Yep, they look faggy to me. Too GQ. If he wants to wear boots, he would be better with some good American-made cowboy boots. But my advice is for him to simply get something like Allen Edmonds black dress shoes and call it a day. He shouldn’t try to be something he’s not. If those boots are who he is, well...
For Iowa and NH in the winter, practical snow boots are in order.
Hard to find an American made brand theseadays- even my Ariats are Hecho en Mexico