Boots will change the player’s cosmetic look, but can also provide a Defense and Immunity boost. In total there are eighteen different boots in Stardew Valley, but of course, some of them are stronger than others and give better protection. Depending on which stat a player values most — Defense or Immunity — it’s important to consider which boots to take when going down to the Mines, Skull Cavern, or the Volcano Dungeon.
Updated May 16, 2022, by Ashely Claudino: Increasing your Defense and Immunity stats before heading down to the mines is just as important as increasing your health and taking enough food to heal one’s self. Wearing protective boots is one of the ways that players can improve these stats, so it’s always best to know which ones are worth it and how to get them. This guide has been updated since more boots should be considered worthy as protective gear.
9 Firewalker Boots
According to their in-game description text, these boots are quite powerful since they were made to resist even the hottest magma. The Firewalker Boots will provide players that wear them a +3 Defense and +3 Immunity boost. It may not seem like much, but these boots aren’t as hard to find as some of the others listed in this article. Nevertheless, they’re still decent and provide balanced stats.
There are three ways to get one’s hands on these boosts. Players will receive them once they reach level 80 of the mines, they’ll be inside a treasure chest. After reaching level 80 of the mines, they can also be purchased at the Adventurer’s Guild for 2,000g. And, lastly, after reaching Fishing level two, they can be found in Fishing treasure chests, although, this is extremely rare as there’s only a 0.012 percent chance this will happen.
8 Dark Boots
Reaching level 80 of the mines doesn’t only allow players to unlock the Firewalker Boots, they’ll also be able to purchase the Dark Boots from the Adventurer’s Guild for 2,500g. And, sometimes, if luck strikes the player, they might also get them to pop out of boxes and barrels when breaking them.
And, lastly, these boots can be dropped as loot from special monsters in the Skull Cavern’s level 40 or above. It’s easier to purchase them rather than find them since finding them will depend only on chance and luck. These boots will provide more of a Defense Boost rather than an Immunity Boost. When wearing them the player’s stats will increase by +4 Defense and +2 Immunity.
7 Dragonscale Boots
The Dragonscale Boots have the highest Defense in the game, providing a hefty +7 boost to the stat. However, on the downside, it doesn’t add any Immunity, which decreases the chance of the player suffering from any debuff that monsters may inflict.
Defense, meanwhile, affects how much damage one takes; each Defense boost reduces one hit point of damage to a minimum of one.The Dragonscale boots were first introduced with the 1.5 update. They can be found inside treasure chests in the Volcano Dungeon.
6 Genie Shoes
The Genie Shoes are a great set that will provide a +6 Immunity boost and a +1 Defense boost. Getting them can be a bit of them pain though, since it’s mostly up to chance.
There is a 0.014% chance that players can find the Genie Shoes inside a fishing treasure chest, after the player has gotten to Fishing level two. Alternatively, they can be found as special items inside crates and barrels or when slaying special monsters in the Mines or the Skull Cavern. Again, though, the chances are still quite slim. This makes this item quite rare.
5 Crystal Shoes
The Crystal Shoes provide +3 Defense and +5 Immunity, and they are even harder to obtain than the Genie Shoes. They can only be found in the Skull Cavern as special monster loot. Special Monsters look exactly like regular monsters, and they only amount to 0.2% of the total monster pool in the game.
If by chance a player happens to slay one of these monsters, there’s only an eight percent chance that the item drops will be the Crystal shoes. Alternatively, when playing the game with the advanced option “Remixed Mine Rewards” on, there’s a possibility that the Crystal Shoes will spawn in the treasure chest on level 110 of the Mines.
4 Space Boots
The Space Boots provide an equal amount of Defense and Immunity, at +4 each. Players will get this reward once they reach the 110th floor of the Mines. Then, if they wish, they can purchase an additional pair whenever they please from the Adventurer’s Guild for 5,000g. This latter option was an addition to the game with update 1.4.
Thankfully these boots aren’t as difficult to get as others, since acquiring them has nothing to do with the randomness of the game. This makes them a reliable option with some pretty high buffs.
3 Emily’s Magic Boots
Emily’s Magic Boots, visually, look nothing like the Space Boots; however, they provide exactly the same Defense and Immunity boosts at +4 to each stat. These boots are given to the player during Emily’s 14 heart event, “Errand For Your Wife,” which means the player has to be married to Emily in order for it to occur.
The player will also get Emily’s Magic Hat, Emily’s Magic Shirt, and blue Genie Pants. These all match the boots, and were all made with love by Emily herself. There are several villagers that are just handy to befriend (or romance).
2 Cinderclown Shoes
The Cinderclown Shoes give the player a +6 Defense and +5 Immunity boost. They can only be obtained from the Dwarf’s Shop in the Volcano Dungeon — but, in order to be able to trade with the dwarf, it’s necessary to understand his language first.
To do this, the player must donate all four Dwarf Scrolls to the museum, and receive the Dwarven Translation Guide from Gunther. Then, the player can buy the shoes from the Dwarf’s Shop for 100 Cinder Shards. It’s not necessary to worry about which day to visit, because they are available every day of the week.
1 Mermaid Boots
According to their description, the Mermaid Boots were built with Mermaid scales that give them a protective aura. Perhaps this is why they provide a +5 Defense boost and a +8 Immunity boost. They have a chance to appear in chests in the Volcano Dungeon on Ginger Island.
This Immunity stat boost is the highest an item will give in the entire game. Their Defense stat is also quite respectable, only falling behind the Cinderclown Shoes and the Dragonscale Boots. With such a powerful combination of both defensive stats, these are easily the best boots in the game.
Stardew Valley is available on PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices.
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