bootstrap shoes

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Boots or shoes with a small loop or strap at the back to help you pull them on.

   Grammar: Usually plural; a single one is 'a bootstrap shoe' or simply 'a boot with a bootstrap'.

   Patterns

   • a pair of bootstrap shoes
   • pull on bootstrap shoes

   He pulled on his bootstrap shoes and hurried out the door.

   These bootstrap shoes have a loop at the heel that makes them easier to put on.

   The old cowboy wore leather bootstrap shoes with worn heels.

2. 2nounplural

   Tall boots whose pull straps are used to haul them onto the feet, especially in older Western styles.

   Grammar: Often used when describing historical or Western footwear.

   Patterns

   • leather bootstrap shoes
   • a pair of bootstrap shoes

   The museum displayed a pair of nineteenth-century bootstrap shoes.

   Riders favored bootstrap shoes because they were easy to remove after a long day.

Common combinations

a pair of bootstrap shoes

She bought a pair of bootstrap shoes for the ranch.

leather bootstrap shoes

His leather bootstrap shoes were scuffed from years of use.

pull on bootstrap shoes

He pulled on his bootstrap shoes without sitting down.

bootstrap boots

Bootstrap boots have loops at the top to help you pull them on.

Synonyms and how they differ

pull-on boots

This describes the same practical feature but does not mention the strap itself.

boots

Boots is the general word; bootstrap shoes specifically have the helpful loop or strap.

Word family

bootstrap noun

The loop or strap at the back of a boot used for pulling it on.

Commonly confused: bootstrap shoes or bootstraps?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “bootstrap shoes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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