Cowboy Boot Help

[BP_]

I have been looking for “my” pair of boots for a while now, so I thought I’d ask for some help. I ride often and spend plenty of time in the saddle, and while I like my AB’s and my Ariats are “decent,” I’d like a better pair of riding/ranching boots.

Criteria:

*Cutter/narrow square toe (not upswept)
*Full leather sole (no hybrid, no rubber that looks like leather)
*Riding heel with spur ledge (spur ledge is non negotiable)
*Made in USA (no compromise on this one either)
*Not more than 13-14” shaft (if they were perfect I’d look at some 12’s, but my sweet spot is 13” and not over 14”)

If I can think of anything else, or if any of you cowboys have suggestions I’m all ears. I am trying to find an off the shelf pair before I save up, design, pay for ($$$$), and wait the long wait time for some customs (I also would not know where to start with custom makers, so I’d prefer off the shelf if they exist).
Before I go the 1500 dollar boot route (ballpark, I know the figure for customs and be a bit lower and a LOT higher), I’d like some help if there are any suggestions.

Thanks in advance guys! I’ll be doing more reading than commenting on this one

 

[knarfeng]

Horsewright
I'm pretty sure boots is the one piece of cowboy gear you don't make, but I'm also sure you got an opinion on a good source.

 

[Horsewright]

Yes sir. Boots and saddles bout the only thing. I’ll answer up here in the morning. Pressed for time today, running a mare over to the coast to get bred.

 

[555]

May not check all or any of your boxes, but I've had really good luck with Double H Boots as work boots

 

[longbow]

I like wearing western boots when riding my bagger. Years ago I had the opportunity to purchase a lightly used pair of Stewarts of Tuscon Az handmades of deer hide and a pair in elk for a very good price. Without question the best I've ever worn. The only thing I didn't like about them was the leather soles. Very slippery until I learned you're supposed to constantly scuff them up on the bottom to aid in traction. Anyways there ya go. stay safe

 

[Horsewright]

Well got that mare all delivered. Here is her boyfriend:

Kinda nice to take a drive to the coast. Freezing up here in the mountains and mid 70s over there.

OP so I'm guessing those ABs that we talked about a while back didn't work out so well for the cowboy'n. If I remember right you were concerned about the non leather soles. Yeah I about can't swing a leg over a pony in anything but leather soles either. Just can't. The search is real I know. So I do have a couple of ideas for ya but to absolutely check all your boxes its gonna be tough. First off is the only boots the wife will wear. I bought her another pair of something else last year, she rode in em twice and gave em to a friend. She went back to her old ones. Solano Boots:

https://www.solanoswesternwear.com/men/boots/tall_top

Made in the USA, riding heel, spur ledge and leather sole. Wonderful price, the quality and comfort is there and off the shelf. However, traditional buckaroo round toe and taller than you are looking for. The wife's:

I just went and grabbed em to look at the tags inside, they are from New Mexico. The wife says can I get a new pair when we go to NM in a couple of weeks. We got to go pick up a filly there in a couple of weeks. However Raton where Solano Boots is is at the opposite end of the state from where we got to go to pick up this filly we bought couple of weeks back. She's getting her first month of riding right now. Looks like wife's gonna have to order em online like she did last time.

Another thought would be Drew's Boots and specifically this boot:

https://drewsboots.com/collections/buckaroo/products/drews-buckaroo-cowboy-boot-style-drh216

Hits a lot of the boxes. Leather sole, spur ledge, square toe, riding heel. But a little taller than you are looking for at 16 inches. I'm 99.999999999 percent sure they are made in the US but you would have to give em a call to make sure. Buddy and his wife both have Drew's boots (different models than above) and they like em a lot. In fact the guy with the beard in the first pic with the striped shirt and in the shotgun chaps in the fifth pic is him wearing his Drew's. And here:

When you get ready for the custom boot look here:

https://beckboots.com/pages/custom-cowboy-boots

Our ranching partner has a pair and he has been very, very happy with them. He and I both have had more high end customs from another maker and I traded mine off and he doesn't wear his. He wear's his Becks. Seems like turnaround is pretty quick, $750ish is just a little more than half of what I paid for my last customs some years back that I traded off, they also seem kinda orientated at the working cowboy kinda guy. Their sizing kit is cool. They send you a tray of something or other and you step into it with your stocking foot and it forms around your foot. gives em a pretty accurate deal to work from I guess. Here they are:

Hope this helps some. Like I said saddles and boots is bout the only thing in the cowboy world we don't make. We made all the other leather stuff above.

 

[BP_]

Well got that mare all delivered. Here is her boyfriend:

Kinda nice to take a drive to the coast. Freezing up here in the mountains and mid 70s over there.

OP so I'm guessing those ABs that we talked about a while back didn't work out so well for the cowboy'n. If I remember right you were concerned about the non leather soles. Yeah I about can't swing a leg over a pony in anything but leather soles either. Just can't. The search is real I know. So I do have a couple of ideas for ya but to absolutely check all your boxes its gonna be tough. First off is the only boots the wife will wear. I bought her another pair of something else last year, she rode in em twice and gave em to a friend. She went back to her old ones. Solano Boots:

https://www.solanoswesternwear.com/men/boots/tall_top

Made in the USA, riding heel, spur ledge and leather sole. Wonderful price, the quality and comfort is there and off the shelf. However, traditional buckaroo round toe and taller than you are looking for. The wife's:

I just went and grabbed em to look at the tags inside, they are from New Mexico. The wife says can I get a new pair when we go to NM in a couple of weeks. We got to go pick up a filly there in a couple of weeks. However Raton where Solano Boots is is at the opposite end of the state from where we got to go to pick up this filly we bought couple of weeks back. She's getting her first month of riding right now. Looks like wife's gonna have to order em online like she did last time.

Another thought would be Drew's Boots and specifically this boot:

https://drewsboots.com/collections/buckaroo/products/drews-buckaroo-cowboy-boot-style-drh216

Hits a lot of the boxes. Leather sole, spur ledge, square toe, riding heel. But a little taller than you are looking for at 16 inches. I'm 99.999999999 percent sure they are made in the US but you would have to give em a call to make sure. Buddy and his wife both have Drew's boots (different models than above) and they like em a lot. In fact the guy with the beard in the first pic with the striped shirt and in the shotgun chaps in the fifth pic is him wearing his Drew's. And here:

When you get ready for the custom boot look here:

https://beckboots.com/pages/custom-cowboy-boots

Our ranching partner has a pair and he has been very, very happy with them. He and I both have had more high end customs from another maker and I traded mine off and he doesn't wear his. He wear's his Becks. Seems like turnaround is pretty quick, $750ish is just a little more than half of what I paid for my last customs some years back that I traded off, they also seem kinda orientated at the working cowboy kinda guy. Their sizing kit is cool. They send you a tray of something or other and you step into it with your stocking foot and it forms around your foot. gives em a pretty accurate deal to work from I guess. Here they are:

Hope this helps some. Like I said saddles and boots is bout the only thing in the cowboy world we don't make. We made all the other leather stuff above.

Thank you for sharing the video. It’s always entertaining to watch.

Yes sir you are correct, the AB’s just didn’t do it for me. Seems more like a nice boot that folks wear that want to look the part. I can’t do the rubber/hybrid sole either. Don’t matter how long they last, I’ll have the leathers redone ten times before I get another rubber/hybrid sole for riding.

Took your advice and got a free sizing kit coming from Beck. They seemed like good boots I just had not heard much about them. Read reviews, and along with your experience I decided I should try them out. I like the option to make them to my specs as well.

Another brand I found is Fenoglio. Interesting history, based in Nocona, TX and 100% American made. Searched around and the little I found as far as reviews go were very good. Seem to be top quality in both materials and craftsmanship. And at 400 bucks for a pair of full customs (non exotic) I figured they were worth a try. So I customized and ordered a pair of those too. We’ll see how they work out.

Thank you for the tips, the video, and the pictures. Its always a pleasure. It’s about time for me to get another belt from you as well sir

 

[Horsewright]

Thank you for sharing the video. It’s always entertaining to watch.

Yes sir you are correct, the AB’s just didn’t do it for me. Seems more like a nice boot that folks wear that want to look the part. I can’t do the rubber/hybrid sole either. Don’t matter how long they last, I’ll have the leathers redone ten times before I get another rubber/hybrid sole for riding.

Took your advice and got a free sizing kit coming from Beck. They seemed like good boots I just had not heard much about them. Read reviews, and along with your experience I decided I should try them out. I like the option to make them to my specs as well.

Another brand I found is Fenoglio. Interesting history, based in Nocona, TX and 100% American made. Searched around and the little I found as far as reviews go were very good. Seem to be top quality in both materials and craftsmanship. And at 400 bucks for a pair of full customs (non exotic) I figured they were worth a try. So I customized and ordered a pair of those too. We’ll see how they work out.

Thank you for the tips, the video, and the pictures. Its always a pleasure. It’s about time for me to get another belt from you as well sir

Good deal glad to help! Hadn’t realized We’d built ya a belt.

 

[Horsewright]

Thank you for sharing the video. It’s always entertaining to watch.

Yes sir you are correct, the AB’s just didn’t do it for me. Seems more like a nice boot that folks wear that want to look the part. I can’t do the rubber/hybrid sole either. Don’t matter how long they last, I’ll have the leathers redone ten times before I get another rubber/hybrid sole for riding.

Took your advice and got a free sizing kit coming from Beck. They seemed like good boots I just had not heard much about them. Read reviews, and along with your experience I decided I should try them out. I like the option to make them to my specs as well.

Another brand I found is Fenoglio. Interesting history, based in Nocona, TX and 100% American made. Searched around and the little I found as far as reviews go were very good. Seem to be top quality in both materials and craftsmanship. And at 400 bucks for a pair of full customs (non exotic) I figured they were worth a try. So I customized and ordered a pair of those too. We’ll see how they work out.

Thank you for the tips, the video, and the pictures. Its always a pleasure. It’s about time for me to get another belt from you as well sir

Ya might enjoy this thread if ya haven't seen it already:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/from-the-hoof-up-leather-and-such.1778855/

 

[BP_]

Ya might enjoy this thread if ya haven't seen it already:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/from-the-hoof-up-leather-and-such.1778855/

I saw it the other day, but my phone was not letting me see the pictures. Just got a chance to read through it and look at them all, thank you very much sir. It’s always a pleasure to see the pictures, and read the stories. Feels like a home.

 

[Horsewright]

Good deal and ya bet!

 

[BP_]

Update for anyone interested. Picked up a couple pairs of Fenoglio. Interesting company with an interesting story. Hand made boots and good folks to deal with in my personal experience. Cool back story on the company as well. Will post pictures when I get them. A pair of full quill ostrich and a pair of straight cow hide.

 

[Horsewright]

Good deal. Looking forward to your write up!

 

[longbow]

Imho you can't beat Stewart handmade boots. Like I said I have some in deer hide and a pair in elk. Superbly comfortable except like I said leather soles are super slippery unless you scuff them up real good. stay safe

 

[Sid Post]

What is it about the leather soles that is so important to you guys? I guess the area of Oklahoma from my youth was a bit too harsh for leather soles, not to mention money was pretty tight as well. I generally had Nocona or Justin oil-tanned leather boots with a "rubber" sole. Goatheads and rocks were pretty hard on them so, the only leather-soled boots I saw were in the dance halls.

While I didn't work on a horse, the ones I rode did fine with my rack-grade utility boots. After living in Tucson with asphalt over 180 degrees in some cases and riding off-road motorcycles, my thoughts on boots are probably a lot different than someone in areas like Colorado on a working horse or even pleasure rides.

Mail ordering Winter socks into Tucson, Az during the Summer always confused online shop keeps that had good wool socks, typically in the upper NorthEast. Burning your feet through your shoes will give you a new appreciation of Wool heavyweight socks in the Tucson Summer heat!

 

[Horsewright]

Non leather soles in a stirrup are just plain dangerous, as are lace up boots and boots without a heel etc. You will see some folks riding in those but I can also tell ya some stories of people getting hung up or a foot stuck in the stirrup or all kinds of bad things happening. The slickness of the leather sole is a safety factor as is the higher heel of many cowboy boots. The heel prevents your foot from slipping all the way through the stirrup and the weight of the heel helps hold your heel down which is a correct riding position and helps suck ya down into the saddle better. There are just times when ya want that foot to slip out of those stirrups and that is the reason for the leather soles, they are slippery, which can be a good thing. Happened to me at our last works back in the spring. My little filly that I'm riding right now is extremely athletic, extremely spelled like EXTREMELY! Here we're taking attendance and seeing what cows we might be missing. I'm riding through calling out ear tag numbers.

Two big cows got to fighting and smacked into the corral fence over to our left, hard. This spooked Lil Sis, as I call her, and she literally turned around so fast to the left that I fell flat on my face. No buck or anything like, that she literally turned faster than I was capable of riding at that moment. The leather sole boots prevented me from getting hung up and making a bad deal worse. Might look a little dustier here, not hurt except in pride cause I'm the guy that could ride the horses no one else could ride. But that was some years back. Anyhoo.

Interesting side note. I'd gone to these low heeled boots while riding and have since gone back to a taller heel. I found my heels coming up in these lower heeled boots which was putting me out of position. When she'd turn like that I didn't really have the deep seat a guy needed to stay with her. Switching back to higher heeled boots has made a difference staying with her. She has turned really fast from a spook a couple of times since switching back to the higher heeled boots and I now stay with her. Then a guy turns around and ol #7 has popped out a new calf:

So life goes on.

Couldn't agree with ya more if a guy is on foot a lot, rubber sole boots are the way to go. I have several pair. But I don't ride in em.

 

[Sid Post]

Great! I can see the safety issue of boots in the stirrup. Low or Mid-size heels on cowboy boots never worked for me. I also never was worried about getting hung up in the stirrup as the Quarter Horse I rode was pretty gentle with me and we were generally in an open pasture. That was a really awesome horse I still think about today as I trundle along in a Kubota SxS or walk with a bucket of range cubes with the cows in line behind me.