Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a fellow, a person; usu. in combs. e.g. clever boots under clever adj.; smarty-pants n. (1)

1623		Percivale Sp. Dict. n.p.: Lisongero, a flatterer, a smooth boots [OED].
1838		R. Nicholson Cockney Adventures 3 Feb. 107: I’m blow’d if there arn’t that cove as promised to tret us if ve vouldn’t call after him, ‘Boots and bread and cheese Billy’.
1865		Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1994) 746: You are the most creasing and tumbling Clumsy-Boots of a packer.
1966		B. Reckord Skyvers I i: Look at you, bloody boots, holding up the school gate.