First off, lemme just say, finding good TOS boots is like finding a tribble that *doesn’t* multiply. It’s hard! Like, seriously hard. You can get your cheapie t-shirt costume and *think* you’re Kirk, but those clunky, ill-fitting boots? They’ll ruin the whole vibe, I’m tellin’ ya.
I saw somethin’ about a Duran TOS boots situation, which is…well, a saga, apparently. Three tries to get it right? Jeez! You’d think they’d have the pattern down by now! That’s dedication (or maybe just stubbornness?) on the buyer’s part, tho. Props to them, I guess. But it also makes me kinda wary, ya know?
Then there’s the whole, like, “authentic” thing. You see “premium TOS uniforms, cosplay & costumes” and you’re thinkin’, “YES! This is it! I’m gonna look like Shatner!” But then you see the price tag and you’re like, “Nah, I’m good. I’ll just stick to my dream.” Seriously, some of that stuff is *expensive*. Like, “sell your car” expensive.
Okay, but here’s the thing. You don’t *necessarily* need to break the bank. I saw something about Amazon having “almost dead ringer” women’s riding boots for under a hundred bucks! Now, granted, they’re women’s sizes, so you gotta convert. And… well, they’re not *exactly* the same. But for the price? You can’t beat it, I guess. It’s a tradeoff, right? Authenticity vs. affordability. My personal opinion? If it looks good enough from a distance, who cares? Just don’t let anyone look *too* close.
And speaking of Amazon… (I just saw a personalized ad for “star trek tos replica” on… somewhere?) It’s a slippery slope, man. Suddenly you’re looking at phasers, communicators, and a life-size cardboard cutout of Spock. Resist! (Or, you know, don’t. Your wallet, your choice. I’m not judging… much.)
I saw the thing about Star Trek TOS being the “23rd century adventures,” and… yeah, duh. But also, it’s more than that, right? It’s the *style* of the 23rd century. It’s the chunky boots, the velour shirts, the slightly-too-short hemlines. It’s all part of the charm. Even if those boots *are* kinda uncomfortable looking.
