Mexican pointy boots
Encyclopedia
Mexican pointy boots are a style of boots made with elongated toes that are popular footwear for men in parts of Mexico
as well as in the United States. The boots are said to have originated in Matehuala
in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí
. The pointy boots have risen to popularity at the same time as "tribal guarachero" music and the boots have become a preferred footwear for the all-male troupes that dance to the tribal music.
. Following their creation, the trend has expanded to parts of the United States where large numbers of Matehualan migrants live, particularly in Dallas, Texas, but also in Tennessee
, Mississippi
and Oklahoma
.
lights, disco balls and even mirrors.
and African sounds
mixed with fast cumbia
bass and electro-house beats." Boys and men that wear the pointy boots have formed all-male troupes to compete in danceoffs at local nightclubs to tribal music. Participants in the contests spend weeks choreographing their dance moves and fabricating their outfits which commonly include "matching western shirts and skinny jeans
to accentuate their footwear." In Matehuala, prize money ranges from $100 to $500. The prize often includes a bottle of whiskey.
The dance troupes have reportedly become so popular that they are being "hired to dance at weddings, for quinceañeras, celebrations of the Virgin of Guadalupe, bachelorette parties and even rosary ceremonies for the dead."
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
as well as in the United States. The boots are said to have originated in Matehuala
Matehuala
Matehuala is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí. It is located at around , at an elevation of about 1,500 m. Matehuala is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name, located in the northern part of the state, on the border with the southwestern...
in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
. The pointy boots have risen to popularity at the same time as "tribal guarachero" music and the boots have become a preferred footwear for the all-male troupes that dance to the tribal music.
Origin and expansion
The boots reportedly originated around 2009 in Matehuala in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, located in North-Central MexicoNorth-Central Mexico
North-Central Mexico is a region of Mexico consisting of five of the United Mexican States: Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas. It is a region with many colonial-style buildings and a wide variety of landscapes, from the mountains of Zacatecas and Guanajuato, la...
. Following their creation, the trend has expanded to parts of the United States where large numbers of Matehualan migrants live, particularly in Dallas, Texas, but also in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Design
The pointy boots are made by elongating the toe of normal boots by as much as 5 feet (1.5 m), causing the toes to curl up toward the knees. Those boys or men who can not afford to pay a shoemaker to prepare the boots use garden hoses to make their own. The boots are then further modified according to the wearer's personal taste. Alterations incorporate paint and sequins and can go as far as adding flashing LEDLEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
lights, disco balls and even mirrors.
Dancing
The appearance of the pointy boots has coincided with the popularity of "tribal guarachero" music. Tribal music has been described as "a mixture of Pre-ColumbianPre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
and African sounds
Music of Africa
Africa is a vast continent and its regions and nations have distinct musical traditions. The music of North Africa for the most part has a different history from sub-Saharan African music traditions....
mixed with fast cumbia
Cumbia
Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
bass and electro-house beats." Boys and men that wear the pointy boots have formed all-male troupes to compete in danceoffs at local nightclubs to tribal music. Participants in the contests spend weeks choreographing their dance moves and fabricating their outfits which commonly include "matching western shirts and skinny jeans
Skinny jeans
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" depending on size. Other names for this style include pegs, drainpipes, stovepipes, Asian tight-pants, cigarette pants, skinny pants,insolent pants or skinnies...
to accentuate their footwear." In Matehuala, prize money ranges from $100 to $500. The prize often includes a bottle of whiskey.
The dance troupes have reportedly become so popular that they are being "hired to dance at weddings, for quinceañeras, celebrations of the Virgin of Guadalupe, bachelorette parties and even rosary ceremonies for the dead."
External links
- Video: Behind The Seams – Mexican Pointy Boots, VBS.tvVBS.tvVBS.tv is an online television network owned by the Vice media conglomerate. The network produces original, short-form, documentary-style video content. Subject matter includes humanitarian issues, music, insider travel guides, and news. The creative director of the network is Spike...
, April 1, 2011 - Video: Mexican Town Goes Mad for Pointy Boots, Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, May 16, 2011