‘The Walking Dead’ Season 7: Who Was The Person Wearing Boots In The Mid-Season Finale of ‘TWD’?

AMC’s 90-minute mid-season finale of The Walking Dead presented a new character that has gotten people talking after Episode 8 aired. It is unclear who this person is other than they are wearing a very distinctive pair of boots and they appear to be keeping an eye on the group from Alexandria. So who is this mystery person?

Spoiler alert: This article discusses the mid-season finale of Season 7 of AMC’s The Walking Dead (Episode 8, titled “Hearts Still Beating”). Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Someone wearing distinctive boots made two small appearances in Episode 8 of AMC’s mid-season finale of The Walking Dead. Once, after Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) left the boat they had been searching, and then again after the credits rolled for the Season 7 mid-season finale. So who is this person and how will they affect the Season 7 return of The Walking Dead? Here’s some theories on who they might be.

Someone From Another Group

It is very clear the person in boots is checking on people from Alexandria, so it seems highly unlikely that person is someone from within Alexandria. After all, they would know what their own community was up to and wouldn’t need to snoop.

But, there are plenty of other groups circulating in Season 7 of The Walking Dead that might be interested in scoping out Alexandria. Not only is there Rick’s group at Alexandria, there are the Saviors, Hilltop, the Kingdom and the newly introduced Oceanside, all of which tend to spend a lot of time in boots as they travel around. After all, considering the hidden danger of infection from a walker bite, boots are the only safe footwear to chose during the zombie apocalypse.

In the comic books the series is based on, there is one other group the television show hasn’t introduced yet that also warrants a mention according to ComicBook, the Whisperers. The Whisperers are a group that use the skins of walkers to cover themselves as a disguise so they can sneak around without being detected by other humans. As ComicBook points out, the Whisperers “spy from a distance, and move quietly through the woods.” And this appeared to be exactly what was happening in Episode 8 of The Walking Dead.

However, it could just as likely be Cyndie (Sydney Park) or another member from Oceanside checking up on Alexandria to see if they pose any real threat since Tara (Alanna Masterson) escaped. Viewers know Oceanside had a run in with the Saviors, so it is possible, considering all the other groups are starting to band together against Negan at the end of Episode 8, Oceanside could also come into the fray.

Other suggestions include someone from the Saviors who might be looking to swap sides. It seems unlikely to be someone like Simon (Steven Ogg), who seems pretty happy with his position within the Saviors. However, Dwight (Austin Amelio) has shown some signs of being unhappy with the Saviors. So has his ex-wife, Sherry (Christine Evangelista).

Yet again, this person could be from a new, as yet unidentified group. Or, alternatively, could even be the original owner of the boat Rick and Aaron were scavenging from.

Is It A Woman?

While many people have assumed the person wearing boots in Episode 8 of The Walking Dead is a man, it is entirely possible the person is actually a woman. After all, as stated earlier, a zombie apocalypse survivor would be foolish to wear anything else while traveling outside a secure environment.

The second time the person wearing boots appeared in Episode 8, they showed their hands. While it is hard to say these hands definitely belong to a woman, they are slender, indicating they could belong to a female.

Now, as far as women go, it could easily be Cyndie or someone else from Oceanside for the reason stated above. It could just as easily be Sherry from Negan’s group as she certainly seems like she could defect. However, there is another woman that some fans are suspecting: Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride).

While Episode 8 of The Walking Dead showed Carol as adamant she was not interested in siding with the Kingdom against Negan’s group, it doesn’t mean she isn’t out there sneaking around with her own agenda. And, this mysterious person in boots did seem to know where to hide when spying on Alexandria without getting seen, indicating it could be someone who has been to Alexandria before and knows their routines.

Could It Even Be Morales?

So far, many people have tried to match up the person’s boots with shoes already seen on other characters in The Walking Dead. Heavy have given many screenshots of Season 7 characters and the boots they currently prefer. None seem to match up. However, the image below show boots that are quite worn and damaged, indicating the owner might have traveled far in them.

Business Insider points out that maybe fans have a reunion a long time coming with those boots belonging to Morales. Morales (Juan Gabriel Pareja) was a character seen in Season 1 of The Walking Dead. His family was a part of the original Atlanta group but decided to branch out on their own rather than join Rick’s group as they traveled to the CDC. Ever since he left, fans have been speculating he could make a return at some point in The Walking Dead. Could the second half of Season 7 be the moment he is reunited with Rick’s Group? Only by tuning into the Season 7 return in February will reveal the identity of the mysterious person in boots.

According to Screen Crush, the person in boots will be revealed in the second half of Season 7 of The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman revealed on AMC’s Talking Dead that this person — or their community — will have a larger role in the Season 7 return.

“I really wish I could tell you. All I can say is that those boots, you’ll definitely recognize those from earlier—they’re connected to that boat scene—and you know, that’s a big part of what we’re dealing with when we come back next half of the season, so we’ll be revealing that soon. It’s going to be a great half season.”

Who do you think was wearing those boots in the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.

Season 7 of The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday, February 12, 2017, at 9 p.m. ET.

[Featured Image by AMC]