These Boots Are Made for Kicking, Court Says

The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled that cowboy boots can be dangerous weapons--at least under some circumstances.

The decision upheld the first-degree robbery conviction of Todd Bell in a case from Multnomah County. Bell knocked a woman to the ground and kicked her in the chest when taking her purse, the court said. He was charged on grounds that the cowboy boots he wore were dangerous weapons.

“Clearly, cowboy boots with pointed toes and three-inch heels are capable of causing injuries that bare feet or, say, tennis shoes, are not,” the appeals court said.