All I Want for Christmas is a Pair of Boots

Tokyo Prince Hotel

The fashionista crowd here has embraced a new accessory this season: furry boot socks.

One of the Ikebana ladies wore a pair to our holiday board luncheon in early December and since then numerous variations have been spotted on train platforms between Yokohama and Tokyo. They seem to be multiplying as quickly as rabbits.

Yokohama train station

A friend who spends less time on train platforms than I landed landed a pair at the JAW gift exchange. She was puzzled, then a bit dubious, but tried them on, chuckled a bit, and decided she needs to find another pair to accent her black boots.

She modeled the socks at a recent book club session. Alas, the light was dim and I didn't think to enable my camera's flash so you probably can't tell that the furry bracelet is attached to a stirrup worn over socks. The stirrup is adjustable so the bracelet can be worn on the ankle or calf.

I don't think I've owned boots since emigrating from Michigan in 1980 but there's a gap in my closet just large enough to accommodate a pair or two. Last Saturday night I was launched my pitch to Santa as we were standing on a train platform in Yokohama.

"Ho, ho, ho!" he interrupted. "When I made my list and checked it twice, you landed at the top of the Naughty column. You might want to scale down your expectations. Try thinking outside the boot box."

And laying a finger aside of his nose, he winked in the direction of a girl standing a few meters further along the platform.