The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2025 - Issue 37

Duke’s Boots DROP001 Cristina Lloyd looks at Duke’s Boots’ first limited edition collection of cowboy boots for confident women. biteboots B orn in London, Duke’s Boots emerged into the world of heritage footwear. Founded by Alice Mer- riman in 2024, the brand marries traditional English boot-making with a modern-day attitude. Its cowboy boots have a British street twist, a streak of irreverence and a lot of attitude. “Forget the Wild West - think Boudicca.” The queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, Boudicca, led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61. However, she is still considered a British national heroine. The boots are built for Friday nights, Sunday lunches, Monday morning meetings, cocktails, cab rides, foreign streets or de- sert heat. They are designed for women living like they run the place. “They don’t pander. They don’t play pretty. They show up sexy as hell - not for anyone else’s gaze, but because confidence, cool, and charisma come naturally.” When Alice slipped into her first pair of cowboy boots at 16, she felt fearless, free, and ready to take on the world. At 23, she left London for Shanghai with a backpack, money, and a sharp eye for detail. In China, she learned the realities of footwear production, the importance of fit and finish, and having the right people around the table. Back in London, Al- ice pursued excellence and cutting-edge tech to create Duke’s Boots. She worked alongside some of the best minds in the business to bring her creative ideas to reality and design pow- erful footwear for women. Duke’s Boots’s Drop 001 collection, launched in May, reima- gines the iconic cowboy boot through a female lens. You won’t see these at rodeos or in dusty saloons, but rather on