I agree with you Kiwigal/Sally, "...it does seem crazy that tall boots are not more available to men... for practical as well as fashion reasons (warmth, dryness)..." After all, tall boots like the ones I chose for my outfits are really comfy and warm. And I am sure there is technology to make all kinds of footwear nowadays Thus, it seems that "fashion reasons" are the limiting factors for men: for example guys wear combat boots, but the tall ones like 14 or 20-eye Dr. Martens are used more like style-markers (especially when going for goth/punk/skinhead looks) despite their obvious practical advantages as footwear (I wear 14-eye Docs myself and believe they are extraordinary shoes). On the other hand, for renaissance/pirate boots, riding boots and tall sneakers, it is as if "fashion reasons" turn "practical reasons" into limited "uniform-uses": e.g. a guy in riding boots is almost expected to have a horse nearby, a guy in combat boots is an image of military/war or a figure at a punk concert, a guy in pirate boots is ...a pirate!? Anyway, "men's fashions will recycle around again"; that's what all fashion items do, I guess. Think of shorts and jeans for example. Footwear is no different; but it still follows more an unwritten
fashion rule, a reasoning that "what was at first made for work and for men can now be used for style by women, but what is stylish for women can't be used for practical reasons by men"; even those things that men used to wear a lot in the past!