When it comes to the beginnings of cowboy apparel, it is easy to think back to Hollywood's depiction of how the west was "won" and forget that folks didn't just ride out into the west already outfitted for life on the range, on the trail, and in the cow-towns. No, one has to assume that the first folks who rode out where in fact a little bit ill-prepared for life on the range because the clothing that became the norm didn't quite exist yet. Of course, that isn't to say that they rode out in their town suits, only that with the difference in landscape, climate, tasks necessary for survival, etc, that people had to adopt a different style of dress for a different way of life. Not all western wear came about in the same way, either. For example, cowboy boots were born directly of the need for a more appropriate style of footwear for riding on trails- a job that didn't exist prior to the western expansion.
Of all of western apparel, the story of how cowboy boots came to be is probably one of the most popular. This is in part because the story takes place in the early 1860s with the cattle drives at a time when not only was the west now dotted with towns along the railroads, but as far as California (thanks to the gold rush) one could find traces of American civilization. With the civil war over and the demand for meat not only high but now in two directions, it was doubly important that the industry effectively get the beef to the people! The cattle, however, were grazing in open lands and the rail towns were far away. The only way to get the cattle to those towns was to herd them and then ride with them for several weeks. This was no easy job- there were not any places to stop on the way through, it was a hard ride that might occasionally pass through Indian territory. This generally went easily as the riders simply payed a small price per head of cattle that they moved through and got on with the ride. There were rivers to ford, wild animals to fend off and cattle to keep heading in the right direction at a good pace. The men needed boots that could protect them from hazards, slide into and out of the saddle easily, pull off in case of being thrown with a foot tangled in the stirrup, and so on. Since these boots did not yet exist, one quick-thinking rider commissioned a pair to be made and it all started from that first pair of boots.
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