Knee-high boots are boot

Boot

A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....

s that rise to the knee

Knee

The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...

, or slightly thereunder. They are generally tighter around the leg

Human leg

The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...

 shaft and ankle

Ankle

The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...

 than at the top. Mostly made of a synthetic rubber (PVC, Neoprene

Neoprene

Neoprene or polychloroprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene in general has good chemical stability, and maintains flexibility over a wide temperature range...

, etc.), they are used by fishermen, dairy workers, stable hands, duck hunters, clammers, etc. to protect the feet from water, mud, manure, etc. and to provide traction on slippery surfaces. Most slip on, but there are varieties with buckles and those that lace up.

Knee-high boots have existed in the fashion

Fashion

Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...

 world since at least the 1950s. The fashion boot

Fashion boot

A fashion boot is a boot worn for reasons of style or fashion . The term is usually applied to women’s boots. Fashion boots come in a wide variety of styles, from ankle to thigh-length, and are used for casual, formal, and business attire...

 article discusses this in depth.

Certain types can also be known as muckers or fishing boots.

In university ROTC units, some members wear a dress boot reminiscent of a mounted cavalry boot, such as the boots worn by seniors in the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets

Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets

The Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets is a student military organization at Texas A&M University...

. The leather

Leather

Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...

 slip-on boots may be accented with spurs

Spurs

Spurs are tools worn on the heel of a boot, used when riding horses.Spurs can also refer to:* The Chancellor's Spurs, a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the college football game between Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin...

 or tassels, or be relatively unadorned. The boots are custom fit by a cordwainer

Cordwainer

A cordwainer is a shoemaker/cobbler who makes fine soft leather shoes and other luxury footwear articles. The word is derived from "cordwain", or "cordovan", the leather produced in Córdoba, Spain. The term cordwainer was used as early as 1100 in England...

 who takes a mold of the legs of the intended wearer to create a last

Last

A last is a form in the approximate shape of a human foot, used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs, and throughout their history have been made from many materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and, more recently, high density...

 for the bootmaking process. The unique pair of boots are then carefully sewn onto soles.

Such boots may be extremely difficult to remove, necessitating the use of talcum powder for lubrication, fellow cadets to manually pull the boot, and for elaborate boot pullers.

See also

• Varieties of knee-high boots (excluding fashion boots):
  • Motorcycle boots
  • Riding boots
  • Wellington boots