The Sam Vimes "Boots" 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 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]
Vimes Boots Index
In January 2022, the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced that inflation had hit 5.4%.[11] The ONS calculates its Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is an inflation measure, based on a typical basket of goods, to reflect the actual products purchased in shops.[12]Jack Monroe, an anti-poverty activist and gastronomic journalist, wrote an article for The Observer criticizing the official inflation rate, saying that it "grossly underestimates the true cost-of-living crisis".[13] Monroe argued that cheaper foods had become more expensive than the CPI estimates and that the inflation is harder for "people with the least".[14]
Change in pricing of lowest-cost grocery items from September 2021 to 2022 in UK
Monroe stated in January 2022 that they would work with others, including economists, anti-poverty activists and former ONS employees, to compile the Vimes Boots Index (VBI): a price index that would track "the most basic versions of essential items", highlighting the greater cost of poverty.[15] In 2022, Pratchett's estate supported Jack Monroe's campaign, quoting the late author to say "Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness" and granting use of the "Vimes' Boots' name by Monroe. Pratchett's daughter, writer Rhianna Pratchett, backed the index and said her father "would be proud to see his work used in that way."[1]
In January 2022 Mike Hardie, head of inflation statistics at the ONS, wrote that "the average annual rate of inflation can conceal a lot," as personal inflation rates had experienced higher increases than the overall inflation rate, and announced an update to the measure.[16] In response, Monroe said they were "delighted" at the change."[17]
These results were published in an ONS report from October 2022 which is often referred to as the Vimes Boots Index.[18] The report concluded that while "the lowest-priced items have increased in cost by around 17% over the 12 months to September 2022" and this was "similar to the 15% rise in the official measure of inflation for food and drink".[19] In June 2024, the National Bureau of Economic Research from USA published a working paper expanding on the ONS findings, showing that the price of the cheapest goods were growing 1.3 to 1.9 times than those of the most expensive globally, with the UK's ratio at 6%, which the Financial Times argued disproved the ONS's findings.[18][20]
See also
Bulk purchasing– Purchase of much larger quantities than usual, for a unit price that is lower than the usual
Cost of poverty– Poor people often incur higher expenses due to lack of options
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