Cowboy Boots!

An elderly couple is vacationing in the West.

Sam always wanted a pair of authentic cowboy boots.

Seeing some on sale one day, he buys them, wears them back to the hotel, walking proudly.

He walks into their hotel room and says to his wife, "Notice anything different, Helen?"

Helen looks him over, "Nope."

Sam says excitedly, "Come on, Helen, take a good look. Notice anything different about me?"

Helen looks again, "Nope."

Frustrated, Sam storms off into the bathroom, undresses, and walks back into the room completely naked except for his cowboy boots.

Again, he asks, a little louder this time, "Notice anything DIFFERENT?"

Helen looks up and says, "Sam, what's different? It's hanging down today, it was hanging down yesterday, it'll be hanging down again tomorrow."

Furious, Sam yells, "AND DO YOU KNOW WHY IT'S HANGING DOWN, HELEN? IT'S HANGING DOWN BECAUSE IT'S LOOKING AT MY NEW COWBOY BOOTS!"

To which Helen replies, "Shoulda bought a hat."

Cowboy Boots

Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing. Cowboy boots are normally made from cowhide leather but are also sometimes made from "exotic" skins such as alligator, snake, ostrich, lizard, eel, elephant, sting ray, elk, buffalo, and the like.

There are two basic styles of cowboy boots, western (or classic), and roper. The western style is distinguished by a tall boot shaft, going to at least mid-calf, with an angled "cowboy" heel, usually over one inch high. A slightly lower, still angled, "walking" heel is also common. Although western boots can be customized with a wide variety of toe shapes, the classic design is a narrowed, usually pointed, toe.

A newer design, the "roper" style, has a short boot shaft the stops above the ankle but before the middle of the calf, with a very low and squared-off "roper" heel, shaped to the sole of the boot, usually less than one inch high. Roper boots are usually made with rounded toes, but, correlating with style changes in streetwear, styles with a squared toe are seen. The roper style is also manufactured in a lace-up design which often fits better around the ankle and is less likely to slip off, but these two features also create safety issues for riding.

Cowboy Boots History

The cowboy boot is descended from the Hessian boot, which was common among cavalry in Europe in the 18th century. This style, along with the Wellington boot (a shorter but similarly cavalry-oriented boot) was popular with early cowboys. The style commonly known as the cowboy boot appeared in the late 19th century, with the higher heel, more elaborate stitching, and decorative cutouts distinguishing them from the military issue boots that preceded them.

The boot was taken up by bootmakers in the cattle ranching areas of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The two most renowned bootmakers of the era were Charles Hyer of Hyer Brothers Boots in Olathe, Kansas, and H. J. "Big Daddy Joe" Justin of Justin Boots in Spanish Fort, Texas and later Nocona, Texas. The tradition of the cowboy boot also continues in Mexico, especially in the States of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nuevo Leon.

Cowboy Boots Design

Comparison of the "cowboy" heel and the lower "walking" heel. Both designs are angled slightly, different from the squared-off "roper" heelWhen mounting and, especially, dismounting, the slick, treadless leather sole of the boot allowed easy insertion and removal of the foot into the stirrup of the Western saddle. The original toe was rounded and a bit narrowed at the toe to make it easier to insert. While an extremely pointed toe is a modern stylization appearing in the 1940s, an extremely pointed toe is not more helpful and if extreme, can be uncomfortable in a working boot.

While in the saddle, the tall heel minimized the risk of the foot sliding forward through the stirrup, which could be life threatening if it happened and the rider were to be unseated. There was often considerable risk that a cowboy would fall from a horse, both because he often had to ride young, unpredictable horses, but also because he had to do challenging ranch work in difficult terrain, the often meant that he could accidentally become unseated by a quick-moving horse. If a rider fell from a horse but had a boot get caught in the stirrup, there arose a very great risk that the horse could panic and run off, dragging the cowboy, causing severe injury and possible death.

The tall leather shaft of the boot helped to hold the boot in place in the absence of lacing. The tall shaft, comfortably loose fit, and lack of lacing all were additional features that helped prevent a cowboy from being dragged since his body weight could pull his foot out of the boot if he fell off while the boot remained stuck in the stirrup.

While mounted, the shaft also protected the leg and ankle from rubbing on the stirrup leathers, as well as fending off brush and thorns, particularly if also worn with chaps or chinks. While dismounted, the shaft helped protect the leg and foot from rocks, brush, thorns, and rattlesnakes. In wet weather or creek crossings, the high tops helped prevent the boot from filling with mud and water.

The modern roper style boot with a low heel and shorter shaft emerged from the traditional design in response to the needs of modern rodeo, particularly calf roping, where the cowboy had to run to tie the calf as well as to ride. The lower shaft resulted in a less expensive boot, but also allowed the boot to be more easily removed. A laceup design for roper boots became popular as it prevented the boot from falling off too easily and provided more ankle support when on foot, though the lacer also has safety issues because it will not fall off if a rider is hung up in a stirrup, and, lacking a smooth upper, the lacings themselves may make it easier for the boot to become caught in the stirrup in the first place.

A pair of roper-style cowboy boots. Notice the rounded toes and low, squared-off heelsDecoration varied widely. Early boots were plain leather, but as custom boots were made, cowboys asked for decorative stitching, cutouts in the high tops (early on, often Texas stars), and different materials. Modern cowboy boots are available in all colors of the rainbow and a pair has been made from just about every animal whose skin can be made into leather.

One accessory used with cowboy boots are spurs, which are sometimes attached to the heel of each boot for the purpose of cueing a horse while riding.

Cowboy Boots Fitting

Many cowboy boot companies have been in operation since the 19th century. Each manufacturer has developed its own proprietary lasts for producing boots, which are considered trade secrets and are highly guarded. Because of this, standardization has been slow, and fitting between companies is not always consistent. When considering wearing a cowboy boot from a different manufacturer, it is recommended to seek assistance from a knowledgeable merchant who specializes in cowboy boots if a person cannot try them on in person. Some wearers will swear by one manufacturer's fit, while others will not perceive any difference between brands.

The fit will vary depending on the type of toe that is sought. Pointed toes leave a narrower space between the toes and the tip of the boot which may cause discomfort, though can be minimized by selecting a half size larger than the wearer's normal size. A rounder toe (like a roper or a Wellington) will fit more like a regular shoe. Another factor is leather. A cowhide or kidskin boot will become softer with wear, molding to the wearer's foot. That is why it is recommended to select a snug size because the boot will eventually "break in" and a loose fitting boot at the time of purchase will become sloppy.

However, some individuals also are unaccustomed to the slight slippage of the heel in a new, non-laced cowboy boot, particularly with a cowboy heel, and buy a too-small boot in an attempt to stop this slippage. But a small amount of slippage is also normal at first. As the boot breaks in, the slippage will stop.

Boot hooks and a boot jack may assist the process of putting on and taking off cowboy boots.Boot hooks are often required to put on a new pair of boots until they soften in the arch and break in. A boot jack is recommended for removal, though care must be taken not to damage the heel of the boot when using a jack.