Why Can’t I Buy Boots in League of Legends?

Some players think League of Legends is all about champion mechanics or team synergy, but they forget one of the most important aspects of playing this popular MOBA: itemization. The items you choose and buy can change an entire game. One well-timed Zhonya's Hourglass or Hextech Protobelt can have the chance to turn the tide of any fight. Similarly, one vital early item for LoL players is boots, but why can't you buy them sometimes?

What are boots in League of Legends?

Whatever game mode you're playing in LoL, the shop often recommends boots fairly early on in the game. Boots are a great way to improve your Movement Speed score as well as give yourself better defensive or offensive buffs. For example, Mercury's Treads are one of the most popular boots in the game because they help decrease the effects of Crowd Control (CC) abilities. Unsurprisingly, if you look at the top LoL players, you'll find most of their builds– even during really short games– involve boots.

League of Legends boots cost between 950 and 1100 Gold.

Magical Footwear Rune

One thing that might block your ability to buy boots in LoL is the Magical Footwear Rune. If you use Inspiration Runes in your Rune Pages, Magical Footwear is one of your options. When Magical Footwear is active, you can't buy base boots (300 Gold, +25 Movement Speed) until 12 minutes into the game. Then you get Slightly Magical Boots for free, giving you a bonus +10 Movement Speed atop that base +25. For champions that work well with Inspiration Runes, its a useful little Rune to augment your playstyle. However, if you pre-set your Rune Pages and forget about Magical Footwear, it can make your inability to buy boots a little confusing for those first 12 minutes.

Who can't wear boots in League of Legends?

Meanwhile, there is one character who cannot wear boots at all: Cassiopeia. Instead of boots, her Movement Speed is built into her Passive, Serpentine Grace. Per in-game level, she gains 4-72 base Movement Speed but she cannot buy boots. Part of the joking logic here is that she's a snake, so she can't wear boots in the first place. But Nami, a character with a fish tail, can buy boots. So can Vel'Koz, a floating tentacle monster. So Riot Games' "tail, no boots" logic doesn't really work, and isn't the most-beloved concept among LoL fans.

Related: LoL 13.7 Update Patch Notes: New Skins, Champion Adjustments & More

On the flip side, sometimes LoL has bugs that do whacky things, like making it difficult to buy items. For example, right now ARAM has a buggy problem where it spawns all champions in the corner of the Fountain and if you don't move, you can't buy from the shop. So always check online if there's a new bug that could be stopping you from buying boots.