Hello dear readers, I’m here with Boots today, a sweet n sexy gearhead from Leicestershire. Tell us a little about yourself Boots, where did you get your love of gear from? What’s some special moments in your past that you see as, “Ah there it started something?”
Thanks Se7en, it’s an honour to be invited along to tell my story!
Boots is my pup persona but that doesn’t define me totally, some guys don’t appreciate the pup side so they might feel more comfortable with my real name – James, but I’m pretty easy going and let people call me what they’re comfortable with!
Thinking back there have been several informative points, but the first I’d say I didn’t really understand why, what or how these feelings occurred. I’d say I was 11, possibly younger? I knew for some reason things like; balaclavas, gas masks and motorcycle helmets made me curious and I found myself just inadvertently touching myself but not knowing why, it was a really confusing time. Around that age or maybe a bit later, I recall watching movies and TV shows and being REALLY interested in the anonymous masked henchmen. ‘Brazil’ was a movie I saw on late night TV that had henchmen in gas masks and body armour that I simply couldn’t get enough of! The fact some of the characters also ended up suspended in hooded straitjackets might have been somewhat of an influence on me too!
Motorcycle magazines were also an influence I was able to collect and enjoy in privacy, they were my porn magazines, imagining myself as the leather clad biker on those pages really did it for me. It did feel kind of seedy when I’d go into the newsagents and go to pick one up, like it was forbidden.
My first attempt to buy gear (it was tame compared to what I have now but I considered it a bit kinky at the time – a three hole knitted SAS style balaclava from my local army surplus store) was filled with apprehension and I cultivated lies in my head beforehand to give excuses if I were asked ‘why?’ as something inside told me it was somehow wrong. That army surplus store became my local gear supply store, with gloves, boots and a gas mask purchased over the years, the smell of that place was unique!
And look at you now! Fully kitted out with many things XD What do you think is it that pulls you towards gear? And do you have a certain type of gear that you find especially alluring? Or is it anything goes? 😉
I’m sure many reading this will relate their own paths to mine where they took something relatively innocent but turned into fetish simply by the way they think of it.
It wasn’t a simple or cheap journey to get the collection of gear I have now, and whilst some might be envious of what I have, it’s a never ending desire not just for me but many guys I know. The list is never ending and evolving but priorities change as I grow depending on influences and if course finances dictate the ‘when’. Equally there are guys out there that want to participate, but don’t have the means to for whatever reason.
The pull of gear for me is transformative. I love how it changes my look, and though I’m very unremarkable out of gear, once I get into it, it turns me into something that feels powerful, sexy and dare I say alluring?
Having said that, if I had the swimmer’s physique I’ve always dreamed of having I’m sure I’d feel the same, just more amplified and confident.
It’s how the gear feels on my body too, though it differs depending on the gear.
For example when I ride my motorcycle, I wear full leathers with body armour and a skin tight undersuit beneath. Then add boots, gloves and helmet to complete the encasement.
Then when I ride, I can feel the wind pushing back on my helmet and my leather clad chest, the controls being manipulated by my leather gloved hands, slightly restricted from certain movements due to the protection they provide, with my ankles and feet safely enclosed in my boots allowing me to change gear and brake without a second thought, at that moment the gear is my friend protecting me from the elements, and if it’s warm and starts raining… oh boy!
Gear gives me confidence and when I catch a glimpse of myself astride my bike in a reflection I still, after 17 years riding, love to see myself looking like that anonymous biker; knowing that’s also how the thousands of people I cross paths with see me as too.
And yet wearing skin tight rubber offers some of the protection and full coverage opportunities Motorcycle gear does in a similar way, it’s definitely more sensual and not as easily worn in public and would definitely get more attention (which is clearly something I crave!). I mean who doesn’t like positive affirmation, stares of disbelief, of wonder … maybe dare I say even envy?
Overall if I was to sum up why I find gear attractive, it’s something that offers me a protective layer that changes my look, perhaps even my proportions.
I actually hate to see myself in photos when not in gear, full body or face pics, it doesn’t feel like ‘me’, I guess it’s all a mask in the end.
I have a preference for full coverage gear, the more protective the better, though I’ve been known to show some body parts at times if the combination is feeling right… and in the right circumstances. I’ve only recently published photos of me in gear with my face showing. That’s especially significant as headgear is my primary Gear Fetish.
For most people I’d now say “Most people hate themselves in photos.” But for gearheads it might be the gear shell which is closer to the real them at times I assume 🙂
Is it the same for you when it comes to others? How much does it matter how much gear the other one is wearing for you? Do you still feel attracted to someone if they don’t?
Oh for sure! It’s often that hard outer shell that when opened reveals a much softer inside than expected. It’s great to be able to choose what you’re seen as, liberating and a release at the same time.
For me personality accounts for a large proportion of my interest in other gear heads. My aim has always been to make friends first and see where things go, there HAS to be a rapport.
Taste in gear and imagination for how they use it I find are traits I also actively look for.
I like to write stories myself when the muse takes me, and those really reveal my darkest fantasies. They often take on a sci-fi theme and the act of putting on (or being put into) gear usually takes centre stage. I love to really push my fantasies beyond what I know I’m physically capable of. I may have to consider uploading some stories to SadOSam if people are interested?
In the past when my stories have been published they generate the most interesting responses for me, as the story takes someone else on a journey and they make their own adaptations inside their minds eye. It’s really quite humbling to hear how someone else interprets my words.
I’m not suggesting one has to be able to write a short story to get my attention though! Actually demonstrating the presence of a brain and engaging with me beyond small talk is probably the bare minimum, though I understand it can be hard to open up to a stranger online.
I used to be someone who didn’t ‘do’ small talk, but after realising how arrogant that was I decided to try harder. It’s an art in itself and not everyone has the confidence to really speak what’s on their minds, so as a somewhat established member of the community I need to remember that. It’s a challenge but can be worth it… sometimes.
I could potentially connect with anyone with the bare minimum of gear though, as long as their enthusiasm is evident and I didn’t suspect they were using me just to try my gear on. I’m more likely to offer that opportunity if someone doesn’t ask, yet shows a genuine curiosity.
Sadly I’ve experienced people that tried to use me, so I’ve become increasingly cynical as our community grows and I get older and wiser (or just plain grumpy LOL!). I try to tell myself that life is too short and just enjoy myself as much as possible.
Fetish is defined crudely as an inability to get sexual satisfaction without it, and whilst I can cum without gear, it’s really difficult! My minimum is usually a hood as my first love was head gear and still is a firm favourite!
Having said that I have been fucked whilst wearing no gear at all (there goes my reputation!) And it was a special moment for me. He is a furry and gear head and we played in gear a lot, I sucked him off whilst he was dressed as a Storm Trooper and later as a rubber spiderman but yeah there was that ‘one’ time!
My play partners are deliberately selected to be on my wavelength which makes it easier overall and opens up other play like cum control, bondage, many different types of role play where once you’re encased in a costume of your choosing you can let your imagination run wild. There aren’t that many limitations to what another kinkster would want to do, in fact I think it opens up other options they might not have considered.
I’m fortunate to have friends with a wide variety of gear interests, some I’m intrigued by, others I’m blasé about (I mean the gear choices, not the friends ofc!). I love heavy rubber drysuits, but I’m pretty blasé about hazmat. Technically they are almost identical, but for some reason one REALLY does it for me whilst the other doesn’t.
A common theme amongst my friends is imagination and a level of creativity that doesn’t follow normal assumptions, and an openness to our differences.
I like creating unique gear, such as combining gear that doesn’t normally fit together in their intended uses. Others that display this trait piques my interest rather than a uniformly accepted… erm, uniform, but even so, matching gear and intentional uniforms also have a place in my life.
So yes, what another wears is important but ‘how’ they got to that point is equally interesting to me, if not moreso.
Engagement and connection are also my main attraction kink. Without that in the end nothing really goes 😉
You say gear is a never ending desire. Does that mean that you, with a good own collection now, still have some pieces you’d love to get your hands on, be it special brand or also more surreal?
Storage is more of a challenge to be honest. But yeah new gear always has an attraction. The gear I actually use for its intended purpose only has a limited shelf life so I enjoy researching and trying on new gear when a replacement is due. But outside of that cycle there’s always some kind of desire to get something.
My imagination plays a big part in those desires, whether it’s a scenario I could get into or a piece of gear that doesn’t exist yet, I’ll find a way to make it plausible. Like I said earlier, priorities change over time, so what might be at the top of my list today might change a few months or years down the line when I have the funds to buy it.
Some of that flip-flopping is procrastination, other times it’s born out of necessity.
My helmets for example. I just bought a new one, paid for by the sale of some gear I bought my husband who had decided not to pursue the activity it was related to.
But my need for a new helmet was born out of the fact my ‘sexy’ helmet gives me a headache after an hour of riding, and my other helmets are either too old (one of the limited shelf life items I mentioned above) or just not suitable for daily use, so I spent hours in a shop last weekend trying helmets on, then came home and found one of the options I tried on at a significant discount, which allows me to buy something else with the balance from the gear sale.
We have savings and I earn a respectable wage to pay for this stuff now but I try really hard not to dip into that for gear, it has to be justified.
I’ve learnt the hard way about buying on credit when I didn’t have savings and couldn’t afford or want to save up, and we ended up getting into difficulties as a result. That is one of the lessons I try to pass on to guys less experienced than myself, is to not fall into that trap as it’s much harder to get out of than you realise at the time.
I’m not biased about brands as such. Gear really appeals if the ideas are innovative or the design/ graphics appeal to me.
I’m really liking bright colours lately and I’m almost too garish for some tastes but I don’t care, I’ll do what I’m happiest with and garish equals being noticed which is good for my ego and for being a biker on the road. I’m coordinating ‘my’ colours somewhat now, based on my bike as a starting point which is orange and blue, then adding fluorescent yellow, white and black into the mix.
This will be making more of a noticeable appearance in my gear collection very soon.
I seem to collect pup hoods and have 9 or 10 different ones with the latest one just around the corner, which is allowing me to unleash my creativity in the most noticeable of places. It’s this I’m coordinating the colours mentioned above with a future set of custom leathers; and I’ll be making my latest helmet purchase match too by overlaying a vinyl wrap myself.
I’m also digging the asymmetrical look I see on some MOTOGP racers, with each limb a different colour with corresponding gloves/boots to match. Biker gear is pretty high on my gear loves as you’re probably noticing.
My imagination and creativity extends beyond writing one handed fiction as I have a background in design and love to draw and work with my hands, my mind takes me places wanting to create gear that doesn’t exist, or modifying existing gear to become something extra or totally new.
I have a fascination with space suits, I just love the total enclosure aspect and protection from the vacuum of space, how chunky and padded they are. I also love the idea of plush suits, an extension of fur suits which are all one piece full coverage, padded and impossible to escape from once zipped up, because all you have are these padded bappy paws! So cute and helpless!
If I could combine a plush suit and spacesuit that would be the ultimate of course! Another for the list…
I’m also a keen diver and have been spending a lot of time and money on this activity over the last 18 months. I’ve made some excellent new friends doing so and kinky divers are simply the best to dive with because they like the heavy rubber drysuits and full face masks, just makes it feel right diving with someone that understands and appreciates the gear, which is especially important when you’re reliant on it (and them) to maintain your life at depth.
I agree xD I’d rather go deep diving with someone like that too. Definitely would trust they keep their equipment in top shape more than standard. And storage is the most common problem for kinksters, whether gearheads or not xD Do you have a walk in closet at this point? 😉
And I kinda ask myself. When I myself play with things like, lets say bondage, I am mostly pretty much naked, or with as much “free access play area” as possible, to make myself as vulnerable as I can as a sub. But how is it if you play in gear? I imagine the gear must add something else to the headspace mix, so to say? A feeling of both protection, gear hotness, and vulnerability? Or am I totally wrong? Is it since you feel being yourself more in gear, you feel even more vulnerable than usual? What goes on in your head there? 🙂
I’d love a walk in wardrobe! I’ve spent far too many hours dreaming of the perfect setup.
We’re (my husband and I) potentially relocating due to work, so if a potential new house has a big closet that will be a selling point for sure! Right now we try to account for that by using a spare bedroom… in fact our three story house has a (nearly) dedicated floor for kinky fun, one room is the playroom whilst the other is the gear room (which doubles as my office during the day). So in retrospect it’ll have to be a huge walk in wardrobe to complete with that!
It’s a good point you raise about feeling vulnerable in bondage. Though I don’t speaking for others, I love bondage and the gear heightens the experience for me as a sub.
Gear is the opposite to being naked with easy access to any part of the body, it makes you feel invulnerable, but there are creative ways to use gear against the occupant, which if I suggest it whilst I’m wearing that gear I get an insta-boner. Putting a plug in prior to putting on a suit enforces the idea that the plug doesn’t come out until I can escape the gear for example (riding a bike plugged is amazing btw).
Some gear restricts movement, so in one situation where you’d be able to reach a knot, when you’re in leathers or body armour suddenly it’s out of reach. It can help make other situations more intense in fact as an armored pad can allow a bind to be made tighter without risk of cutting off circulation.
Then of course there’s the fetish specific gear, which range from full coverage bondage suits which allow access to only the most important parts, to just hoods and mitts to focus the mind on where you’re being touched due to sensory deprivation.
Then you have things like gas masks which can be used for breath control, or collars and harnesses that can be used to restrict movement. I consider all that stuff as gear too, not just re-appropriated personal protective equipment.
I find though, that by combining different types of gear one can achieve a similar potential to play as someone who is naked, you just have to be a bit more creative, though of course the sub headspace is going to be significantly different.
There are also easy to modify types of gear to allow sex either top or bottom though I can imagine it not appealing to a proportion of kinksters because the gear could get in the way, distracting from the moment.
I’ve also had a few instances where heat build up has ended the fun, keeping hydrated is especially important to a gearhead so an awareness of your sub and yourself is super important.
So gear can detract, but I think it’s all part of learning about oneself and that type of play. I’d certainly recommend not giving up, because in my opinion it’s worth trying and persevering with.
I should add, I have a mirror above my bondage table in the playroom, it’s really hot seeing myself in that mirror bound up and being played with by another geared up guy.
(if I’m allowed to see at all ofc)
Hehe yeah, I presume for someone into gear such visuals can be a very adding factor 😉 And of course, most fetish equipment is in essence also gear, and the more time goes on the more developed, creative and visually hot they also seem to become nowadays, right? How long you think until someone makes a dedicated fetish biker helmet with included gag or easy mouth access ;P ?
And it’s really interesting, I’ve never really quite thought about using gear outfits as an intentional restriction effect. Do you have 1 or 2 other tips & tricks up your sleeve when playing with fellow gearheads you can give to aspiring newcomer readers here maybe?
Indeed, with so many creative people in the community with 3D modeling skills, 3D printers and other legacy skills it’s plausible that someone will create a dedicated fetish helmet. I saw someone create a metal ball helmet from two IKEA salad bowls, a hinge, a locking post and some foam, so really anything can be used if you set your mind to it.
I’ve also seen a full face motocross helmet intended for snowmobile use that has a flip down muzzle which would allow very easy access to insert a cock, but only available in North America damnit! (That’s on my list and I’m currently trying to source one to the UK, but it is behind the new pup hood, leathers and one other rubber hood on my immediate gear wish list!)…
I’ve made a few modified helmets myself that start with a regular motorcycle helmet (one that can be sacrificed, definitely not something to use on the road again) and then adding or removing other things to it.
One I removed the clear visor and added the face cage from an American football helmet to the front and a piece of body armour with slots in, mounted just inside the chin bar to hide my eyes. That was more a costume than a functional kinky item though.
Another helmet I owned that already had a built-in respirator I removed the lining from, added foam covered in leather and a cycle inner tube as the replacement liner to add pressure later on.
Then I’ve also modified a helmet designed to be used inside a vac rack that had a neoprene neck seal, it also had an oro-nasal mask inside connected to a breathing tube so once on my head that was the only air in and out, and allowed me to be fully inside a vacrack wearing a helmet. It was very comfortable and the first of its kind. Adding a gag is a simple next step XD
I designed a pair of boots that were a fusion of motocross and furry! I called them Bootpawz but I never had the skills to make a real pair, only a clay model I intended to cast in Urethane foam. I’m particularly sore about that, I still live in hope that I can make them a reality one day when I have the skills and resources.
So my advice to others with this interest is really that the world is your oyster when it comes to gear, if you’re creative and handy your imagination is the only limitation. I’m sure most guys into gear are as willing to talk about their experiences and offer advice if you ask them and show a genuine interest, just remember that they’ve spent a fair amount of money on that gear and invested themselves in time and energy so respect is due in return, just be authentic.
Mix and match gear, there’s no rules when it comes to the playroom, just make sure it’s safe and don’t play solo if it’s a struggle to remove the gear yourself, that’s super important, it’s not just breath control or bondage where guys get into trouble so know your limits and besides, it’s more fun when there’s at least two of you, more fun with more people!
Talk through everything as much as possible, try stuff on independently to see what works for you or not before combining gears, and as tempting as it can be don’t go too fast, enjoy the journey and share your experiences. Some of my most enjoyable experiences have been from sharing what I love with others.
That’s a big reason why I host GearBlast:UK as it enables those that attend to make those connections, linking an online persona to a real person. I believe it’s changed lives for the better as its not a typical fuck fest, more socially oriented but with the potential to get off and enjoy lasting friendships too.
There’s’ still a few tickets available for those who want to go (Covid Vaccination / Test 3 days prior required)
If anyone wants to bounce ideas off me they’re welcome to get in touch. As my Twitter says, I love interaction!
