Here's an interesting thing. I just realized I want to wear them anyway. I would actually like to wear them tomorrow with bootcut jeans.

IK, I definitely saw the armor/scale thing too! Which is not the impression the first pair gave, and I'm not sure that armor is my preferred vibe, but if only a small bit is visible (I.e. with bootcuts), at least while I break them in and develop some patina on them, they do feel true to my style.

You know, Janet, even though they look different they're still fabulous!
I imagine that with time they'll develop the patina of the original ones, and only get better and better.

Well I love them in their newer incarnation! This from someone with her own pair of blingy boots, mind you. And you want to wear them anyway... I vote to wear under bootcuts and flares for now and enjoy watching the oxidation process make them even more gorgeous over time.

I really like the metal armor like quality of them! But I do know about wanting to dull down the shine, as I have done that on items before.

Depending on the metal composition, if it has some copper to it you could use some liver of sulfur, which is used in jewelry making to add tarnish.
Fine steel wool would remove any shine also.
http://www.fusionbeads.com/Liver-of-Sulfur-Q-and-A

An old-fashioned technique is to place freshly cooked hard boiled egg yolks in a sealed container with your metal, the sulfur gasses will tarnish the metal.

I have also used gun bluing to add tarnish to metal pieces.

Oh, interesting, Rebekahphoto! Great tips, thanks.

I'm glad to see these getting some love, even in the shiny blingy version.

Hmm. I wonder how long egg yolks need to hang out with the boots in order for that technique to work. Long enough to start smelling?

ha! I think a day or 2, I have not done it myself! but I think it depends on the metal/surface treatment...hopefully not too long!

I'm so glad RP mentioned this! I seem to recall when I did it with rings it only needed overnight. Good luck!

Hmm. Off to boil some eggs. How timely -- if only I had some dye for Easter eggs!

Janet, when I was in highschool, I took several semesters of jewelry making, and we actually used an oxidizer to darken jewelry. For example, when you look at silver jewelry from the Southwest, you'll notice all the black in the creases, etc? That's because the silver has been oxidized, and then wiped off, leaving some of the oxidizer in the creases. I would think that once you know what the metal is, you'll be able to locate an oxidizer.

http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to.....910/g.html

http://www.squidoo.com/oxidizecopperbrass

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art24012.asp

I would bet that the original pair and the new pair are the same, and that the original pair just tarnished. The black seams look the same to me; the new pair just seem shinier. I still kind of like them, though!

I like the contrast, I think the look is better with the shinier studs.
Somehow a duller stud would not work for that many studs.
Also your style is less distressed these days (I think), I would need a duller stud but you can wear high contrast.