After a long and energetic tour, it’s not just Dierks Bentley who’s worn out. His boots are arguably more run-down than he is. Bentley has been performing throughout the Riser Tour and his Sounds of Summer Tour with the same pair of WWII boots every night, holding nothing back when he performs. The result? A pair of banged up black boots held together with duct tape.

The scuffed-up kicks began appearing regularly on the star’s Instagram feed during their last few dates on stage, as a tribute in preparation to their official retirement. Bentley shared photos detailing individual injuries to the boots with sentimental captions, beginning at the fourth-to-last show on the tour.

The retirement was a bit of a fake-out, though, because just a couple of days after the last tour performance in Alpharetta, Ga., the boots had to be dusted off and back on stage for Bentley’s appearance with Taylor Swift on her 1989 World Tour. Bentley sang his hit “Every Mile a Memory” with Swift at her show in Kansas City Sept. 21.

Now that the tour has wrapped and the boots are back on the shelf, Bentley is gearing up for his annual fundraiser, Miles and Music for Kids, which takes place in Nashville Nov. 1. The event features a motorcycle ride and a concert at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater and benefits Vanderbilt’s Monroe Carroll Jr. Children’s Hospital. Bentley will be performing, along with Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Canaan Smith, the Cadillac Three and more. Since the event began 10 years ago, it has raised more than $3 million for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Bentley also recently released a limited-edition “Riser” necklace from which all proceeds will go toward the event.

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