Boots and shoes are built around a last — the form that gives footwear its shape. Lasts used to be made of wood but now they’re typically made of plastic, which is heavier, and the heels are built and rough-shaped while the last is still in the boot. The red and gray boots are a size 12.5 and each last weighs two and a half pounds (plus the weight of the actual boot around it). I’m always sore after building heels on a large boot, but the little size 3.5 shoe feels as light as a feather in comparison!