Skyrim - Boots
Boots are the armor worn on the feet. They are one of the four armor slots, next to the chest, the head and the hands. Every armor material has a pair. Hide Boots and Iron Boots come early in the game, and Dragonscale Boots and Daedric Boots come at the end.
Boots add less armor than a chest piece, but they still count. A full set needs boots to unlock Custom Fit, Well Fitted and the Matching Set perks. Without boots, those set bonuses stay off.
Boots are also one of the most useful slots for enchantments. Muffle, the enchantment that silences footsteps, can only go on footwear. Plain shoes and boots from the clothing section also fit this slot, but they add no armor.
Armor Categories
Best Boots
Daedric Boots are the strongest heavy boots in the base game. Dragonplate Boots and Ebony Boots follow close behind. Dragonplate Boots are a little lighter than the Daedric pair.
Dragonscale Boots are the strongest light boots in the base game. Glass Boots sit just below them. Elven Boots are a good middle game pair that weigh almost nothing.
On Solstheim, the Dragonborn add-on adds Stalhrim boots in both light and heavy forms. Both rank close to the best base game boots, and both are forged with the Ebony Smithing perk.
Unique Boots
Many unique boots help a sneaking character. The Shrouded Boots of the Dark Brotherhood muffle every step. The Ancient Shrouded Boots do the same and weigh only half a unit. They lie on a dead assassin in Hag's End during the quest Locate the Assassin of Old.
The Nightingale Boots muffle the wearer too, and they come from Trinity Restored in the Thieves Guild questline. Predator's Grace muffles steps and restores a little stamina. It sits above a waterfall near the top exit of Hag's End.
The thieves' sets favour pickpocketing. The Thieves Guild Boots, the Guild Master's Boots and the Blackguard's Boots each make pickpocketing more successful. The Blackguard's set waits in Glover Mallory's House in Raven Rock.
Other boots do something special. Ahzidal's Boots of Waterwalking let the wearer walk on water, and they lie in Kolbjorn Barrow during Unearthed. Movarth's Boots and the Boots of the Old Gods both make sneaking better. The Deathbrand Boots add carrying capacity for every Deathbrand piece worn.
Light or Heavy
Heavy boots protect more, but they weigh several times as much as light ones. A pair of Daedric Boots weighs more than most light chest pieces. The Conditioning perk removes that weight for heavy armor, and Unhindered does the same for light armor.
Light boots train the Light Armor Skill, and heavy boots train the Heavy Armor Skill. Only boots of the same kind as the rest of the set keep the full set perks working. A pair of muffled boots of the right kind gives both the set bonus and silent steps.
Enchanting
Muffle is the signature enchantment of boots. It silences footsteps, which makes sneaking much easier in any armor. Even heavy armor becomes quiet with a pair of muffled boots.
Boots can also carry Fortify Carry Weight, which helps a character who hauls a lot of loot. Resist Fire, Resist Frost and Resist Shock protect against one element each. Fortify Stamina and Fortify Stamina Regen help warriors and archers.
Several combat skills can go on boots too. Fortify One-Handed, Fortify Two-Handed, Fortify Sneak and Fortify Pickpocket all fit this slot. A thief can stack Fortify Sneak or Fortify Pickpocket on boots, gauntlets, a ring and an amulet.
Smithing and Upgrades
Boots are forged at a forge with the same perk that forges the rest of their set. The Steel Smithing perk covers steel and Imperial boots. The Glass Smithing perk covers Glass Boots, and the Dragon Armor perk covers Dragonscale and Dragonplate boots.
Improving boots at a workbench adds armor. A Legendary pair gains 10 points, half of what a chest piece gains. Improvement works twice as well with the Smithing perk for that material. Enchanted boots also need the Arcane Blacksmith Perk.
Unique boots from quests can be improved, but they cannot be forged.
All Boots
Light Armor
All light armor boots are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
Heavy Armor
All heavy armor boots are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
