I love boots. There, I’ve said it.

Is there another footwear that is as versatile? Long, short, high, low, perfect for work and play. I love how leather smells, how the patina develops character with wear.

I’m not going to divulge just how many boots I own, but here are four of my favourite pairs, each with a story to tell.

The vintage: These were my mother’s boots, from the 1970s. They play a part in my parents’ love story: an American girl meets a Australian Army officer in Colorado, while he is there for six weeks, training with the US Army. She wore these boots a year later when she flew to Australia to marry him. They are one of my most prized possessions in my wardrobe.

The cowgirl: Several years ago, my gorgeous friend Miss F and I spend eight weeks in the US and Canada – starting with Nashville Country Music Festival and ending with Calgary Stampede. We spent three weeks driving a HUGE motor home from Atlanta, Georgia, to Boulder, Colorado. What a trip! We’re still great friends (maybe we have to be, after that experience) and regularly reminisce about the places we went, people we met and amazing music we heard. Front row seats to Tim McGraw, anyone? The trip was also a quest to find the perfect pair of boots, and mine were waiting for me in El Paso, Texas. They have tread the dust at many a rodeo and travelled to cattle properties across Australia. They are starting to lose their shine a bit, so I guess that means it is time to head back to Texas for another pair, right?

The ankle: Mr M and I have an arrangement. When we go overseas, the majority of our trip is spent avoiding cities so we can soak up the real culture and natural landscape. There is very little shopping for Mrs M…until the last day! We spend our last couple nights in a city, to unwind before the long flight back to Australia and so I can find some treasures to spend my remaining euros/Moroccan dirhams on. I bought these Robert Botella boots in Barcelona, at the end of our honeymoon. I love the burnt-orange inlay in the heels – it reminds me of Spanish oranges, such an iconic part of that country’s rural landscape.

The rockstar: My latest boot purchase, picked out by Mr M when we were in Bryon Bay, NSW, last year. There is a fabulous shop there, South of the Border (they have two stores in Sydney as well), which has gorgeous clothes with a western vibe. Think denim, turquoise, butter-soft leather. I love the hardware on these boots, a little bit rock-and-roll. I have only worn them once, paired with skinny jeans, on a trip to Sydney but when it starts to cool down I’ll be wearing them more.

Do you have a boot story?

Love, Mrs M xx