The Famous Western Boots​

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"These boots were made for walking" and that’s just what they will do sang Nancy Sinatra. But true cowboy boots were made for working and that is what they did, worked!

What is the cowboy or Western Boot? It is a style of boot designed for rough work such as cowboy work. A work boot, with no laces and similar to a riding boot, these early western boots were heavily influenced by the Vaquero from Spain.

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These boots have rounded to pointed toes and a Cuban heel, high shaft and usually made from leather. Today you can acquire such boots in alligator, eel, ostrich, snake, lizard, elephant and the like.

 

There are two kinds of Western Boots, the classic and the roper. The classic is distinguished by tall boot shaft to mid-calf with a heel that is angled and about one inch high. This classic boot usually has a pointed toe.

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The other kind of boot is the Roper which is a newer design. It has a short boot shaft above the ankles but before the middle of the calf. These boots have a squared and a very low heel shaped to the sole of the boot. The toe is usually rounded.

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In the 1860's among Western Boots the "Wellington" boot became popular among the cowboys. It was one of the first styles of boot to be made in the United States. A dressier boot that became obsolete during the cattle - drive era of 1866-1884 because a more appropriate working boot was needed.

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Some cowboys own a pair for working and another for going out. However a rugged pair of boots can adorn any western outfit if just cleaned up.

Today the American makers of Western Boots can be found in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Each manufacture has its own details and cowboys can distinguish between boots. They learn which boot company accommodates their feet well.

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A true hardworking cowboy is almost a thing of the past but their legacy lives on and the western boot is a reminder of their contribution to developing the untamed parts of the USA. Western Boots have a place in society and are known the world over of what they represent. Besides being a historical boot it is a stylish, practical boot.

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These boots are very comfortable to wear because of the high shaft. So for work or play or to style around the western boot is here to stay.