I'm not sure why but lately I've had an interest in buying a pair of cowboy boots. I was born and raised in the city so I've never worn then and don't know much about them other than I want a black pair.
Anyone else own a pair or have recommendations?
Not to sound dick-ish, but they are kinda like high heels for men. Most people that wear them purely for fashion so to speak look incredibly silly to me.
So my vote would be to consider why you want a pair very carefully before taking the plunge.
Nonsense, cowboy boots are sweet.
Are they really comfortable? I don't see the appeal.
I had a brilliant pair of Docs that I somehow lost. They came above my ankle and had idiot straps instead of laces. I could leave the buckles undone and they would jangle like I was wearing spurs. I don't think they make them anymore, because if they did I'd buy them in a second.
Good ones are super comfy once you break them in.Originally Posted by ElGuapo
You must make sure they fit. Seriously. Cowboy boots that fit well are very very comfortable once broken in, as merryprankster says. Cowboy boots that don't fit well are horrible to wear, worse I think than most footwear that doesn't fit. The best thing to do is go to a store that sells a lot of boots, with a good selection and people who know cowboy boots and how to fit them. That may or may not be possible where you live. There are some places online that tell you how to measure your feet properly to determine the right size, and that can work if you don't have a shop nearby. Regular boot or shoe sizes can be problematic with cowboy boots I've found, so it might take some work to get it right.
As for looks, that's entirely a matter of taste. My wife made me get rid of mine years ago, but since I've lost a lot of weight and have been a good boy for the past decade she's decided it's ok if I get a pair again :). She's probably right--short guys don't look as good in boots as tall guys, and I ain't tall--but damn it, I do love me some quality cowboy boots.
Hmm. There's actually a western wear store nearby. I think I'd rather try them on instead of buying online.
And I'm 6' 6" so I'm not too worried about people thinking I'm buying them to look tall. ; )
Are there good brands to look out for?
It's hard to find jeans that look good with cowboy boots. Boot-cut are pretty much the only kind, IMO.
But if you wear skinny jeans tucked into your boots, that's cool too as long as you post a picture.
No. Just no. That's for Jersey whores who can't fathom buying anything not skintight. If you're gonna wear boots do it right, especially since you live in FREAKING NASHVILLE. You asking qt3 for boot advice is like me asking how to bet on horses, definitely a real-life solution for this one. Find an older man in boots at a hardware store and ask him, he'll know more than the hivemind possibly could.
H.
Dude, you are TOTALLY screwing up our chances to see some really hilarious pics.
Actually, I see this look in Nashville a fair amount, usually in line at a coffee place. I always want to ask the dude the name of the mediocre emo band he plays in (yes, we have those here).
???? Hmm. I might be out.
Aw dang, missed what you were doing by reading on a phone. Chagrin.
I waved today as I drove past on i-40.
H.
Were you driving a car or riding your bike?
Rental car, Memphis to Louisville. Last match of the season, won it.
Boots offer a few advantages, and several disadvantages, to "conventional" lace up work boots if you're looking for some to run around the brush with. If you're looking for something to croon around town with be sure to get some good jeans. It rather defeats the purpose of wearing a 400$ pair of boots if your only pair of jeans is something used for yard work. Some people, mainly Southerners, can take the boot into a formal setting, but it only works if everyone else agrees with how cool boots are and talks boot talk. Otherwise you'll spend the evening explaining why you wore coat, pants, and boots to everyone.
Boots go up to... infinity... i suppose. A decent pair will almost surely cost 100$, and 300-400$ boots are very common.
As far as working in them, they're better than conventional lace up boots when you deal with any situation that might get something to fall into your boot; say, lots of sand or dirt, wading among sticker-burrs and pasture, mesquite and cactus thorns, ect. Boots also tend to be a *bit* more water resistant than your typical lace up, decent enough that you can step in a 6" mud puddle and not have wet socks.
Boots have much less traction and ankle support than lace ups, and if your ankles are prone to giving out on you when wandering around, they're generally not as good. Also, don't forget that if you get a "real" pair with leather soles, you're going to be walking around like a runway model with stilettos on if it's wet outside, as leather provides almost no grip at all. Only newbies like leather soles unless the boot is Mexican import cheap brand, all real boot wearers go for rubber.
Tony Lamas have always been pretty highly rated. I have a pair that gathers dust since I don't wear them anymore.
Warning, I do completely recommend that you test drive them as far as possible before spending the money. Find a store with a wide selection and take a good walk around the store in each brand and style you try on. I agree with you, don't buy them online, go to a store to try on as many pairs and brands as you can. If you were near Madison, I would point you to a great place, but what are the odds of that?
They involve a totally different gait, a bit hard to describe (plus, since I haven't worn mine in a while, it's from memory). But think that your, um, pelvis and thighs will be projected forward a bit more than they are typically, and your stride will be changed too, I think sort of like swinging each foot forward a little more directly in a straight line than otherwise. It's pretty hard to describe, just different, which is why I really recommend trying them out to see if it really is something that appeals to you and would be more comfortable.
Make sure you get a good fit, they would tend to cant your whole foot forward more since the heel is higher which is going to put more pressure on your toes.
Don't spend a cheap amount of money, I'd say if you do find they appeal to you still, go for a well known brand and invest some good coin in them.
For some people and maybe you are one of them, they can truly be an extremely comfortable way of perambulating, and I think they can be pretty attractive looking if you get a nice unobtrusive and well made pair.
But no sense making the purchase if anything about it doesn't feel right to you. I'm pretty sure the reason I don't wear my nice pair of Tony Lamas now is there is something a little off about the fit, I'm 15 years older than when I bought them and I think my gait changed a bit (I had a big toe operated on, and I had my ACL done at some point too).
You do really want to be sure they are going to end up being comfortable (no doubt some break in will be involved) - and, since you are a big guy, that whole thing about the higher heel canting foward is going to put more pressure on your toes at the end of the boots so make sure they really are as comfortable, appealing and sensible as possilble, and you like the feel and the gait before you make the decision to buy a pair. If you get a cheap pair that doesn't fit right, I could definitely see you having an uncomfortable pair which will mean you won't want to wear them. Too bad you can't test drive a pair for a week!
I'll also add they take some getting used to in wearing them. Women who wear high heels could probably tell us, or relate to this. I remember one of the most painful experiences of my entire life was walking to my car in a parking lot in a pair of cowboy boots, and for some reason, stepping on a tiny pebble caused me to slip and end up basically putting my full weight on my foot and ankle where the top of the boot had basically turned over so the top of the boot was on the pavement. I didn't break my ankle, but it was the worst sprain I ever had, I screamed like a little girl, punched a dent into the side of my beat up Mazda, and got to watch my entire ankle, foot and lower leg turn all those cool yellow and eggplant colors, so learn how to use your new boots with a little care since it is a different way of walking than you are used to now.
Last edited by Nixxter; 11-07-2010 at 07:23 PM.
SPURS A MUST
This is as close as I let myself get to cowboy boots, and they are damn comfortable.
So hiking/combat boots are better in every way? Except the look I guess.
Cowboy boots are to footwear what chopsticks are to eating utensils.
Here's what ya need - best of both worlds.
Lizard_King has never had a good pair of boots.
The reason I bought leather boots is because I'll still have them in ten to twenty years, unlike everything else that lasted less than five.
Not so much better, but that cowboy boots are mostly obsolete.
Do you need to get in and out of stirrups regularly, through brushy country full of stickers and weeds and bugs? Where you might step in water from troughs and rain and mud? Cowboy style boots. Cowboy boots have crap traction, but mud doesn't cling to them like treaded hiking boots, which can ball up to twice their weight.
Cowboy style boots are inflexible, with less support, and are generally inferior to actually moving around in modern lace up boots. Lace up boots otoh can never quite match the comfortable fit of a well worn pair of cowboy boots. Because of the way they're constructed, essentially a piece of leather wrapped around a sole, cowboy boots tend to bend around the shape of your foot over time in a way lace ups never can. Eventually a pair of well worn boots become your boots, not just boots size 10, which is why you hear boot lovers speak of how "comfortable" they are.
Many boots are still hand made, to some or another extent, and almost every pair is unique, which also brings a bit of individuality to boots that machine made footwear lacks. Your teal-grey New Balance 939s are exactly like every other 939 made, for all purposes. I wouldn't wax poetic and say every boot is unique; but there is much more variety between similar boots. That doesn't dismiss the very real fact that 90% of boots are so screamingly flamboyant that only the most self confident, manly cowboys that wear pink scarves because they can get away with it would ever wear them.
Of course you can get modern boots with many of the functional attributes of a cowboy cut... if you like boots made to dig ditches in. Cowboy boots are really the only alternative that has any sense of class or style if you like or want what a one-piece, slip on boot provides.
Last edited by Enidigm; 11-07-2010 at 10:58 PM.
I have some purple knit Olivia Newton John leggings from the 80s I'm going to go put on now.
If he says he wants you to sit on his lap in the photo booth, don't do it!
Made of bamboo?
Preferred by Asians?
Minutes to learn, a lifetime to master?
Hard to eat soup with?
I, for one, welcome your cowboy boot interest. Shoes = win.
A pair of riding boots/ cavalry boots/ cowboy boots are a wondrous thing. But, unless you ride horses - for which they are designed (see Enidigm's post above) then alternatives - boots that are made for walking, if that's what you're gonna do, will be better.
Unless you are going to be a Midnight Cowboy.
I'd say if you're wearing your purple leggings with cowboy boots, you're pretty much asking to be propositioned like this.
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