Rosco G
August 16th, 2012, 06:57 PM
Even before the recent rise of country music, cowboy boots were pretty popular, not only in the united states, but all around the world.
Now, with the rise of popular country music, you can find cowboy boots everywhere! From west Texas to Manhattan, Cairo to Australia, they're everywhere!
Here's where I come in.
You want to get a pair of cowboy boots, but don't know where to start.
Let me assist you.
First things first, do you want to go for the traditional, rugged cowboy look or the fashionable Hollywood style?
Here's the differences.
Traditional Cowboy Boots:
Traditional boots are what I aim for because not only do they look cool but, they're actually practical! I can do anything from bale hay to riding horses in them!
Traditional boots are meant for the working man, they can come in a whole lot of different style from medium R toe to square toe.
Here's what you need to know.
In-Sole: One part of the boot that adds comforting cushion to your feet while wearing cowboy boots, much like the in-soles inside of your Nikes.
Shank: A small, wide beam usually made of composite materials such as carbon fiber or steel, that is built into cowboy boots. The shank helps with balance as it gives your foot a stable platform to stand on.
Outsole: The outer part of the bottom of the boot that come into cantact with the ground you're walking on. Outsoles can be made of anything from leather to wood to rubber. I prefer rubber because they preform more like a work boot.
Various Parts Of The Boots:
Pull Straps: The leather strap you see on the top of most cowboy boots. They're placed on that part of the boot to help the wearer use his/her leverage to pull the boots on to the wearers foot.
Counter: The piece of leather or synthetic material that covers the upper back part of the wearers heel. Counters tend to be thicker on tradition western boots to accommodate for spurs while the fashion boots are thinner because they're only there because the boots would look funny if it weren't there.
Heel Cap: The layer of rubber that covers the heel, there because most heels are made of wood or stacked leather, you don't want to damage your boot if you don't have to.
Shaft: The tall upper half of the boot that covers a portion of the wearers leg, to protect from things on the ground that could cause harm to you.
Vamp: The part of the boot that covers the arched upper half of the wearers foot. Because cowboy boots usually don't have laces, the vamp is the part that hold the boot to the wearers foot so you always want to make sure the vamp fits right.
Welt: The stitches that hold the outsole of the boot to the leather of the boot. Cheaper companies use glue to hold boots together but welt stitching is the way to go. Double welt stitching is even better, most commonly found on western work boots.
Collar: The 'mouth' of the boot, or the hole you put your foot in to get into the boot.
Side Welt: The part of the boot that hold the shaft together, usually made of leather, sometimes, on cheaper brands, plastic.
Toe Box: The part of the boot where the wearers toe go.
Fashion Boots: Fashion boots are harder to give detail on, as I know less about them but, they come in many different patterns and variations.
As you can tell by the name, you don't want to ride horses in fashion boots, you'll get them dirty.
Here's a list of companies that make good boots:
Abilene
Chippewa Boots
Double-H (My personal favorite) try their ICE boot series!
Justin Boots, try their Bent Rail or AQHA/ Q Crepe boot series!
Nocona Boots
Tony Lama Boots, try their 3R boot series!
A List Of Western Wear Retailer Websites:
allentexasboots.com (exclusive Justin, Nocona and Tony Lama retailer)
cavenders.com
countryoutfitter.com
sheplers.com
You can also message me to have me and my dad make you a pair of boots to your specifications, we own our own boot cobbler shop here in Kentucky.
For those who are interested, we make belts and saddles too!
Thanks y'all!
-Colton
Now, with the rise of popular country music, you can find cowboy boots everywhere! From west Texas to Manhattan, Cairo to Australia, they're everywhere!
Here's where I come in.
You want to get a pair of cowboy boots, but don't know where to start.
Let me assist you.
First things first, do you want to go for the traditional, rugged cowboy look or the fashionable Hollywood style?
Here's the differences.
Traditional Cowboy Boots:
Traditional boots are what I aim for because not only do they look cool but, they're actually practical! I can do anything from bale hay to riding horses in them!
Traditional boots are meant for the working man, they can come in a whole lot of different style from medium R toe to square toe.
Here's what you need to know.
In-Sole: One part of the boot that adds comforting cushion to your feet while wearing cowboy boots, much like the in-soles inside of your Nikes.
Shank: A small, wide beam usually made of composite materials such as carbon fiber or steel, that is built into cowboy boots. The shank helps with balance as it gives your foot a stable platform to stand on.
Outsole: The outer part of the bottom of the boot that come into cantact with the ground you're walking on. Outsoles can be made of anything from leather to wood to rubber. I prefer rubber because they preform more like a work boot.
Various Parts Of The Boots:
Pull Straps: The leather strap you see on the top of most cowboy boots. They're placed on that part of the boot to help the wearer use his/her leverage to pull the boots on to the wearers foot.
Counter: The piece of leather or synthetic material that covers the upper back part of the wearers heel. Counters tend to be thicker on tradition western boots to accommodate for spurs while the fashion boots are thinner because they're only there because the boots would look funny if it weren't there.
Heel Cap: The layer of rubber that covers the heel, there because most heels are made of wood or stacked leather, you don't want to damage your boot if you don't have to.
Shaft: The tall upper half of the boot that covers a portion of the wearers leg, to protect from things on the ground that could cause harm to you.
Vamp: The part of the boot that covers the arched upper half of the wearers foot. Because cowboy boots usually don't have laces, the vamp is the part that hold the boot to the wearers foot so you always want to make sure the vamp fits right.
Welt: The stitches that hold the outsole of the boot to the leather of the boot. Cheaper companies use glue to hold boots together but welt stitching is the way to go. Double welt stitching is even better, most commonly found on western work boots.
Collar: The 'mouth' of the boot, or the hole you put your foot in to get into the boot.
Side Welt: The part of the boot that hold the shaft together, usually made of leather, sometimes, on cheaper brands, plastic.
Toe Box: The part of the boot where the wearers toe go.
Fashion Boots: Fashion boots are harder to give detail on, as I know less about them but, they come in many different patterns and variations.
As you can tell by the name, you don't want to ride horses in fashion boots, you'll get them dirty.
Here's a list of companies that make good boots:
Abilene
Chippewa Boots
Double-H (My personal favorite) try their ICE boot series!
Justin Boots, try their Bent Rail or AQHA/ Q Crepe boot series!
Nocona Boots
Tony Lama Boots, try their 3R boot series!
A List Of Western Wear Retailer Websites:
allentexasboots.com (exclusive Justin, Nocona and Tony Lama retailer)
cavenders.com
countryoutfitter.com
sheplers.com
You can also message me to have me and my dad make you a pair of boots to your specifications, we own our own boot cobbler shop here in Kentucky.
For those who are interested, we make belts and saddles too!
Thanks y'all!
-Colton