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Top 10 Most Expensive Boots of All Time

Top 10 Most Expensive Boots of All Time

If shoes make the man, boots are a worthwhile investment. But the $100 options available locally cannot compare to the multi-million-dollar pairs floating around out there. If you’re looking to make a statement, you might want to consider picking up one of the priciest pairs of boots.

The most expensive boots are the Cosmic Cowboy Boots by Jack Armstrong. These boots were created in 2018 and are priced at $6 million. Their high price stems from their status as wearable art pieces, as the boots feature unique artistic touches not found on mass-produced boots.

Whether you’ve been looking for a high-priced pair of boots to add to your closet or you’re curious about the costliest boots ever to hit the storeroom floor, this ranking will reveal everything you need to know about the most expensive boots of all time.

Here Are the Top 10 Most Expensive Boots of All Time:

  1. Cosmic Cowboy Boots – $6 million
  2. A.F. Vandevorst Diamond Boots – $3.2 million
  3. The Phantom Boots – $106,000
  4. Tres Outlaws Cowboy Boots – $75,000
  5. 2016 Nike MAG “Back to the Future” – $63,000
  6. Red Custom Christian Louboutin Boots – $30,000
  7. Alexander McQueen Gold Boots – $23,400
  8. Hermès Jumping Boots – $19,115
  9. The Baron Alligator Boots – $14,995
  10. Alexander McQueen Studded Leather Boots – $11,700

10. Alexander McQueen Studded Leather Boots – $11,700

Alexander-McQueen-Studded-Leather-Boots
photo source: Christie’s

Though the amount of ankle and toe strength required to wear the Alexander McQueen Studded Leather Boots is immense, those who can handle them are bound to make a lasting impression.

These boots have a staggeringly thick platform bottom with a distinct mirroring design and punk-like metal spikes. They demand respect while rejecting convention, two things you can’t often say about a pair of boots.

Fortunately, these studded boots sold for a respectable $11,700 when they went to auction in 2012, so it’s safe to say that wherever they are now, they’re being well-treated and admired.

Why It’s Expensive

These boots are expensive because famed British fashion designer Alexander McQueen created them. They’re also one-of-a-kind, something with special significance in the fashion world.

After all, the world’s most affluent and best-dressed are eager to pay big bucks to ensure they don’t wear the same outfit as someone else to an important soirée or party!

9. The Baron Alligator Boots – $14,995

The-Baron-Alligator-Boots
photo source: Lucchese

Alligators might be fearsome predators, but their skin is a prized material, especially among luxury-grade garment makers.

Most alligators are wild and protected by strict laws to prevent poaching. But a few alligator farms are spread throughout the United States, and one of them provided the alligator leather to create The Baron, a stunning pair of dark brown cowboy boots.

Priced at $14,995, these boots might be a little too fancy for the average Friday night line dance, but they are sure to impress important house guests and business associates.

Why It’s Expensive

These boots are made of legally-harvested alligator leather and are entirely handmade. These two qualities help make The Baron boots a high-value find that’s worthy of its incredible price tag.

8. Hermès Jumping Boots – $19,115

Hermès-Jumping-Boots
photo source: Luxury-Shops.com

Hermès is a brand known for its high-priced items. All you need is a quick look at this pair of Hermès Jumping Boots, which are priced at a comparatively affordable $19,115, to understand what kinds of prices this brand sets for its goods.

That said, this pair of boots is exceptionally high-quality, and they’re made of rare crocodile skin. If properly cared for and maintained, these boots could easily last a lifetime due to their craftsmanship and durable materials, which may make them worth the steep price.

Why It’s Expensive

These boots are pricier than most for two reasons: materials and brand. These boots are made of crocodile skin, which is rare animal leather. This quality alone makes them worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

But these also happen to be Hermès boots, making them even more valuable. After all, Hermès is a luxury brand, and customers who consistently purchase Hermès items have come to expect the high prices as a sign of quality and exclusivity.

7. Alexander McQueen Gold Boots – $23,400

Alexander-McQueen-Gold-Boots
photo source: Christie’s

If you’ve ever wondered what boots to wear with your angelic gown, wonder no more! This pair of gold-and-black boots could be the ideal choice, with Baroque-inspired statuesque heels and glittering crystal-like beads.

Though these Alexander McQueen boots fetched $23,400 when they sold at auction in 2012, you could almost consider them affordable when you compare them to the most expensive Yeezys!

Why It’s Expensive

Though the golden heels of these boots aren’t actually made of gold, their eye-catching design is partially responsible for this boot’s incredible auction price. Still, the fact that Alexander McQueen created these glimmering beauties might be the most significant factor impacting their worth.

6. Red Custom Christian Louboutin Boots – $30,000

Red-Custom-Christian-Louboutin-Boots
photo source: Sotheby’s

Like art, the question of “What is fashion?” is challenging to answer, even for those embroiled within the fashion industry. But it’s impossible to look at the Red Custom Christian Louboutin Boots and not understand that they’re pieces of high fashion.

Created for the RED auction in 2013, these striking red boots generated $30,000 in charity funds due to their unique design and one-of-a-kind quality. These custom boots would probably look even more drop-dead gorgeous when complemented by the world’s most expensive jackets!

Why It’s Expensive

Christian Louboutin created and donated these boots to help the RED auction raise funds for charity. These custom boots are unlike any other pair worldwide, making them rare and valuable.

Because they’re Louboutin boots, they also benefit from brand recognition. These boots will likely become more valuable over time due to their iconic look and unique background.

5. 2016 Nike MAG Back to the Future – $63,000

2016-Nike-MAG-Back-to-the-Future
photo source: Sotheby’s

If you’ve ever seen Back to the Future Part II, there’s a good chance that you’ve wanted to own a pair of Nike MAG sneakers. These self-lacing sneakers from the future were undeniably cool, and millions of viewers couldn’t help but daydream about owning a pair.

In 2011, Nike released 1,500 of these once-fictional self-lacing shoes, quickly selling out of them as decades’ worth of film buffs and sneaker fans bought them up. About five years later, Nike released a second, much smaller batch of MAG shoes, and one of these pairs ended up selling for $63,000 at a Sotheby’s auction.

Why It’s Expensive

These sneaker-like boots are expensive due to the demand for them! If Nike mass-produced and released these shoes, most adults and children in North America would likely own a pair within a year or two.

And yet, Nike has only released a cumulative total of less than 1,600 Nike MAG shoes, so demand remains incredibly high, boosting the value of these futuristic shoes.

4. Tres Outlaws Cowboy Boots – $75,000

Tres-Outlaws-Cowboy-Boots
photo source: Falconhead

Bespoke boots (those made for specific customers) are often some of the costliest in the world. That’s the case for the Tres Outlaws Cowboy Boots, which sold for $75,000.

These custom-made boots contained rare coins and took hundreds of labor hours to transform from a design into a reality. Hopefully, the customer who ordered them treasures them every day!

Why It’s Expensive

The primary reason these mysterious boots are expensive is that they’re customized works of art. Of course, the several thousand dollars worth of rare coins (most of which were made of precious metals) didn’t hurt the final value.

3. The Phantom Boots – $106,000

The-Phantom-Boots
photo source: Worthly

These boots might not disappear off the shelf with the high price of $106,000, but The Phantom Boots will surely add a little enigmatic charm to any outfit. These hand-carved boots are truly works of art, and they glimmer slightly thanks to the white gold and silver inlaid into several of the carvings.

Created by Howard H. Knight, The Phantom Boots would look amazing if paired with some of the world’s most expensive jeans.

Why It’s Expensive

These hand-carved boots are expensive because of materials and labor. They’re made with precious metals, which sets them apart from traditional leather or animal skin cowboy boots.

But they also took hundreds of hours to create, making them singular items that cannot be easily recreated. Because it took a high level of skill and labor to make these boots, they’ll cost you more than the machine-made ones available from your local shoe store.

2. A.F. Vandevorst Diamond Boots – $3.2 million

AF-Vandevorst-Diamond-Boots
photo source: Diamonds.net

The Phantom Boots might contain threads of silver and white gold, but the A.F. Vandevorst Diamond Boots are covered in precious materials. These traditional-style fabric boots contain no fewer than 39,000 diamonds, each used to accent the intricate design of the boots’ fabric.

These boots were a collaborative effort by several fashion giants, so it’s no wonder they’re valued at an incredible $3.2 million. Imagine, if you ever wore these boots, you’d like more than a million bucks!

Why It’s Expensive

The traditional-style shoes are primarily expensive because of the thousands of high-quality diamonds. These boots also contain several thousand grams of gold, which adds to their overall value.

Labor costs are also worth considering when calculating the final worth of these gem-covered boots. After all, it took more than 30,000 hours to create them. For context, that’s equivalent to more than a decade of full-time workdays.

1. Cosmic Cowboy Boots – $6 million

Cosmic-Cowboy-Boots
photo source: YouArrived

The most expensive boots of all time are the Cosmic Cowboy Boots. This pair of boots was created by Jack Armstrong, an artist well-known for producing high-priced works. Those familiar with Armstrong likely weren’t surprised to discover that he created a pair of boots priced at a staggering $6 million.

Unlike several other boots included in this ranking, these boots don’t have any gold or silver parts. They don’t automatically tie themselves (they have no laces), and they’re not rescued from a Western film lot somewhere in the midwest.

But none of that matters. These shoes are expensive because their creator says they are, and that’s all we really need to know.

Why It’s Expensive

These paint-splashed cowboy boots are expensive because Jack Armstrong made them expensive.

Apart from being beautiful and wearable works of art, these boots don’t meet many of the qualifiers for an expensive pair of boots. They don’t sport the label of a luxury brand, there’s not an insane amount of demand for them, and they’re not made of luxurious materials.

But these boots are still the most expensive in the world, simply because they’re priced that way.

Why Are Some Boots Expensive?

A great pair of boots can make or break an outfit and completely change your experience during a long hike, but the average pair of boots cost less than $100. So, why are some boots worth millions?

You’ll often find that the priciest boots in the world are made of high-quality, high-cost materials, took hundreds of hours to make, and belong to some of the top luxury brands. Several of the costliest boots are also quite rare, and this scarcity helps make them even more valuable.

To sum up, the factors affecting boot price are:

  • Pricey materials
  • Labor hours
  • Brand recognition
  • Scarcity and demand

Let’s discuss these factors in greater detail to better understand why some boots cost $75 while others cost $75,000!

Pricey Materials

Though it’s not always true, many of the costliest pairs of boots are made of high-cost materials. These can range from rare animal leathers like crocodile skin (like the Hermès Jumping Boots) to precious metals like silver and gold.

These materials are inherently valuable due to their rarity and practical uses, so they can add a significant amount to an item’s base price. For example, cow leather boots will almost always cost less than a pair of boots made of solid gold.

Even though the solid gold boots would be essentially impossible to wear and use, the fact that they’d be made of such a valuable material would be enough to make them incredibly valuable.

Making a pair of solid gold boots would also require a ton of labor, influencing the final value of a pair of boots.

Labor Hours

Machines are responsible for making many of the goods we enjoy daily, including footwear. But the priciest shoes are handmade and often made to order.

So, those with the funds to spend on entirely bespoke outfits can hire master shoemakers and craftspeople to design and create one-of-a-kind boots that fit the buyer’s feet—for lack of a better phrase—like a glove.

But while these shoes are often exceptionally beautiful and comfortable, they come at a high cost. Bespoke shoes can take hundreds of labor hours to finish, resulting in a much higher final price.

These unique shoes also tend to feature unusual and costly materials, including rare animal leathers and precious metals, which make them more valuable than your average sneaker. Still, brand recognition can be just as influential as boot material and labor costs.

Brand Recognition

Some brands are known for producing luxury-quality goods, and boots from these brands are bound to cost far more than those from your local department store.

Here are a handful of luxury brands known for making high-value boots:

  • Hermès
  • Christian Louboutin
  • Prada
  • Gucci

If you’d like to own a high-quality, expensive pair of boots, you can choose from the above brands with confidence. Boots from these brands can also appreciate in value over time, especially if they’re from a particularly rare collection.

Scarcity and Demand

While scarcity alone doesn’t make an item costly, high demand and low supply are a surefire combination for sky-high prices. A great example of this phenomenon is the 2016 Nike MAG Back to the Future boot-sneakers.

People have been wanting to own a pair of these boots since 1989, after Marty McFly wore a pair in Back to the Future Part II.

But these kicks remained a science fiction dream until 2011. Still, Nike’s initial release went out to 1,500 interested shoppers. That’s a plentiful supply level compared to its 2016 release, which only consisted of 89 pairs.

So, when an elusive 2016 pair went to auction and sold for $63,000, low supply and high demand were hard at work!

What Are the Most Expensive Boots?

The most expensive boots in the world are the Cosmic Cowboy Boots created by Jack Armstrong. This pair of cowboy boots costs $6 million, just about twice the price of the A.F. Vandevorst Diamond Boots!

Though these boots might not contain diamonds or silver accents like other high-priced boots, they are wearable works of art, featuring splatters of brightly colored paint that give them a unique, eclectic kind of character.

Check out these related articles for more information about the world’s most expensive clothing and lifestyle items.