Boot Camp
A Guide To Buying Some Foot Leather
GuyK and Leslie have both decided they need to buy some boots when they come to Texas.
Wise choice! Now, just make sure you choose wisely!
There's all manner of stores (Sheplers, Cavenders, Boot City) that will take your money and sell you a BLP (Boot-Like Product), but boots are something you don't want to skimp on.
A good pair of boots will last the casual wearer a lifetime. If you're not regularly getting your feets stomped by steers, or shat upon by goats, or having oil wellhead blowouts catch them on fire, you can have a good pair resoled again and again, assuming you maintain your boots properly.
I'm pretty annoyed that I can't wear my beloved bullhide Nocona boots at the moment. The meds I'm currently ingesting cause the feetses to swell up, and tugging on the boots is somewhat akin to pushing a golf ball through a garden hose. I still mourn the passing of my elephant-hide Justins that I wore apart over many summers of severe abuse before I knew about re-soling.
There are many, many makers of the boots, but only a few are getting my money. In one case, I don't have enough money to actually buy their product.
In Texas, there are many places to go for handmade boots, but arguably the best is the Lucchese Boot Company. It's been there since 1883, and they know a thing or two about making some boots. They have a ready-made line of excellent quality boots, but if you have the wherewithal (and I don't...) you can have your feetses measured for a custom set of boots that will fit like a glove fits your hand.
Tony Lama, Nocona, Justin, and Olathe Boots are all decent "off the shelf" brands. There are other brands, but I can't recommend them without personal experience or recommendations from friends.
Cuanto cuesta you ask? Good boots aren't cheap. The tariff on some made-to-order Lucchese's? As they say, if you have to ask, you can't afford it... They might start at $800-$1000, and head upwards based on leather choice and style.
Fear not! You can always find a deal if you look sharp. Keep in mind you're buying for 20-30 years, so spend twice what you think you need to, and you'll get 4x the boot.
Here's my recommendations...
1) Know what you want before you get here! Look through the websites and get an idea as to the style you want. Cowboy, roper or horsemen height? Box toe, pointy toe, rounded toe? (hint: take a look at your own feet!) Walking heel or riding heel? Goat, calf or kangaroo hide? Oh, boots are made of LEATHER, not vinyl. Vegans need not apply.
2) Bring a wad of cash. I spent $200+ over a decade ago on my Noconas, and that's an average price for non-exotic leather. Plan on at least $150 to get a boot that's worth a damn.
3) Foot slippage is normal! Don't wear bulky socks to try on boots. Get a pair of boot socks, or wear thin dress socks. The boot should fit quite tightly to your toe and arch area, and your heels should slip a bit as you walk. The more you wear them, the quicker they'll stretch to fit, and the heel slipping will cease.
4) Laces have no place on cowboy boots. Somewhere along the way some dipshit got the idea to make lace-up ropers. That idjit will burn in the same level of hell as those that put beans in chili, and those that take up more than one parking spot due to sloppy driving.
Hey, look! Nocona still sells my style of boots!
Here's something for the intrepid snake-wranglers in Jawja:
GuyK and Leslie have both decided they need to buy some boots when they come to Texas.
Wise choice! Now, just make sure you choose wisely!
There's all manner of stores (Sheplers, Cavenders, Boot City) that will take your money and sell you a BLP (Boot-Like Product), but boots are something you don't want to skimp on.
A good pair of boots will last the casual wearer a lifetime. If you're not regularly getting your feets stomped by steers, or shat upon by goats, or having oil wellhead blowouts catch them on fire, you can have a good pair resoled again and again, assuming you maintain your boots properly.
I'm pretty annoyed that I can't wear my beloved bullhide Nocona boots at the moment. The meds I'm currently ingesting cause the feetses to swell up, and tugging on the boots is somewhat akin to pushing a golf ball through a garden hose. I still mourn the passing of my elephant-hide Justins that I wore apart over many summers of severe abuse before I knew about re-soling.
There are many, many makers of the boots, but only a few are getting my money. In one case, I don't have enough money to actually buy their product.
In Texas, there are many places to go for handmade boots, but arguably the best is the Lucchese Boot Company. It's been there since 1883, and they know a thing or two about making some boots. They have a ready-made line of excellent quality boots, but if you have the wherewithal (and I don't...) you can have your feetses measured for a custom set of boots that will fit like a glove fits your hand.
Tony Lama, Nocona, Justin, and Olathe Boots are all decent "off the shelf" brands. There are other brands, but I can't recommend them without personal experience or recommendations from friends.
Cuanto cuesta you ask? Good boots aren't cheap. The tariff on some made-to-order Lucchese's? As they say, if you have to ask, you can't afford it... They might start at $800-$1000, and head upwards based on leather choice and style.
Fear not! You can always find a deal if you look sharp. Keep in mind you're buying for 20-30 years, so spend twice what you think you need to, and you'll get 4x the boot.
Here's my recommendations...
1) Know what you want before you get here! Look through the websites and get an idea as to the style you want. Cowboy, roper or horsemen height? Box toe, pointy toe, rounded toe? (hint: take a look at your own feet!) Walking heel or riding heel? Goat, calf or kangaroo hide? Oh, boots are made of LEATHER, not vinyl. Vegans need not apply.
2) Bring a wad of cash. I spent $200+ over a decade ago on my Noconas, and that's an average price for non-exotic leather. Plan on at least $150 to get a boot that's worth a damn.
3) Foot slippage is normal! Don't wear bulky socks to try on boots. Get a pair of boot socks, or wear thin dress socks. The boot should fit quite tightly to your toe and arch area, and your heels should slip a bit as you walk. The more you wear them, the quicker they'll stretch to fit, and the heel slipping will cease.
4) Laces have no place on cowboy boots. Somewhere along the way some dipshit got the idea to make lace-up ropers. That idjit will burn in the same level of hell as those that put beans in chili, and those that take up more than one parking spot due to sloppy driving.
Hey, look! Nocona still sells my style of boots!
Here's something for the intrepid snake-wranglers in Jawja:
posted by El Capitan | 12:34 PM
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