Cowboy Boots

[Joao Encarnado]

Joao, "too much flashy" I get, but with those wide brims, these are what you need.

They would have to be very comfortable to wear as I walk a lot. Pointy toes are not my favourite kind of boots.

 

[Big J]

I never owned a pair of cowboy boots, but I think they look great (dh66, very cool boots).

Any advice for a newbie?

 

[Crazy Dave]

Very cool boots. I've been aching for a new pair ever since my Lucchese's have started falling apart. Man, I'm pretty those were made on a monday after a Tequila soaked weekend...

Newbie advice? Hardly a grizzled cowboy boot veteran, but I can tell you this: mostly be careful about the fit.
When trying on a pair of new boots for the first time, consider these factors :
-your heels should lift slightly inside the boot as you walk
-the boots should not pinch or compress your feet anywhere. Wearing in a pair of boots should make them more comfortable as in going from comfortable to more comfortable, not from uncomfortable through agonizing to bearable (which is what you'll get buying a pair of boots that pinch)...

Oh, and cowboy boots will ruin you for most any other footwear. There's no going back.

 

[dh66]

I never owned a pair of cowboy boots, but I think they look great (dh66, very cool boots).

Any advice for a newbie?

Well....those Rocket Busters you posted in the jacket thread would be one hell of a start, but if you want to try some out first for less than a few grand, I'd suggest some Noconas or Luccheses. Justin and Tony Lama also still make some top notch boots but they seem to have veered hard into 'high-tech' territory, with orthotic inserts and rubber soles on a lot of their models. Be sure you get a good, old-fashioned pair of hand made boots without all the bells and whistles, because underneath all the flash that's what Rocket Buster or any other of the custom bootmakers are going to deliver. For even less of a financial outlay to test the waters you might look at Cowtown boots, for exotic skins at great prices, or for a little more flash check out Corral or some of the other Mexican bootmakers. They still make 'em the old fashioned way down there. E-bay is a good place to look for deals on new boots as well as used, and also there is a site called 6pm.com that often has great deals on some of the higher profile brands (Lucchese, Justin....etc.) It's like a close out site, so stock is always changing, but you can find some killer deals. Alcalas, out of Chicago, www.alcalas.com has a great selection of boots from all makers, as does Sheplers, www.sheplers.com.

Have fun hunting and good luck. Hope those pin up and/or geisha boots work out for you.

 

[kyboots]

Mantis just saw those Ariat Catalyst boots. Those look hot!

 

[Bamaboots]

I never owned a pair of cowboy boots, but I think they look great (dh66, very cool boots).

Any advice for a newbie?

I agree with dh66 on testing the waters. Lucchese boots are very nice so long as you stay with the classic line, still made in El Paso. The other lines, 1883, Resistol, 2000's and such are mfg. elsewhere. Nocona makes a good boot but I don't care for the newer Tony Lamas or Justin. TL, Justin and Nocona are all owned by Berkshire-Hathaway so there's less definition between the brands than there used to be.

A good place to start is the vintage route, e-prey and etsy are the most common sites. Look for Tony Lama black label, El Rey's or the Gold Label line. Vintage Nocona's with the white cloth label are nice boots. Then again, take the plunge and go custom.

Tex Robin had a student from Japan several years ago, Naoyasu Murano and I saw some photos of his boots while he was there. He had a site called Dream Boots at one time but I don't if it's still up. Hope this helps in your quest. Be advised, it's addictive.

 

[Big J]

Some great advice guys! Thank you very much!

 

[Bamaboots]

They would have to be very comfortable to wear as I walk a lot. Pointy toes are not my favourite kind of boots.

Joao, there's a misconception about narrow toe cowboy boots, some don't like the look but if a boot is fit properly in length there will be about 1/2 to 1" between the end of the foot and the toe box and more if the boot has a very pointy toe. I wear cowboy boots almost daily with a good deal of walking so fit is critical.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Joao, there's a misconception about narrow toe cowboy boots, some don't like the look but if a boot is fit properly in length there will be about 1/2 to 1" between the end of the foot and the toe box and more if the boot has a very pointy toe. I wear cowboy boots almost daily with a good deal of walking so fit is critical.

It's the looks that draws me away from them.

 

[Mantis]

Mantis just saw those Ariat Catalyst boots. Those look hot!

Ariat catalyst vx boots are unique because they are futuristic looking. They are also extremely practical, and they may be the only pair of Cowboy boots that you could run and hike in. I work in mine and they can take a hell of a beating.

 

[kyboots]

I agree with dh66 on testing the waters. Lucchese boots are very nice so long as you stay with the classic line, still made in El Paso. The other lines, 1883, Resistol, 2000's and such are mfg. elsewhere. Nocona makes a good boot but I don't care for the newer Tony Lamas or Justin. TL, Justin and Nocona are all owned by Berkshire-Hathaway so there's less definition between the brands than there used to be.

A good place to start is the vintage route, e-prey and etsy are the most common sites. Look for Tony Lama black label, El Rey's or the Gold Label line. Vintage Nocona's with the white cloth label are nice boots. Then again, take the plunge and go custom.

Tex Robin had a student from Japan several years ago, Naoyasu Murano and I saw some photos of his boots while he was there. He had a site called Dream Boots at one time but I don't if it's still up. Hope this helps in your quest. Be advised, it's addictive.

I agree completely about the Lucchese options. I have worn the classic Luccheses for 20 years. My favorite was one piece vamp Gator belly and my first was a pair of the Ostrich which I bought in Dallas in 1994 and can still wear. The newer lines would have gone years ago. You can find these on Ebay from time to time. Since I am a 13 now I will sell some size 12s down the road when I can tear them away, even though I can't wear them now. These wear forever and you get what you pay for. ( I do like those Catalyst above )

 

[Bamaboots]

( I do like those Catalyst above )

Too much of a purist, I guess. They look like something from a Star Wars set to me.

 

[Bamaboots]

A pair of Tony Lamas made with a high quality calfskin that I think are from the 60's due to certain detailings and construction.

One row of blue stitching and two rows of variegated thread, rarely seen on a factory boot. Look closely and see the imperfections of the stitching and one realizes these were stitched one row at a time.

A one row toe flower that is refined and I've never seen this design on any boots other than early TL's.

A very well done snip toe, difficult to do unless by hand.

A heel slide that reaches to the top of the shaft. Something some of my customs don't have.

The "black" label unique to the era.

And the "black" label that I believe ended in the early 90's when most production went south.

 

[dh66]

Damn!!!! That's a good looking pair of boots.
I'm breaking the 10th commandment at the moment.

 

[Bamaboots]

Easy Dale, thou shalt not ........

 

[kyboots]

Those are good looking boots. I always wore an "R " toe typical of east Texas but now with age the " U " toe always from west Texas is more of my fitting. I had surgery on my foot last year after a break, I don't think I could come close to that toe.

 

[Bamaboots]

kyboots, thanks. I wear more narrow round to med. round toes most of the time. You can see that in earlier photos of boots I've posted. Every now and then boots like yesterday's call out to me.

 

[Brimster]

In my opinion I have always found cowboy boots to be cool. I don't know why, maybe it's from watching too many movies. However, adopting them as my choice of foot wear has been something that I have toyed with for the past 8 years during which time I have owned 2 pairs of Nocona, 2 pairs of Lucchese, and 2 pairs of Tony Lama's. I have come to the conclusion that as much as I like the look of them, they simply do not work for me. I didn't grow up wearing cowboy boots so I could never get used to the heels, and in my humble opinion they just don't look the same with flat heels. For my final attempt at a pair of western type boots I bought a pair of R.M. Williams Stock Agent Boots with a flat heel. Unlike the boots I had previously purchased they are extremely comfortable as they have a cushioned insole, however they just don't suit my current style, so I have finally accepted defeat. They are up for sale if anyone is interested.

If only I had been born in Texas......

 

[Dinerman]

1920s-1930s

 

[dudewuttheheck]

In my opinion I have always found cowboy boots to be cool. I don't know why, maybe it's from watching too many movies. However, adopting them as my choice of foot wear has been something that I have toyed with for the past 8 years during which time I have owned 2 pairs of Nocona, 2 pairs of Lucchese, and 2 pairs of Tony Lama's. I have come to the conclusion that as much as I like the look of them, they simply do not work for me. I didn't grow up wearing cowboy boots so I could never get used to the heels, and in my humble opinion they just don't look the same with flat heels. For my final attempt at a pair of western type boots I bought a pair of R.M. Williams Stock Agent Boots with a flat heel. Unlike the boots I had previously purchased they are extremely comfortable as they have a cushioned insole, however they just don't suit my current style, so I have finally accepted defeat. They are up for sale if anyone is interested.

If only I had been born in Texas......

The heels are probably the biggest thing that prevent me from wearing modern cowboy boots along with some of the more aggressive toes and such. I LOVE the classic western look that is portrayed in films, but those boots tend to be quite simple and many of them are not much like the modern Texas cowboy boots which are much too 'loud' for my taste. I wear Chelsea and Jodhpur boots instead

However, I do still have a soft spot for cowboy boots and respect anyone that can pull them off (and some people definitely can). My uncle lives in rural Vermont and wears them like a boss.