All about boots

Boots are probably the most important item in Dota 2. Extremely useful( if not essential) on every hero, there is also a great deal of confusion about which boots are best on which hero, in which situation, or with which outfit. Well worry no more as we take a look at each type of boots and see which shoe is right for you.

Boots of Speed

The classic look. These boots go with anything (and any hero). The main reason you need them is simple: everyone else will have them. So in order to keep up in a chase or to be able to escape to fight another day, you’ll need to have your very own pair or risk feeling like every other runner feels around Usain Bolt. So you will definitely need to buy them, but when depends on the role and hero you’re playing.

If you’re a ganker or carry, you’ll want to pick them up fairly early for the movement speed advantage and to build them into one of the other kinds of boots quickly. For goodness sake, don’t buy them first item. And no, buying one for each foot is not a good idea as they don't stack.

Recommended on heroes such as: Every hero.

 

Power Treads

The great all-rounder. An extra +5 movement speed boost, attack speed and stats are useful on any hero. The ability to cycle the boots to provide different types of stat boost (intelligence, agility, strength) is an invaluable tool that is often underutilised. Need to heal up after a team fight? Change to strength treads for a slight regen boost. Need more mana? Cycle to intelligence and get a larger mana pool to use your spell combo.

Although they do work on any hero, don’t fall into the trap of buying them on every hero. Power treads are always a good item but they may not be the best boots for your hero.

Recommended on heroes such as:

 

Try them on:

Treads on a Tiny was recently used by our own Aui_2000 against Fnatic in the Alienware Arena finals. The pairing with Wisp allowed him to get the mana regen and attack speed Tiny needs without getting Arcane Boots and Hyperstone first and proved an unstoppable combination. Without a Wisp, Tiny will suffer from mana problems without Arcane Boots however.

Phase Boots

A ganker’s dream. +24 damage will help with those autoattacks for killing heroes or creeps. The active also increases movespeed by 16% ,which helps with getting across the map from gank to gank. It also prevents unit collision  so there’ll be no more frustration as your chase is interrupted by several creeps wrestling in front of you, leaving you shaking your fist as the enemy hero runs off into the sunset. It is a recommended item as some support heroes such as Witch Doctor or Pugna who need to get right into the heart of a team fight to be at their most effective, but Arcane Boots are a valid alternative (and my personal preference).

Recommended on heroes such as:

Try them on:

 

Although people normally go treads for the attack speed, the extra movement speed and damange turn Luna into a ganking machine.  If you’re building Maelstrom and Yasha attack sped will hardly be a problem for long.

Tranquil boots

A support’s dream. Not only is it cheap (so you can still afford to ward) but +3 to armour and regen gives you some much needed survivability. The 75 move speed bonus helps with roaming from lane to lane assisting your team mates, and the active heal for 170hp over 10 seconds will help with recovery after a battle. Be wary though, as if your'e hit 3 or more times by a hero or Roshan over 10 seconds they will be reduced back to Boots of Speed until 10 seconds pass without taking any more hits.

Recommended on heroes such as:

Try it on:

Pairing Phantom Lancer with Keeper of the Light is a popular lane combination to give PL the mana he needs to spam Spirit Lance, which together with Illuminate will keep enemy heroes back to give PL free farm. If you have picked PL but aren’t lucky enough to have a KOTL buddy, try a Soul Ring and Tranquil boots build. The regen from the tranquil boots active covers the health lost from using Soul Ring which in the gives enough mana to harass with Spirit Lance and keep enemy heroes off your back.

Arcane boots

The boots of choice for a utility support, The 135 AOE mana boost is extremely useful for keeping up a unrelenting barrage of spells, and an extra 250 mana and 60 movespeed isn’t too shabby either. To add to its usefulness it can be disassembled to build a soul booster and another kind of boots later on in the game so it doesn't matter too much when it begins to lose it's effectiveness in the mid to late game. The price tag of 1,000 gold for the Energy Booster isn’t cheap, so it is out of reach for a hard support but it is an ideal choice for a secondary or semi support.

Recommended on heroes such as:

Try it on:

Although Phase Boots allow give better positioning, allowing you to run right into the middle of a team fight for an epic Death Ward, it can leave Witch Doctor short on mana if he casts Cask, Maledict, Death Ward and maybe another Cask to prevent any survivors from escaping. With the Arcane Boots he has enough mana to pull out a combo like this as well as harass with Cask before an engagement to try and catch some enemy heroes out of position. It also allows him to make the most of Voodoo Restoration for giving mana and health to his entire team. Good guy Witch Doctor ftw.

 

Boots of Travel 

Boots of Travel are the Dota 2 equivalent of the pair of flashy sneakers with gold trimming, flashing lights, cushioned air support and a flubber lining for wicked jumps. The only downside is the price. At 2,450 gold for the whole package (or 2000 for the recipe) they're the most expensive type of boots in the game but the mobility they give far outweights the cost. Giving +100 movement speed and an active that allows you to teleport to any allied structure or unit (including units like those dominated by Helm of the Dominator) Boots of Travel allow you to run rings around your enemy.

You can do your best Nature Prophet impersonation, teleporting from lane to lane pushing and ganking. It can be particularly useful end game when you often need to get back to defend the base at a moments notice as a sneaky Bounty Hunter starts taking out a rax.

Recommended on heroes such as:

Try it on:

 

Pudge can be a tricky hero to learn. His hooks take some getting used to, and there's nothing worse than watching your allies hook go wildly astray, missing everyone on the other team and dragging your carry out of the fight. So why even bother? Just buy boots of travel, run in, Dismember and Rot. Pudge on easy mode right there.

 

Hopefully this has helped you newer players with your footwear related item choices in future games, and given more veteran players inspiration to try a different pair of boots than their normal build on a hero. Just remember to build according to the situation, not just what the guides or recommended items say. Until next week, happy gaming!