If I were inexplicably stranded on a desert island and could only have 3 articles of clothing with me, this is what I’d choose:

1) my favorite pair of underwear, of course;

2) a bikini top (If I’m going to be stranded on a tropical island, I’m gonna have a tan belly), and;

3) my Frye boots.

To be sure, my favorite pair of jeans and a cozy cotton sweater would closely follow because if you think about it…me running around the tropics in nothing but a bikini top, underwear and a pair of boots might rightly give you the impression that I’d either been bitten by a brightly-colored spider and had gone mad, or, I was suffering from a severe case of banana poisoning. So, as your brain wrestles with that disturbing image, remember…this is just hypothetical.

The third item on my list, my Frye boots, are not actually full boots…they’re clogs…and they’re on my feet about 85% of the time (you’ll find flip-flops from Target the other 15%). They’re so rugged, cowboy-chic cool (without the pointy, cowboy boot toe which, in my opinion, you really need to be a cowboy to get away with) and are easy to slip on and off (which is great if you have your hands full or have just remembered that you forgot to pick your kid up from pre-school and need to leave the house FAST) and they look awesome with a long pair of boot-cut jeans. To me, they totally say, “I’m cool without even trying to look cool,” (what can be better than that?).

The Frye Company is the one of oldest shoe companies in the United States. Founded in 1863 by John A. Frye, a shoemaker from England, it was run by the Frye family for over 85 years.

So, they’ve been around a while…but they also have a very cool history; Frye boots were worn by soldiers for both sides of America’s Civil War, soldiers in the Spanish- American war, and for Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. When homesteading drew adventurous New England families to the West during the mid and late 1800’s, many of the pioneers wore Frye Boots on the long journey. They were also worn by soldiers in the Second World War…even General Patton wore a pair. (And if they’re good enough for a general…)

In the 1960’s, Frye reintroduced the Campus Boot, from its 1860 original, featuring a bulky toe and chunky heel that came to epitomize the attitude and the style of the 60’s and 70’s. A pair even sits in the Smithsonian representing America in the 60’s (hence the groovy part).

The Frye Company makes boots for men, women, cowboys, loggers and kids. They also now offer “regular” shoes for men and women including these beauties. Look at the heel on these! As a tall gal, I love wearing heels, but they’ve got to be good and solid to give me a little stability (I’m unstable). These shoes also have a hint of the “gladiator” look that is sooooo hot right now, yet they manage to come off as timeless, not trendy.

Frye also has a great collection of handbags that feature the same rock-solid construction as their boots with the beautiful styling you see here.

You can purchase products directly from the company here, but they’re also available at places like Zappos, Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom.

Strange, I’ve got this sudden urge to go to the beach…