corps known as the Wrecking Crew. Chuck Berghofer played double bass and that now famous chromatic descent.

In a bit of controversy, Wrecking Crew drummer Hal Blaine says he played drums on the song but the contract shows he was not present in the session. Donald “Richie” Frost is credited with playing the drum kit.

The recording session took place on November 19, 1965 at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, California. It also produced the songs, “Foursome” and “The City Never Sleeps at Night.”

The Music Video

Today, the music video—known then as a “promotional film”—is iconic.

In the ’60s, it was available on video jukeboxes. Directed by Robert Sidney, it was produced at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. For its 20th anniversary, the video was played in celebration on the cable channel VH1, in 1986.

In Popular Culture

Since its release, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” has appeared in many pop culture properties.

In 1987, it appeared in the movie Full Metal Jacket during a scene where a South Vietnamese prostitute in a miniskirt propositions some American soldiers. Ten years later, the song was used for the spy parody movie, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997).

[RELATED: The 10 Best Revenge Country Songs—From Nancy Sinatra, Carrie Underwood and More]

It’s also been used in an episode of the cartoon Family Guy , in the movie Ocean’s 8 ; the 2001 movie, The Mexican ; the 2021 movie, Cruella , and more.

Famous Covers

Along with Nancy’s original, the song has been covered by artists, including Billy Ray Cyrus for his debut LP, Some Gave All , in 1992.

In 2005, Jessica Simpson recorded a more up-tempo version that included a sultry music video for the soundtrack to the film that same year, The Dukes of Hazzard , in which she played the character Daisy Duke. The song later appeared on her 2006 LP, A Public Affair .

Simpson’s version included alternate lyrics. The new version included new lyrics written by Simpson, including a risqué spoken-word breakdown after a new bridge.

Megadeth also released an intense metal version of the song.

Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

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These Boots Are Made For Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra

Songfacts®:

• Nancy is Frank Sinatra's daughter. She is best known for this song, but is far from a one-hit-wonder: she charted 10 times on the US Top 40 from 1966-1968, with six solo hits, three duets with Lee Hazlewood and one with her dad - the #1 " Somethin' Stupid ." She also appeared in several movies, including Speedway with Elvis Presley.
• Nancy was on the same record label as her famous father, but they were going to drop her because her first few singles flopped. Things changed when they teamed her with producer Lee Hazlewood, who wrote this for her and had her lower her delivery. The first attempt was "So Long Babe," which was a minor hit and the second was "These Boots are Made For Walkin'." Nancy regretted the song, saying in 1971, "The image created by 'Boots' isn't the real me. 'Boots' was hard and I'm as soft as they come." But then Lee had written the song for himself: "It was a party song I had written two or three years before that. It was a joke to begin with. I had written a beautiful song for her, 'The City Never Sleeps At Night,' and she wondered if it would sell. I replied, 'Three times more than 'So Long Babe,' and that did 60,000. We're building up your career.' I changed my mind and put it on the back of 'Boots' and that sold 6 million."
• Lee Hazlewood said of this song: "When 'Boots' was #1 in half the countries in the world, Nancy came over to my house, and she was crying. She said, 'They didn't pick up on my option at Reprise and they said I owed them $12,000.' I said, 'You're kidding, we've got the biggest record in the world.' I rang my lawyer in New York and I rang Nancy the next day and said, 'How would you like $1 million? I've got three labels that are offering that for you right now and I can get something pretty good for myself as well.' She talked to her father and he said she could write her own contract with Reprise - after all she was selling more records than him at the time." (Quotes from 1000 UK #1 Hits .)
• Nancy Sinatra recalled in the documentary The Wrecking Crew that Lee Hazlewood was going to record the song himself, but she talked him out of it. Said Sinatra, "When a guy sings it, the song sounds harsh and abusive, but it's perfect for a little girl."
• Hazlewood had a long and distinctive career as a songwriter, producer and performer. He did a series of duets with Nancy Sinatra in the mid-'60s where he often had her play up the sexuality of the songs. Hazlewood also worked with Duane Eddy, and enjoyed a resurgence in the '90s when a younger generation discovered his earlier solo efforts.
• Hazlewood often drew inspiration for his songs from regular people. In a Blender magazine interview, he said he was in a Texas bar when some patrons started razzing an older guy about his younger girlfriend and how she controlled him. The man responded by putting his feet on a barstool and saying, "I know what you think - that she might be the boss. But I am the boss of my house, and these boots will walk all over her the day that I'm not."
• Talk about a "walking" bass line - to accompany the image of boots walking all over a man, Chuck Berghofer was brought in to play the string bass ( Carol Kaye played the electric). Hazelwood had him play short sliding notes to get the sound.
• Thanks to a company called Color-Sonics, a fashionable video was made for this song showing Nancy with a troupe of dancers performing this song in boots, sweaters, and little else. Color-Sonics made video jukeboxes for bars; you could pop a few quarters into the machine and a film reel would play. Knowing their audience, they commissioned the "Boots" video, which was directed by Robert Sidney, a choreographer who worked on the movies Where the Boys Are and Valley of the Dolls . Color-Sonics wasn't around much longer, but the video showed up in a number of documentaries and other entertainment or news programs. The video made its way onto YouTube in 2010, where it garnered well over 100 million views.
• In the 1987 movie Full Metal Jacket , this was used in a scene where a prostitute solicits business in Vietnam. Another popular movie appearance of the song was in the 1994 film Prêt-à-Porter . This version was sung by Sam Phillips , who was always a big fan of the song. She told us that she would like to someday do a drastically different take on the song, as she feels the definitive version - Sinatra's - has already been done.
• Megadeth did a cover of this for Killing is my Business... and Business is Good . The original edition included the uncensored version, but subsequent pressings include a censored, heavily bleeped version, due to songwriter Lee Hazlewood's refusal to grant the group the rights to re-release the version with its altered lyrics intact. >> Suggestion credit : Kyle - Montreal, Canada
• Jessica Simpson and Willie Nelson did a duet on this song for the soundtrack of the 2005 movie The Dukes Of Hazzard . Their version was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with some additional lyrics written by Simpson. Nelson played Uncle Jessie in the movie and Simpson played Daisy Duke. In the video, a brawl breaks out at The Boar's Nest but it turns into a hoedown when a bunch of girls come in wearing daisy duke shorts. Their version was used in a TV ad campaign for Pizza Hut starring Simpson. >> Suggestion credit : Bertrand - Paris, France
• The Fixx recorded this for the 2002 album When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear . Cevin Soling, who was the album's executive producer, explains how this came together : "The way I first became aware of that song was through a very, very strange cover that I don't think has ever been released, of that song. I used to listen to the Dr. Demento Show, and there was this band, Barnes And Barnes, who were known for having done the song 'Fish Heads.' They did this cover of 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin',' only they called it 'These Newts Are Made For Crawling.' I was pretty little, but that was essentially how I got to learn the song. And yeah, it was a great track, and the strange parody cover was sort of responsible for that. (The Fixx) took a long time on that track, because they were kind of going back and forth, because they really were kind of perfectionist about things, and they weren't just going to do something if they didn't think they could do it well. They made, I think, three attempts at it before they finally were happy. But they took it all very seriously."
• In 1996, Nancy Sinatra gave the famous white go-go boots she wore to promote this song to the Hard Rock Cafe in Beverly Hills. >> Suggestion credit : Bertrand - Paris, France
• Stan Cornyn, music executive and celebrated writer of liner notes, waxed poetic about Nancy Sinatra in the notes for this song: "'How should I sing this?' 'Like a 16-year-old girl who's been dating a 40-year-old man, but it's all over now.' She looks good, dresses good, lives good, eats, drinks, loves, breathes, dances, sings, cries good. Five-foot-three and tiger eyes. A mouth made for lollipops or kisses, stingers or melting smiles. Ninety-five pounds of affection. She's been there already. Barely in her twenties, she looks younger. That look, like Lolita Humbert, like Daisy Clover. The power to exalt, or to destroy, wanting only the former, but unafraid to invoke the latter if the time comes. The eyes that see through, know more, look longer. Unafraid to pull on the boots again, toss off a burnt out thing with a casual 'So long, babe,' and get. A young, fragile, living thing, on its own in a wondrous-wicked-woundup-wasted-wild-worried-wisedup-warmbodied world. On her own. Earning her daily crepes and Cokes by singing the facts of love. Her voice tells as much as her songs. No faked up grandeur, her voice is like it is: a little tired, little put down, a lot loving. No one is born sophisticated. It's a place you have to crawl to, crawling out of hayseed country, over miles of unsanded pavement, past Trouble, past corners and forks with no auto club signs to point you, till you get there and you wake up wiser. She's arrived. She sings you about the long crawl. And makes you have to listen."
• Eileen Goldsen recorded versions in French, Italian, and German in 1966. The German version ("Die Stiefel sind zum wandern") was prominently featured in the 2013 Orphan Black episode "Instinct."
• A kinky interpretation envisions a miniskirt-wearing Nancy Sinatra inflicting both pleasure and pain with her go-go boots, but Nancy assures the Boston Globe that she was oblivious at the time of any S&M overtones: "No, I think I was too naive to have known anything about that."
• A 1978 cover of "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" was the first single released by The Boys Next Door, the first band Nick Cave (of Bad Seeds fame) was ever in. The single didn't crack the charts, and The Boys Next Door changed their name to The Birthday Party in 1980. The country singer Billy Ray Cyrus included his cover on his 1992 album Some Gave All , the same one with " Achy Breaky Heart ." Other artists to cover the song include LaToya Jackson and Crispin Hellion Glover.
• Four mini Maya Rudolphs sing this in an ad for Klarna that ran during the 2021 Super Bowl. The concept: They want to buy a pair of boots and split the payments.
• More songs from Nancy Sinatra
• More songs with methods of transportation in the title
• More songs about cheating
• More songs used in commercials
• More songs covered by The Supremes
• More songs with items of clothing in the title
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• Lyrics to These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Comments: 25

• Tony M from Massachusetts check out a band named 'Bottle Rockets' CD 'Brand New Year' which has an original song by them, 'Nancy Sinatra'. it's a sincere homage, and it's funny. they're from Missouri, and really rock!
• Will from Singapore i see here that Nancy donated white boots to the Hard Rock. these would 've been the boots she wears on the cover of the single , but in the VIDEO, aren't the boots BLACK?
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On May 22nd 1966, Mrs. Miller* performed "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" on the CBS-TV variety program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'... Also appearing on the same 'Sullivan' show was Nancy Sinatra; and three months earlier on February 20th, 1966 her original version of "Boots" had peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart... * And of course Mrs. Miller' version is available on You Tube.
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On February 27th 1966, Nancy Sinatra performed "These Boots Are Made For Walking" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'... Six days earlier she performed the song on the NBC-TV program 'Hullabaloo!'... (See post below) Sessions drummer Hal Blaine played on the studio recording of the song; it was one of the thirty-eight No.1 records he played drums on between 1961 and 1976.
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On February 21st 1966, Nancy Sinatra performed "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" on the NBC-TV program 'Hullabaloo!'... One months earlier on January 16th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #64; and on February 20th it peaked at #1 (for 1 week) and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 7 of those 14 weeks it was on the Top 10)... And on February 27th it reached #1 (for 8 weeks) on the Australian Kent Music Report chart... In Canada on March 7th it also peaked at #1 (for 1 week) and in the U.K. it reached #1 (for 1 week) on February 12th... In 2005 Jessica Simpson covered the song; her version peaked at #14 on the Top 100 and #2 in Australia... Ms. Sinatra will celebrate her 74th birthday in four months on June 8th (2014).
• Daniel from Buenos Aires, Argentina One of my favourite beginings, that upright bass falling down. I think that´s the fact that just starting the song everyone smiles and think: "bootsss!!!"
• Mark from Seattle, Wa Nancy was the first person Elvis called when Lisa Marie was born. The famous "BOOTS" now sit in Nancy's home on each side of her Sofa...she had them made into table lamps.
• Ken Sparkes from Sydney, Australia Does anyone know the Nancy Sinatra song that was a top ten hit in 1967 "Lightnings Girl?
• Jennifer Harris from Grand Blanc, Mi Michigan School For The Deaf did a good job with this song,when they did their favorite songs of the 60s,I love this song,too.
• Annabelle from Chicago, Il Nancy's version was the best,this song should have been left alone.
• Lalah from Wasilla, Ak Ever notice that Nancy can only sing 5 notes? There are no more than 5 notes to Boots. Devo should have covered this like they covered "Satisfaction"
• Jim from Boston, Ma This song was also covered by Johnny Thunders, the late lead guitarist of The New York Dolls, the only one who ever did it with a rock & roll attitude since Nancy Sinatra. I first heard/saw him perform this (on a catwalk) at a show at the Channel One club (later The Channel) in Boston, in July of 1981. Jessica Simpson's version is so lame by comparison to Nancy's and/or Johnny's cover. Is Jessica Simpson the eldest daughter of "Homer" & "Marge," the one he left playing in the control rods at the nuke plant? Is that why she's so horribly brain dead? Anyway, to end on a positive note--I remember Nancy singing this song and also Barbara Feldon's Tiger commercial (before "Get Smart") as being the first examples of kittenish female sexuality to which I was exposed in the early-to-mid 1960s--not that it mattered much, as I turned out to be homosexual. But I do appreciate the impressions those two women made in their time, nonetheless.
• Joe from New York, Ny I'm trying to find a German language cover of "Boots". Anybody?
• Pj from Okc, Ok Nancy did this better than anyone could ever do it! She owns this song!
• Jon from Oakridge, Or Same here Alex, New Orleans, LA. Full Metal Jacket is the BEST. BTW, Frank Sinatra sucks.
• Leya Qwest from Anchorage, Ak Great appearance by Nancy on Jay Leno's Tonight show back sometime in 90's. She kinda waltzed out goosestep-like from behind the curtains while wideclapping her hands with outstretched arms. Really sets the fun and attitude for the television performance. Not bad-looking in front of the camera for her age either. Not a megastar like her dad, but still a legend in her own right. On Larry King she mentions that when she told Frank about the Playboy centerfold offer and what they were planning on paying her, he shook his head at her and said "Uh-uh (as in no). Double it." Classic dad.
• Andre from Bhcity, Germany this song is also covered by the ska band Symarip, the hardcore band 7 Seconds and Operation Ivy. The Operation Ivy version is called "one of these days"
• Alex from New Orleans, La No matter how great the song is as a rewritten cover , I will always remember it for the Da Nang prostitute in Full Metal Jacket.
• Angie from Rockmart, Ga I like the music, but the words do nothing for me
• Caroline from Birmingham, Al Jessica Simpson is a very beautiful girl but I don't know why she's over glorified for her "talent" which she doesn't have.I don't know who lied to her by telling her that whispering is singing.I think it's insulting to people who can actually sing.why would someone say she's a role model to her children? do you want your kids to think it's ok for their fathers to talk about their boobs?
• Dee from Okc, Ok I am really disappointed with the Jessica Simpson video. I really held her in high esteem and a great role model for my teenage daughter. Giving herself to God and being the daughter of a preacher, I really feel she sold out on this one. She should have better morals than this one. She really sold herself out to display herself in this manner. She didn't do the song justice at all.
• Eetu from Helsinki, Finland Megadeth also covered this tune on their first album. It's called "These Boots" and features sightly altered lyrics.
• Wayne from Beverly Hills, Ca Lee Hazlewood, who wrote the song, intending it to be sung by a male vocalist (he recorded it himself in 1965). Nsncy Sinatra, whom he was producing at the time, spent six months persuading him to let her record it.
• Horace from Western, Md Lil Kim signs a (bad) verion of this song as the theme to tthe TV Reality show "Growing Up Gotti".
• Staom Eel from Nampa , Id According to my father, when Nancy performed this song during a USO show for soldiers stationed in Vietnam, some of the soldier chucked their boots at Nancy. Apparently the soldiers didn't like to be reminded that their, "boots where made for walking", considering the soldiers had to walk every where. Supposedly she never returned to Nam.

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These Boots Are Made for Walkin’: The Story Behind Nancy Sinatra’s Enduring #1 Hit (1966)

in Fashion , Music , Video - Arts & Culture | February 3rd, 2020 Leave a Comment

You put on your boots And I’ll put on mine And we’ll sell a mil­lion records Any old time - Lee Hazle­wood

Musi­cians!

Look­ing to increase your chances of a hit song, one that will worm its way into the public’s hearts and ears, earn­ing fat roy­al­ty checks for half a cen­tu­ry or more?

Try start­ing with a killer bass line.

Accord­ing to singer  Nan­cy Sina­tra , song­writer  Lee Hazle­wood and arranger  Bil­ly Strange  swung by her par­ents’ liv­ing room to pre­view a selec­tion of tunes they thought she might want to record.

The moment she heard “ These Boots Are Made For Walkin ’ ”s mem­o­rable lick, she knew it was a win­ner.

(As did her famous father, who looked up from his news­pa­per after Hazle­wood and Strange depart­ed, to remark, “The song about the boots is best.”)

Orig­i­nal­ly con­ceived of as a song from the male POV, the 25-year-old, just-divorced Sina­tra felt its mes­sage would be less “harsh and abu­sive” deliv­ered by a “lit­tle girl.”

Hazle­wood agreed, but hedged his bets by direct­ing  engi­neer Eddie Brack­ett to beef up Sinatra’s vocals with some light reverb.

As biog­ra­ph­er James Kaplan  describes in  Sina­tra: The Chair­man ,  Hazle­wood also offered some dis­creet direc­tion, insin­u­at­ing that the vibe to strive for was that of “a 14-year-old girl in love with a 40-year-old man.”

When Sina­tra failed to receive his mean­ing, he shucked all pre­tense of del­i­ca­cy. Nan­cy shared his march­ing orders in her 1985 biog­ra­phy  Frank Sina­tra, My Father :

…I was still singing like Nan­cy Nice­La­dy. Lee hit the talk-back switch in the booth and his deep voice blew my ears off. ‘For chris­sake, you were a mar­ried woman, Nasty, you’re not a vir­gin any­more. Let’s do one for the truck dri­vers. Say some­thing tough at the end of this one…  Bite  the words.’

Or some­thing to that effect…

Kaplan includes how  sev­er­al sources claim  that Hazlewood’s actu­al instruc­tion was to sing it like “a six­teen-year-old girl who f**ks truck dri­vers.”

(Editor’s note: instruct­ing a young woman to do that in 2020 is far like­li­er to result in a law suit than a hit record.… and giv­en that most of the sources who abide by this ver­sion of Boots’ cre­ation myth pref­ace their state­ments with the word “appar­ent­ly,” it may not have flown in 1966 either.)

The song’s immense pop­u­lar­i­ty was giv­en an assist by the 1966  Col­or-Son­ics  film, above, shot in 16mm for the public’s enjoy­ment on 26-inch  Sco­pi­tone juke­box screens .

It also put a match to the Amer­i­can tin­der where  go-go boots  were con­cerned. Young women in Britain had already adopt­ed them as the per­fect footwear to accom­pa­ny  Youthquake design­er Mary Quant ’s miniskirts and hot pants. Sina­tra and her maxi sweater-wear­ing back up dancers get the bulk of the cred­it on this side of the pond.

While “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” has been cov­ered by every­one from  Ella Fitzger­ald  and Duke Elling­ton to  Bil­ly Ray Cyrus  and  Megadeth , the sweet­est cov­er remains song­writer Hazlewood’s, below, in which he namechecks the col­lab­o­ra­tors of his most famous hit with nary a men­tion of truck­ers or teenaged girls.

Relat­ed Con­tent:

Meet Car­ol Kaye, the Unsung Bassist Behind Your Favorite 60s Hits

How the Viet­nam War Shaped Clas­sic Rock–And How Clas­sic Rock Shaped the War

The Sex Pis­tols’ Sid Vicious Sings Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”: Is Noth­ing Sacred?

Ayun Hal­l­i­day  is an author, illus­tra­tor, the­ater mak­er and Chief Pri­ma­tol­o­gist of  the East Vil­lage Inky  zine.  Join her in NYC TONIGHT, Mon­day, Feb­ru­ary 3, as her month­ly book-based vari­ety show,  Necro­mancers of the Pub­lic Domain  cel­e­brates New York, The Nation’s Metrop­o­lis (1921). Fol­low her  @AyunHalliday .

by Ayun Halliday | Permalink | Comments (0) |

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The Truth Behind Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Some songs in the archives of contemporary music are prolific in their recognizability. Any time Nancy Sinatra's  1966 hit "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" comes on in any given setting, people tend to start stomping along in unison with the distinctive, risqué intro. The opening lick seems to strut into the room with an unapologetic, decadent prowess that leaves a permanent mark in its wake. In this case, that mark is in the shape of a boot.

The song was originally brought to the young singer by songwriter Lee Hazelwood and arranger Billy Strange. She fell in love with it off the bat and committed to recording it through her own prism immediately. Initially, it was designed to be delivered from a male point of view, but Sinatra felt that a shifting the song's rhetoric toward a woman's perspective would offer it something a little more endearing. In this case, she was right (via Open Culture ).

A soleful twist

Fresh out of a five year marriage with teen heartthrob Tommy Sands, Sinatra felt that "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" would come off a little less "harsh and abusive" if the tone of it was shifted to something along the lines of a "14-year-old little girl in love with a 40-old-man," according to Open Culture . In modern context, that may seem somewhat controversial, but her compatriots agreed with her "Lolita"-esque creative notions and made it work for the sake of the song (per Rebeat ).

Audaciously casting innocence and propriety to the wayside, the song was an instant hit and dominated the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for two weeks, eventually going No. 1 (via The Current ). True to form, boot sales went through the roof in both the U.S. and Great Britain (per Open Culture), and nearly 60 years later, "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" is still kicking.

"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" lyrics

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Nancy Sinatra

These boots are made for walkin.

by   EUROPEU

there isn't a video lesson for this song

Written by Lee Hazlewood

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These Boots Are Made for Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra

These Boots Are Made for Walkin' Single December 1965

Boots Album February 1966

Added by Bastien

• Highlights 6
• Versions 317
• Adaptations 17
• Web Covers 5

These Boots Are Made for Walkin' written by Lee Hazlewood English

These Boots Are Made for Walkin' written by Lee Hazlewood instrumental

Boty proti lásce written by Eduard Krečmar Czech

Draag Schoenen Om Te Lopen written by unknown author(s) Dutch

Blauwe schoen written by Jaap Boots Dutch

This Body written by Mark Vosté , Tom Lumbeeck English

The Books God Made You're Mockin' written by J. John Jackson English

Saappaat written by Raul Reiman Finnish

Saappaat ampuu lujaa written by Jukka Alihanka Finnish

Astuva humppa written by Jukka Hyrkäs Finnish

Ces bottes sont faites pour marcher written by Eileen French

Die Stiefel sind zum wandern written by Bert Reisfeld German

Diese Stiefel sind zum Stampfen written by Claudia Bell , Maggie Ooster , Michael Roetgens , Uli Bergmann German

Stivaletti rossi written by Vito Pallavicini Italian

Bisogna far qualcosa written by Cristiano Minellono Italian

Bil' er klar for høgging written by Eldar Vågan Norwegian

Bootleg og platå written by Bjørn Lindquist Norwegian

Estas botas son hechas para andar written by Margarete Marmion Spanish

Vammersbyxer å steövelskor written by Göran Dobermann , Gördis Dobermann Swedish

Estas Botas Son Para Caminar written by [Unknown] Spanish (not verified yet)

Das Bier ist da zum Trinken written by [Unknown] German (not verified yet)

Questi stivali sono fatti per camminare written by Parigi Italian (not verified yet)

Op Schoenen Kun Je Lopen written by Jan Rot Dutch (not verified yet)

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These boots were (actually) made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do

From sky-high heels to slippery soles , women’s shoes too often rely on pleasing aesthetics over functionality and comfort. This can be especially frustrating when it comes to boots, as they’re the ideal footwear for the cooler months, which can mean navigating ice, walking to class or work, and even going on a proper hike. If you’re eager to find some boots that were actually made for walking, you’ve come to the right place. We pulled together 12 of our favorite comfortable boots to rock this fall and winter.

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1. amazon essentials women’s lace-up combat boot.

If you love the look of a good combat boot but don’t love tying laces, the Amazon Essentials Lace-Up Combat Boot is for you. As someone who has already worn through a very similar pair once (and is working on a second pair already), I can say from experience how comfortable, versatile, and fun a pair of boots like this can be. I’ve worn them everywhere from hiking through the misty hills of Scotland to heading out for a night on the town.

Available in women’s shoe sizes 5-13, these boots will fast become your favorite new pair for fall.

2. adidas Adifom SST Boot Shoes

If you’re looking for a boot that combines bright colors with weather-proof materials, the Adifom SST Boot Shoes may be your new favorite find. They’re made of super soft foam that will leave your feet comfortably cushioned and were inspired by both modern streetwear and vintage classics. Whether you’re working in a garden or looking to stay dry on your way to class, these boots will be there every step of the way.

These fun boots are available in five colors in women’s shoe sizes 4.5 to 11.5.

3. Salomon Quest 4 GORE-TEX Hiking Boots

If you’re gonna be the person to walk 500 miles (and then walk 500 more), you’ll want the best of the best when it comes to hiking boots. The Salomon Quest 4 Gore-Tex Hiking Boots offer strong support, cushioning, and a wide toe box to keep your feet comfortable. Best of all, they’re made from insulating Gore-Tex material that’ll keep your feet dry in wet weather.

These boots are available in sizes 6 through 11 and can be purchased in two neutral colors.

4. FP Movement x Sorel Brex Lace Boots

One of many incredible styles from the FP Movement and Sorel collab are these colorful waterproof ankle boots, which are made from soft full grain leather and elastic gore. The rubber sole helps to provide traction in snow and sleet this winter, while the unique design will certainly make a statement on your walks.

These lace-up boots have a super original design that's sure to turn heads.

5. Dream Pairs Women’s Knee High Low Hidden Wedge Boots

For those who prefer a taller boot, these Knee High Low Hidden Wedge Boots from Dream Pairs are a great find. They offer a soft faux fur liner, a round toe for extra room, and a cushioned insole. Though they sport cute buckles, they secretly slide on with a zipper for easy and fast on and off. Perfect with any fall or winter outfit, these slouchy shoes will be a great addition to your wardrobe.

These boots are available in sizes 5 through 11 and come in six neutral colors.

6. Petrass Waterproof Rain Boots

Many rain boots out there are heavy, clunky, and chafe easily. Luckily, with these Waterproof Rain Boots from Petrass, you can feel confident and dry with every step while also choosing from some truly darling color options. With their quilted look and subtle appearance, you won’t be screaming “rain boot” while staying safe from the elements.

These boots are available in eight fun colors from neutrals to bright yellow, and can be bought in sizes 5 through 9.

7. Emma - Cherry Boots from OrthoFeet

Oftentimes, when it comes to work-friendly women’s boots, you have to choose between style and comfort, but with these Emma Booties , you’ll never have to settle again. Their low heel adds some feminine flair while still providing optimal orthopedics. They boast a wide toe box, ergonomic sole, strong arch support, heel cushion, and protective interior.

Available in sizes 6 to 11, medium and wide, these boots are sold in black, brown, and cherry red.

8. Women’s Caribou Boot from Sorel

When it comes to snow boots that you can count on, Sorel’s Caribou Boot is hard to beat. It’s our top pick for women’s winter boots , and offers some great features that make it ideal for the roughest winter weather. The sturdy rubber sole will keep you on your feet in the snow and ice, the quality insulation will keep you warm, and the removable liner can be easily dried if you somehow manage to get snow inside the boots.

Available in sizes 5-12 and three neutral colors, these boots will have you ready for any weather.

9. Everlane’s The Glove Boot

If you’re looking for shoes that fit like a glove, the aptly-named Glove Boot from Everlane will be your new best friend. They feature a flattering, foot-hugging shape created by their stretch ReKnit fabric. Along with being comfortable, these boots are made of renewed plastic bottles, so you can feel good about your environmental impact with every step.

These boots are available in sizes 5 through 11 and three neutral colors.

10. Chooka Women’s Waterproof Plush Chelsea Bootie

Too often, bootmakers make you choose between staying warm, staying dry, or looking cute. Luckily, with a pair of Chelsea Boots from Chooka, you never have to choose again. Enjoy even the grossest fall and winter weather with these sleek waterproof boots. The faux fur liner inside will keep you nice and cozy while the waterproof outside keeps you dry. Plus, their neutral color options will go with just about anything in any season.

These boots are available in sizes 6 through 11 and come in five different colors.

11. Roper Women’s Riley Western Boot

We can’t have a list of comfortable boots without including the classic Cowboy boot. Roper’s Riley Western Boot is a great example of combining fashion with function. It provides the classic fun of a western boot while also touting strong craftsmanship that will hold up whether you’re working with actual horses or just heading to your favorite Country Western bar.

Available in seven colors and sizes 5 through 11, this boot is the perfect country accessory.

12. Shoes for Crews Women’s August-Steel Toe Industrial Boot

Safety doesn’t have to mean a lack of style or comfort. Shoes for Crews understands this when designing the August-Steel Toe Industrial Boot . It offers slip resistance, water resistance, electrical hazard protection, and a protected steel toe box. As subtle as any lace-up boot, these work boots will keep you safe while offering comfort that many similar boots lack.

These boots are available in 5 through 11 in both medium and wide for most sizes.

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These Boots Were Made for Walking (Down the Aisle)

Move over stilettos and slingbacks, there’s a new bridal shoe trend in town: the cowboy boot. Brides are pairing them with relaxed silhouetted dresses for an elegant western look.

By Ivy Manners

Before Beyoncé dropped her highly anticipated “Cowboy Carter” album, or Tanner Adell, a country music singer-songwriter who also appears on Beyoncé’s album, proudly proclaimed herself a “buckle bunny,” the disco-cowboy-and-glam-western aesthetics were already making their way to bridal fashion.

Pinterest predicted that western influences would be one of the biggest trends for weddings in 2024, and searches on the platform for “cowgirl wedding dress with boots” doubled in March over March 2023.

Cowboy boots have become a favored accessory. Brides are pairing them with relaxed-silhouetted gowns and dresses “that align with the effortless elegance of western fashion,” Maisie-Kate Keane , a bridal stylist based in New York, said. “Brides are embracing the opportunity to infuse their personal style into their wedding wardrobe for a modern twist on the country western look,” she said.

Chloe Newsom-Kingsley of Long Beach, Calif., decided on a pair of cactus-detailed Ranch Road Boots six months before choosing the dress for her April 27 wedding in San Diego.

“I knew I was getting engaged and had my eyes on the boots for a while, and I thought what better reason to get them than for my wedding,” said Ms. Newsom-Kingsley, 39, a vice president of Razorfish, a digital advertising agency. “I was drawn to the desert scene on them because my mom and I own a home near Joshua Tree, and we absolutely love it out there.”

Ms. Newsom-Kingsley actually ended up with two pairs of cowboy boots for her wedding weekend. A few weeks before her nuptials, she found a pair of vintage white Maison Margiela boots with higher heels, which she said worked better with her embroidered tulle gown by Claire Pettibone for the ceremony. She wore the decorated boots for the rehearsal dinner.

The western wear company Tecovas , based in Austin, Texas, has seen the growth in brides wearing cowboy boots within the last few years. “We saw ‘white boots’ and ‘blue boots’ being top search terms across our platforms, and Google trends data also showed a steady rise in the search term ‘wedding boots’ throughout 2023 and into 2024,” said Madisen Li, the vice president of merchandising at Tecovas.

In March, the company introduced its “Sadie” white bridal boot with pale blue detailing, for $495, following the creation of a bridal blue version of the company’s best-selling “Annie” boot in January, for $295. (Tecovas also carries the Annie boot style in a bone color.)

The boot brand has been so popular with brides that retail locations have hosted in-store experiences for brides, grooms and their bridal parties. Those participating can take advantage of complimentary branding and embossing services while enjoying cocktails. “We have brides come in for boots for all aspects of their wedding celebrations: bachelorette parties, bridal showers, wedding ceremonies and after-parties,” Ms. Li said.

Brides who gravitate to the western-style boots aren’t necessarily driven by trends but “often a nod to their everyday style, family background or wedding destination,” said Claire Pettibone, a bridal fashion designer based in Los Angeles.

Plus, the boots are typically comfortable and versatile. “They’re special pieces that a bride can keep and rewear for years,” Ms. Li said.

Lauren Knapp Morton wore Isabel Marant cowboy boots for her wedding destination in Colorado last September. “We got married in the mountains, and the last thing I wanted was to wear something that did not fit the setting,” said Ms. Knapp Morton, 40, an executive assistant in San Francisco.

Her bridal stylist , Gabrielle Hurwitz, based in New York, introduced her to the designer Patricia Voto, founder of the brand One Of, who helped nail down her wedding day look. Once Ms. Knapp Morton chose her dress, she knew she wanted to accessorize it with cowboy boots: “Not having to walk around in heels through uneven terrain was one less thing I had to worry about, and cowboy boots seemed like a chicer option than flats.”

Miron Crosby , a Dallas-based western brand favored by brides, has brought cowboy boots to the luxury space with signature colors, limited runs and custom offerings. “It’s been overwhelming in a great way to see the demand in the bridal category,” said Sarah Means, a founder of Miron Crosby, whose boots start at $900, with an additional $550 base charge for customization. Brides typically spend more than $2,000 on a custom pair of boots, which take eight to 10 months to create, according to Ms. Means.

Brides get to choose leathers, colors, motifs and more. Customization also includes options to add their new initials, wedding date and even a handwritten note from their partner transcribed onto a piece of leather and sewn inside one of the boots. “These personalized details make the boots a true one-of-a-kind heirloom piece in their wardrobe,” Ms. Means said.

Haylie Paige Keffler customized a pair of white Miron Crosby boots to match the colors of the Texan wildflowers she asked her dress designer, Nardos Imam of Nardos Design , to detail on her gown. Ms. Keffler, 31, the owner of Haylie Paige Events in Dallas, personalized the boots for her April 20 wedding in Fort Worth with pink and green XOs, hearts and lip prints. “I wore heels going down the aisle, then changed into my boots for the reception,” she said.

Sarah Brennan Hughes, founder and chief executive of Rowely , an online bridal wear resale marketplace, said, “The western bridal look offers a refreshing departure from traditional wedding attire.”

Emma Brumbaugh, 28, a merchandise planner at Proenza Schouler, is still looking for the perfect pairs of cowboy boots for her wedding weekend in August in Big Sky, Mont. “I plan on wearing a minidress with cowboy boots and a cowboy hat for the welcome party,” she said. “And for the ceremony, I want to wear classic white boots with a fun twist.”

Ms. Brumbaugh’s day-to-day style living in New York City has a western flare, so incorporating that into her wedding style would only be natural. “I have always envisioned getting married in Montana and wearing cowboy boots with my wedding dress,” she said. “I want what I wear to be a blend of black-tie elegance and subtle western spirit, which also is the vibe for the wedding.”

Weddings Trends and Ideas

Keeping Friendships Intact: The soon-to-be-married couple and their closest friends might experience stress and even tension leading up to their nuptials. Here’s how to avoid a friendship breakup .

‘Edible Haute Couture’: Bastien Blanc-Tailleur, a luxury cake designer based in Paris, creates opulent confections for high-profile clients , including European royalty and American socialites.

Reinventing a Mexican Tradition: Mariachi, a soundtrack for celebration in Mexico, offers a way for couples to honor their heritage  at their weddings.

Something Thrifted: Focused on recycled clothing , some brides are finding their wedding attire on vintage sites and at resale stores.

Brand Your Love Story: Some couples are going above and beyond to personalize their weddings, with bespoke party favors and custom experiences for guests .

Going to Great Lengths : Mega wedding cakes are momentous for reasons beyond their size — they are part of an emerging trend of extremely long cakes .