Boots theory

Short description: Economic theory by Terry Pratchett

The Sam Vimes theory of socioeconomic unfairness, often called simply the boots theory, is an economic theory that people in poverty have to buy cheap and subpar products that need to be replaced repeatedly, proving more expensive in the long run than more expensive items. The term was coined by English fantasy writer Sir Terry Pratchett in his 1993 Discworld novel Men at Arms. In the novel, Sam Vimes, the captain of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, illustrates the concept with the example of boots.

The theory has been cited with regard to analyses of the prices of boots, fuel prices, and economic conditions in the United Kingdom.

## Contents

* 1 Conception
* 2 Examples
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 Further reading
* 6 External links

## Conception

In the Discworld series of novels by Terry Pratchett, Sam Vimes is the captain of the City Watch of the fictional city-state of Ankh-Morpork.[1][2] In the 1993 novel Men at Arms, the second novel focusing on the City Watch through Vimes' perspective, Vimes muses on how expensive it is to be poor:[2][3]

> The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. ... A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. ... But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
> This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socio-economic unfairness.[4]

In the New Statesman, Marc Burrows hypothesized Pratchett drew inspiration from Robert Tressell's 1914 novel The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists.[5] In the book Fashion in the Fairy Tale Tradition, Rebecca-Anne C. Do Rozario argued "shoes and economic autonomy are inexorably linked" in fairy tales, citing the Boots theory as "particularly relevant" and "an insightful metaphor for inequality".[6]

## Examples

Since the publication of Men at Arms, others have also made reference to the theory.

In 2013, an article by the US ConsumerAffairs made reference to the theory in regard to purchasing items on credit, specifically regarding children's boots from the retailer Fingerhut; a $25 pair of boots, at the interest rates being offered, would cost $37 if purchased over seven months.[7] In 2016, the left-wing blog Dorset Eye also ran an article discussing the theory, giving fuel poverty in the United Kingdom as an example of its application, citing a 2014 Office for National Statistics (ONS) report that those who pre-paid for electricity—who were most likely to be subject to fuel poverty—paid 8% more on their electricity bills than those who paid by direct debit.[8]

In a 2020 discussion paper for the Social and Political Research Foundation, Sitara Srinivas used the theory to analyze how sustainable fashion is inaccessible compared to fast fashion.[9] In an article titled "The Price of Poverty" published in Tribune Magazine in 2022, the theory was cited as explaining the economic predicament in the United Kingdom. Examples provided included the higher cost of renting compared to home ownership, higher interest rates for loans to impoverished people, the effects of food poverty on educational advancement, and healthcare costs.[10]

## See also

* Finance:Bulk purchasing - Purchase of much larger quantities than usual, for a unit price that is lower than the usual
* Finance:Cost of poverty - Poor people often incur higher expenses due to lack of options
* Finance:Circular cumulative causation - Theory of economic and social reform developed by Gunnar Myrdal and Nicholas Kaldor
* Finance:Cycle of poverty - Vicious cycle that reinforces poverty
* Finance:False economy - Economics concept
* Philosophy:Hyperbolic discounting - Economics concept
* Finance:Time preference - Difference in valuation of a payoff when receiving it earlier versus later

## References

1. ↑ Flood, Alison (2022-01-26). "Terry Pratchett estate backs Jack Monroe's idea for 'Vimes Boots' poverty index" (in en). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jan/26/terry-pratchett-jack-monroe-vimes-boots-poverty-index.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Richards, Carl (2016-02-01). "Spend the Money for the Good Boots, and Wear Them Forever" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/your-money/spend-the-money-for-the-good-boots-and-wear-them-forever.html.
3. ↑ Whitbrook, Jack (2022-01-26). "Discworld's Famous 'Boots Theory' Is Putting a Spotlight On Poverty in the UK" (in en). Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/jack-monroe-vimes-boots-index-discworld-terry-pratchett-1848426453.
4. ↑ Pratchett, Terry (1993). Men at Arms. London: Gollancz. pp. 32. ISBN 0-575-05503-0. OCLC 29470107.
5. ↑ Burrows, Marc (2022-01-28). "Your best ally against injustice? Terry Pratchett" (in en-US). New Statesman. https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2022/01/your-best-ally-against-injustice-terry-pratchett.
6. ↑ Do Rozario, Rebecca-Anne C. (2018). "Shoes, the Sole of Fairy Tale: Stepping Between Desire and Damnation". Fashion in the Fairy Tale Tradition: What Cinderella Wore. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 180, 213. ISBN 978-3-319-91100-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=-_VeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA180.
7. ↑ Abel, Jennifer (2013-11-14). "Fingerhut boots and the Vimes' Boots paradox" (in en). ConsumerAffairs. https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/fingerhut-boots-and-the-vimes-boots-paradox-111413.html.
8. ↑ Deverell, Mike (2016-01-05). "Mike Deverell discusses five reasons why those with less end up paying more" (in en-GB). https://dorseteye.com/mike-deverell-discusses-five-reasons-why-those-with-less-end-up-paying-more/.
9. ↑ Srinivas, Sitara (2020). ﻿STITCHING A NEW NARRATIVE: ENGAGING WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY﻿ (Report). https://sprf.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Sustainability-and-Fast-Fashion.pdf. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
10. ↑ Deer, Rae (2022-06-23). "The Price of Poverty" (in en-GB). Tribune Magazine 57 (2). ISSN 0195-6663. https://tribunemag.co.uk/2022/06/inflation-prices-cost-of-living-crisis-energy-food-housing.

## Further reading

* Ehrenreich, Barbara (2001). Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. Metropolitan Books. ISBN 0-8050-8838-5.

## External links

* vimesbootsindex.co.uk

* v
* t
* e

Terry Pratchett's Discworld

Novels|

* The Colour of Magic
* The Light Fantastic
* Equal Rites
* Mort
* Sourcery
* Wyrd Sisters
* Pyramids
* Guards! Guards!
* Eric
* Moving Pictures
* Reaper Man
* Witches Abroad
* Small Gods
* Lords and Ladies
* Men at Arms
* Soul Music
* Interesting Times
* Maskerade
* Feet of Clay
* Hogfather
* Jingo
* The Last Continent
* Carpe Jugulum
* The Fifth Elephant
* The Truth
* Thief of Time
* The Last Hero
* The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
* Night Watch
* The Wee Free Men
* Monstrous Regiment
* A Hat Full of Sky
* Going Postal
* Thud!
* Wintersmith
* Making Money
* Unseen Academicals
* I Shall Wear Midnight
* Snuff
* Raising Steam
* The Shepherd's Crown

Short stories|

* "Troll Bridge"
* "Theatre of Cruelty"
* "The Sea and Little Fishes"
* "Death and What Comes Next"
* "A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices"
* A Blink of the Screen (anthology)

Other books|

* The Discworld Companion
* The Science of Discworld
* The Science of Discworld II: The Globe
* The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch
* The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day
* The Pratchett Portfolio
* The Art of Discworld
* The Unseen University Challenge
* The Wyrdest Link
* The Streets of Ankh-Morpork
* The Discworld Mapp
* A Tourist Guide to Lancre
* Death's Domain
* Nanny Ogg's Cookbook
* The Discworld Almanak
* Where's My Cow?
* The Unseen University Cut Out Book
* The Discworld Diaries
* Once More* with Footnotes
* The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld
* The Folklore of Discworld
* The World of Poo

Games|

* The Colour of Magic
* Discworld MUD
* Discworld
* Discworld II
* GURPS Discworld
* Discworld Noir
* Discworld: Ankh-Morpork

Films and TV series|

* Welcome to the Discworld
* Soul Music
* Wyrd Sisters
* Hogfather
* The Colour of Magic
* Going Postal
* The Watch

Characters|

* Tiffany Aching
* Death
* Hex
* Moist von Lipwig
* Nanny Ogg
* Rincewind
* Susan Sto Helit
* Lord Vetinari
* Sam Vimes
* Granny Weatherwax

Races and creatures|

* Dwarfs
* Elves
* Nac Mac Feegle

Locations|

* Discworld
* Ankh-Morpork

Organisations|

* City Watch
* Unseen University
* The Witches

Other|

* Games of the Discworld
* Lie-to-children

* Book

Template:Poverty

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots theory. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Finance:Boots_theory&oldid=4376330"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template