Cowboy Boots

[Pinhead]

I'm starting to turn around to cowboy boots, thx in large part to Rios roper toes! Still not sure about toe bugs though

The pointy toes are so they go into the stirrups quickly. (And, for smashing bug in the corner of the hotel room in Nuevo Laredo.)

All of the complimentary stitching quickly gets scuffed into oblivion.

 

[TipTop]

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Thanks. I ordered 12D, same as my Lucchese, Frye and Redwing boot. They seem a little tight across the top, but not too bad. Bottoms are buffed elephant, which my cowboy friends assure me will never wear out.<br><br><font color="#00ffff">

Your friends should have also mentioned that elephant is VERY ELASTIC. Mine feel snug when first put on, but after an hour they have remolded to my feet and are not only comfortable, but snug and not sloppy as regular leather becomes. They "shrink" back to original size after cooling and dryng.

<br></font><br>The white stitching is another Rio's thing - not sure how t protect that for ever. Suggestions?<br><br><font color="#00ffff">

I'm not a fan of white welt stitching; indeed on my Lucchese mates to these, I used brown sole dressing to dye this trendy white stitching dark brown. (on a couple of other pairs too). White stitching was a big deal back in the 50s for showtime boots--heck, good boot and shoes parlors actually BLEACHED the stitching out for you when you brought them in cleaning or repair. Don't know if anyone offers that service nowadays but you could ask….BTW, do NOT use real chlorine bleach, it will destroy the leather and possibly the string/stitiching

<br></font><br>Rio's has a standard inventory of several basic boots that are all very nice but the really cool boots are all custom made for different retailers. Boots and More out of MO was the only place I found this particular combination and even then I had to wait 4-months until they re-stocked them.<br><br><font color="#00ffff">

You could have ordered them from another closer dealer and gotten them sooner, but like my blue crocs a couple pages back, they are probably a custom design for that particular store and you'd have to figure out all the details they included. Lucchese Customs are running 6-8 weeks.&nbsp;</font>

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[TipTop]

I'm starting to turn around to cowboy boots, thx in large part to Rios roper toes! Still not sure about toe bugs though

Toe bugs, as you may know, were originally a design to "hide" creasing in the vamp of boots. Back in the boot style heyday, (40s and 50s) men did not want their boots to wrinkle across the vamp, as they felt it looked like an inferior leather, so the bug was born, to both stiffen the leather and "direct" the creasing along the lines of the stitching, making it less apparent. Not sure if Lucchese was the first, but their inverted loop bug is still their trademark and is embroidered on their clothing etc. (or at least was while they were selling clothing).

 

[Doublegun]

I checked every Rio dealer and Boots & More was the only one carrying this exact combination. When I ordered them I was told to expect 90-120 days, probably closer to 90. I believe that Rio's quotes up to 6-months for a custom order. Regardless, I have them and am very happy to have them.

 

[dh66]

Just giving this thread a little attention. I'm new to these parts and I love cowboy boots. Heres a couple of my pairs, hope they can get me in the club

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[Mercer]

Wow, very nice! Are those the Lucchese boots you had mentioned previously? They look vintage!

 

[dh66]

Howdy Dave
Thanks, the ones with the snakes are by Don Quijote down in Mexico, they're the EEs that are full of dr.scholls that I mentioned. I've had 'em 5 or 6 years now I guess. The ones with eagles I've bought new about 12 years ago, so not vintage just old. They are "hecho en Mexico" but otherwise unmarked. Both pairs are comparable in materials and workmanship to any of my other Noconas or Justins etc.

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[dh66]

Here's the luchesses. Excuse the poor lighting

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[Mercer]

Very nice!

 

[Tomasso]

BTW, do NOT use real chlorine bleach, it will destroy the leather and possibly the string/stitiching

Actually, many of the shoe hounds over at Style Forum have used household bleach to strip the color from shoes with no deleterious effect. And we're talking shoes from the likes of John Lobb and Edward Green.

 

[TipTop]

Thx for the "attention" dh66--wild boots ALWAYS get mine. And as for the comment above about bleaching out leathers--Lobb or Greene, OMG--sure they think there's no deleterious effect. Just give 'em some time and watch the fibers disintegrate.

Just giving this thread a little attention. I'm new to these parts and I love cowboy boots. Heres a couple of my pairs, hope they can get me in the club

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[Mercer]

I was just thinking . . . is it just me, or does anyone else here feel that once you've owned a pair of higher-end-brand boots (e.g. Lucchese) it just wouldn't be right to go back to more conventional brands like Justin, Tony Lama, etc.?

 

[dh66]

I'd still buy Noconas. I have some that may be more well made than my Luchesses. All the Justins & TLs I've seen lately are more like sneakers that look like cowboy boots, all high tech soles and insoles and sh*# - stuff that ain't made to last. I've got some Tonys that are over 20 years old that have been resoled about 6 times that are as good as anything luchesse makes now -try doing that with some one piece composite sole. I think Justin brands pretty much owns em all now anyway.

 

[dh66]

I'd never even consider some crap like ariat. Might as well spend your scratch on a pair of nikes -what the heck do they know about making cowboy boots in china?????
Sorry for the rant

 

[Mercer]

I'd never even consider some crap like ariat. Might as well spend your scratch on a pair of nikes -what the heck do they know about making cowboy boots in china?????
Sorry for the rant

I agree with you! Boots made in China are just wrong!

 

[Tomasso]

And as for the comment above about bleaching out leathers--Lobb or Greene, OMG--sure they think there's no deleterious effect. Just give 'em some time and watch the fibers disintegrate.

They've been at it since 2006 with no problems. Leather is pretty tough stuff. What's a little bleech when you consider it survived all the stresses of the tanning process. The big thing with leather is to not let it dry out. You can not over condition the stuff.

 

[TipTop]

I was just thinking . . . is it just me, or does anyone else here feel that once you've owned a pair of higher-end-brand boots (e.g. Lucchese) it just wouldn't be right to go back to more conventional brands like Justin, Tony Lama, etc.?

It depends on how they fit; if you find a brand that does your feet right, then you'll gravitate back to them. I just had to have a newish pair of Rios Mercedes refinished--the hand-applied dye was buffed off by a gentle dust run under the (big fluffy wheel) electric buffer at my club! Boot Star was VERY good about it and took them back for refinishing. Rios run wide and so, I find their D width comfortable for my actual E-width, along with my high instep. In softer hides, I can wear Lucchese Ds but the tougher ones are fairly unyielding and I need the E-width.

I don't mean to sound snobbish, but I have grown very fond of custom-fit boots (generally 12.5 E on the left and 12E on the right). FYI, that is not considered an UP-charge custom fit by Lucchese; they'll just build em that way on order.

And finally, I have to add that I had a pair of Ariats for riding (rubber sole, kinda like a sneaker with a steel shank) and they were VERY comfortable. I bought cheap (Sierra Trading Post sale) and then ditched a pair of Ariat (Mexico) cowboy boots. They were 12 EE/wides and just became sloppy big once broken in; I didn't even attempt ePrey, they went straight to Salvation Army.

Bottom line: they all have distinctive lasts (some have TWO last fits) and until you've tried them all in your correct size, I don't discount any of the major brands.

 

[dh66]

"Kinda like a sneaker with a steel shank". ??

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[kyboots]

I'd still buy Noconas. I have some that may be more well made than my Luchesses. All the Justins & TLs I've seen lately are more like sneakers that look like cowboy boots, all high tech soles and insoles and sh*# - stuff that ain't made to last. I've got some Tonys that are over 20 years old that have been resoled about 6 times that are as good as anything luchesse makes now -try doing that with s
ome one piece composite sole. I think Justin brands pretty much owns em all now anyway.

I don't want to argue over this but there is a place for these newer soles and toes. I have worn cowboy boots since I was 10 years old ( Redwing ) then Frye through college and classic cowboy boots since then. I love my vintage Luccheses and the old Justins and Tonly Lamas were great. The leather in a 30 year old Justin boot is unbelievable. There does come a time in ones life when wearing a pair of leather soles and tight toes for 16 hours is a little too much. When I am working or out walking long hours on my feet I prefer one of these newer softer soles and rounded or "U" toes whereas I would have never done it 20 years ago. It really depends on your needs. I have purchased the newer ones like Ariat and Justin crepe soles and they are great for everyday work. They wear well too. If it's special a great pair of classic Lucchese's fit the bill ( or Wesco's sometime ). Welcome to the club Alabama.

 

[dh66]

Just havin fun ky. I wear my engineer boots more than my cowboy boots always have, and I'm all about cheap and comfortable.(can you say chuck taylors). In my share of the country its rare to see anything other than flip flops or running shoes. If you do see dudes in western boots its almost always the work boot kind. I've worn out a few pair of justins myself doing construction work. They're very comfortable but once the sole wears down they're garbage - and I'd never call em cowboy boots. Then again I'd sure ever