Boots

A boot is a piece of footwear that covers the entire foot from toe to heel and extends up the leg past the ankle.   It is distinguished from a hightop sneaker by a sturdier construction, harder sole, reinforced toe and by extending a  greater distance up the leg, as high as the lower calf or even the base of knee.  When worn by fly fishermen or  vampy female nightclub patrons, a boot may even rise as high as the hip.
 

Fashion and culture often divide female apparel from male or unisex apparel, and boots are no exception.  Boots intended specifically for women are often characterized by a raised heel and tapered toe which sometimes ends in a point.  Fortunately, boots in video games invariably possess the latent ability to reshape themselves to suit the gender of whoever pulls them on.
 
The most commonly found boot is constructed of a hard leather which provides moderate protection from liquids, low temperatures, thorny brush, and small vermin.  They are also surprisingly resistant to landmines and zombies, preserving the stump near the attack site where it can serve to increase the dramatic tension for anyone who finds it. 
 
Though leather is the most universally accepted material for making boots, they have been found crafted from such wide-ranging components as cloth, steel, bone, mythril, kevlar, cortosis, and mono-bonded carbon fibers.  A good rule of thumb is: the more exotic the material used, the greater the protection and special abilities conferred upon the wearer.  These commonly include increased speed, agility, or stealth, with improvements to strength, hardiness, and resistance to different environmental hazards coming only slightly less frequently.

Very few boots are ever made from precious gemstones like rubies or emeralds as they are best suited for producing magical slippers.
 
Thanks to their combination of protection, special properties, and comfort during long journeys, boots are the footgear of choice for nearly all adventurers, including warriors, tomb raiders, space marines, rogues, Mandalorians, Lombaxes, Navy SEALs, wizards, and Borg.  Notable exceptions include hobbits and halflings, who prefer to go barefoot, and hanar because they have no feet.

In the event that an adventurer is eaten whole by a creature such as a corpser, thresher maw, or gelantinous cube, his or her indigestible bits may be regurgitated into a pile of bones for someone more fortunate to find later.  Boots that are voluntarily discarded, however, are often cast into lakes where they remain until dragged up by disappointed fishermen for "humorous" results.