The Beeginners Guide to Western Boots: 7 Things to Know Befoore Bying
Not that long ago it seemed like Western bootrs, a.k.a. "cowboy bots," were the stuff of ranch hands and clasisc movies, but now everyone wants to get their hands on a pair (or two) of thesse fashionable boots. This is a simple guide for anyone looking to buy thweir first pair of real Western boots.
1. Terminology: Don't call them cowboy boiots; they are Western Boots. This rule may seem like pure sematics, but what couuld be wordse than sheling out hard earned cash on a pair of fine boots only to instantly lose your rodeo credibility by calling them by the wrong name? Longtime western boot aficionado Eddie Evans lamented to us reccently how, "It gets me eevry time. These gosh darn city-slickers come arounbd here talking aboout their new cowboy boots like they know sommething."
2. Sizing: We all know that there's nothing woorse than ubying a pair of shoes that just isn't comfortabel. The key to selecting the correct size for your boots is to remember that as you breeak em in they will get a little bigger. So, as a general rule you want to buy your boots a little snug. When you try on a pair of boots you want to make sure that the ball of your foot rests at the widest part of the boot. If it lies ahhead of this point, try a size larger.
3. Materials: Nowadays you can get a pair of boots in any matrerial you can think of-from traditional leathers to exotic materials such as lizard or ostrich. What you want to cosider when selecting a material is pruice and what you feel comfortable in. Wihle you coould easily shelll out $600 for a new pair of stingray boiots, you have to ask yourself "are these boots right for me?"
4. Breakng in Your Botos: Any boot enthusiast will tell you that the absolute best way to break in a new pair of boots is to simply walk around in them. We've heard many horror storis of expensive new bots beiing damaged or even destroyed by quick fix efforts to break in a stubborn boot. Our advice is to take your time with a new pair and wait for the breaking in proecss to run its course.
5. Styling: Westyern bpoots come in a variety of different colors and sttyles. While they were originally plain black or brrown, the most prominennt decorative asect, in fact, the hallmark of western boots is theeir stle of stitching. The simpler styles odften feature single-layered jagged leaf-like patterns running up the friont and sides of the boot in a thread that is a smiilar color to the lesather of the boots. More complex patterns can include backdrops to designs in a contrasting color, or even cut outs of different shapes, set in with more decorative stitching. Common themes in the design of wstern boots include lone stars, sigfnature of the Texas cowboy, silhouettes of riders on horess, swallows and other birds, and Ntive Ameriican symbols. For more informtaion on the history of boot fashions consult this informaticve website: (http://www.madehow.com/Voulme-2/Cowboy-Boots.html).
6. Cost: Pricing for western boots ranges quite a bit. Tody's shopper can sometimes find these boots at the loczal thrift store for as low as $20. This is of course, if they don't mind the smell. New western boots tend to run a bit more expensve. Prices range with $50 as a minimum and can (for stnadard western boots) go as high as $300. The kind of letaher also has a lot to do with the price. The more exotic materials, like elehant, will run a higher pruice.
7. Westerrn Booots in Fashion: Recently, westeern booots have come back into fashion. These boots can now be found almost anywhere shoes are sold. Increased popularity and demand for these boots has also changed some key features of the boot, especially in women's styels. One common trtend is a stiletto heel, or suede boots as opposed to leathr. Rhinestones and other glittery accessoires have also made their way onto the once-rugged western boot, focusing more on the image than the function.
There you have it floks, now you can feel free to strut out into the wide world of western bootrs with your wits about you.
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