The Cowboy Boot

The link between the legends and lore of the wild Wild West and cowboy boots is something anyone cannot deny. The Old West or the Wild West for that matter with its rather interesting history, its dramatic and often unforgiving landscape and its dangerous reputation the perfect place for cowboy stories, tales of honor, valor and romance. These tales of honor and valor sometimes mixed with betrayal and of course a lot of action be they imagined or real always include cowboy boots and cowboy hats. Whether you are talking about a lone gunslinger or a group of cowboys trying to rob a bank or just a normal cowboy doing ranch work, each of these individuals wear sturdy cowboy boots -cowboy boots being an unmistakable part of the cowboy uniform. This uniform also includes cowboy hats and jeans.


Today, there are a lot of shops that sell cowboy boots. One of them is Allens Boots –a shop located in Texas.

Although it is widely known that American cowboys wear cowboy boots, according to historians, the cowboy boot influence is of English origin –the Wellington Boot. The Wellington boot is based on Hessian (German Hessen) cavalry footwear which means that this tradition came from the Germans although indirectly. Upon its introduction, cowboy boots immediately caught on. With the elite wearing them, a craze eventually caught on.

Because Wellington boots were made for the military, they were nondescript in generally making it easy for the company to produce them in large numbers. After the Civil War however, cowboys started getting higher pay which means they already had enough money to buy better-looking and sturdier cowboy boots. This gave rise to the different bootmakers in the West.

What are the best cowboy hat brands? If you are a new fan of western wear staple, you should pay attention to this blog to see which brands are the best.

One of the most well-known cowboy hat brands is Bailey. They have been supported by rodeos for a very long time and even sponsored the Miss Rodeo America Ahsley Andrews. Bailey offers sturdy cowboy hats –a top choice for those who use their cowboy hats while working.

Stetson, founded in 1865 is a Texan hat company that sells premium cowboy hats for men. The company offers top notch cowboy  hats and are readily available in your nearest department store since the company is the largest cowboy hat supplier in the world.

Lucchese –yep this cowboy boot brand also sells cowboy hats. Lucchese has been in the bootmaking game since 1883 and after their success included belts and cowboy hats in their repertoire. The brand only uses premium leather for all of their products so you can be sure that you will get high quality cowboy hats if you buy from them.

American West is another wonderful cowboy hats brand. They make cowboy hats fit for working the ranch. American West offers affordable cowboy hats for those who do not want to spend a large amount of money for a hat.

For those who want felt cowboy hats, Resistol is the place to go. Although most of the cowboy hats produced by Resistol are used by the fashionable, the hats they make are also built to be sturdy.

There are also other cowboy hat brands that you can take a look at online. The ones mentioned here are the biggest and the most reliable though. The Last Best West is also a good brand –although they can be a little pricey.

If you love cowboy boots made out of exotic skin, you must learn how to care for them. Most cowboy boots are made from cow or pig leather but those who want a special pair of boots in their collection choose boots made from exotic animals such as that of reptiles or birds.  Exotic leather is unique and more often than not more attractive than the usual leather we always see. One can see a range of textures from exotic leather and a range of tones too. Cowboy boots, wallets, belts and different shoes are made from exotic leather and these products are usually sought after by those who know what is worth buying.

One concern among consumers however is that some animal species used in such products are endangered but only very few bootmakers use almost extinct hides for their boots so basically, you do not have anything to worry about. Most bootmakers make use of leather from animals that are abundant and are not subject to or threatened by the trade of leather. Reputable cowboy boot dealers only sell exotic leather products that are legally traded. If you own ostrich boots, you would have to learn how to keep them in good condition.

You can do this by taking good care of them since ostrich leather is easy to maintain. They are also resistant to scuffs and of course scratches –making them look brand new all the time. There are boot care products you can use on your ostrich boots.

Lanolin based conditioners are highly advised though because these products can clean ostrich leather thoroughly. Although considered exotic, ostrich leather is sturdy and very durable unlike other types of exotic leather.

Cowboy boots made out of eel, elephant, alligator, water snake, python or lizard leather are harder to maintain if you compare them to ostrich leather.

Photo Via beautyoffashions.blogspot.com

Cowboy boots are considered as the main attraction when it comes to a cowboy outfit. This familiar addition to western wear can be seen not only in the American West but also in other places. Although cowboy boots are iconic fashion items, many western wear fans are also into cowboy hats. After all, a cowboy outfit is not complete with a good cowboy hat.

Just recently, many fashion forward people have rediscovered the charm of cowboy hats and along with it, the charm of country music as well. You can be sure that every country musician rocks a cowboy hat and yes this includes Emmylou Harris, Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson. All of these artists wear their cowboy hats well and they have become fashion icons in their own right when it comes to western wear.

That style that Mr. Nelson wore during his heyday for example can still be seen in western wear stores today and can also be found in online shops.

Hank Williams is also another star who rocked cowboy hats. When he was 14, he won a talent contest and later on, his song “Your Cheatin’ Heart” was allover the airwaves.

Other singers who rock cowboy hats include Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks.

It seems that with country singers paving the way to the cowboy hat revolution –although it is not called a revolution just yet but a revolution among those who love the type of fashion item. Singers like Kid Rock also wear cowboy hats and sometimes, Steven Tyler wears cowboy hats too.

Football star David Beckham also wears cowboy hats from time to time. He was spotted with his wife former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham sporting a straw cowboy hat.

Denise Richards was also seen wearing a straw cowboy hat at the beach –with her bikini!

Timeless footwear is what we all seek and those who love Western wear will surely agree that a great pair of cowboy boots will go a long way.

As what any modern woman would say, a woman needs a few (sometimes more than a few) pairs of shoes and most of the time, we would get pairs that have very high heels and pairs that aren’t heeled. When it comes to cowboy boots however boot height is something you should always factor in.

Ankle Boots. They are quite fashionable and very comfortable too. They look great with pants and mini skirts.

Mid Calf Boots. This type of boots work great with many people but make sure that your legs are long enough to not look too short with these boots. They are quite flattering though if you know how to wear them. Your skirt should be below the knees though when wearing mid calf boots. You may also want to wear them with a great pair of jeans –that would surely look good on you whether you tuck the jeans in or the jeans over the boots.

KneeHigh Boots. Knee high boots are very sophisticated and can look quite nice even with on petite women as long as the skirt is a mini. If you think you are too short to wear knee high boots, it would be best to not wear them at all.

Over The Knee Boots. Now these can only be worn by those who are tall enough to don them. No one is stopping you if you want to wear over the knee boots but be sure to get the right size so it does not go up to your waist –which would be utterly mad.

The height of the heels is an important factor too. The only thing you should remember about this is making sure that you will be able to walk in those heels –if you are unable to walk in them, don’t buy them.

Photos Via iamfashion.blogspot.com, couturecarrie.blogspot.com, frugalista.betterinboots.com. loloscube.com and fashiontrend.tk

Movie cowboys have made cowboys into Western icons but what really made their debut in the cinemas a lot better are the cowboy boots and the cowboy hats they wear. This time however, we shall focus our energies on cowboy hats.

Brokeback Mountain may not be a popular among cowboys but the cowboy hats in this movie are actually very nice –they are simple yet rather sexy.

The 1954 film that starred Marilyn Monroe and Matt Calder called River of No Return is also a good cowboy movie where you can see some good cowboy hats. If you want some of these hats, you can go to The Last Best West.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford also known as The Assassination of Jesse James shows Brad Pitt rocking black cowboy boots.

Another cowboy film from Brad Pitt that one can look at is Legends of the Fall. The film released in 1994 also stars Anthony Hopkins. Brad Piit wears a classic cowboy hat in this movie and needless to say –he looks super hot.

The 1992 film directed by Clint Eastwood starring himself and Gene Hackman is a wonderful movie where one can see uber cool cowboy hats.

In 2003, Kevin Costner directed the American Western film Open Range starring himself, Diego Luna, Robert Duvall, and Abraham Benrubi. The film shows different styles of cowboy hats as well as a range of ways you can shape your hat. The latter of course depends entirely on the wearer.

There are other movies one can refer to but these movies mentioned here by far showcases the best cowboy hats ever. This of course depends on your taste but considering that these are western films, you will surely see something you’d like. When you see something you like, you can just research and find that particular cowboy hat.

Cowboy boots have been worn by cowboys since the mid-1800s. It is sad however that the true cowboy period in the US only lasted for 20 years. There have been many a cowboy boot company that were formed during this period and this includes Justin Boots. Enid Justin, later established her own company under the name Nocona in the year 1925. There are other old names that grew out of the cowboy boot business and from the Justin family for that matter and this includes Olsen-Stelzer.

Photo Via BootStarOnline.com

It is not yet known who first wore cowboy boots and who made them –perhaps, we will never know. This is like pinpointing the creator of the kitchen chair or the kitchen table for that matter. One has to note however that cowboy boots came to be because of a need for dependable footwear. Even today, cowboy boots are known to last because they are after all built that way.

This type of footwear has evolved along with the times. It was the Germans however to helped made the cowboy boots look the way it is. If at first cowboy boots were built for those who needed dependable footwear, the cowboy boots evolved from a needed item due to is functionality to footwear that represented something. When cowboy movies started to become popular cowboy boots were immediately associated with adventure.

It was only when cowboy boots became fashion items that factories focused on producing them. Thanks to Hollywood, cowboy boots became a fashion icon leading to a demand in the market for different types of boots. Boots later on evolved some more into women’s boots that have high heels to cowboy boots that were worn by bankers and those who do not actually work in a ranch.

Straw hats are an uber cool addition to your wardrobe and not only because celebrities wear them to the beach or wherever but because they provide great protection from the sun and do not even make you sweat –literally.

There are a lot of straw hats being sold online and many of them are sold at real competitive prices too.

Photo Via Target.com

This Mossimo Supply Co. Cowboy Hat With V Design – Carmel is sold at Target for only $12.99. This is rather affordable and will definitely look great on you too.

Photo Via Target.com

Another wonderful straw cowboy hat sold at Target is Mossimo’s Cowboy Hat –Natural. This is also sold at the same price as the V Design Carmel one.

Photo Via Target.com

You should also take a look at Mossimo’s Seagrass Cowboy Hat With Cord Trim –Tan and see if it fits your style. This cowboy hat can be worn by both men and women. It looks quite versatile too, you can pair it with jeans or for the ladies, a cute dress. This hat can also be found at any Target outlet or at the company’s official website. It is sold for $12.99.

Photo Via Target.com

Do you want something beaded? You can get Mossimo Supply Co.’s Beaded Trim Cowboy hat –Natural. This is currently out of stock though but you can call other stores that carry western wear items and ask if they have this particular straw cowboy hat.

Photo Via Target.com

If you want something black, this cowboy hat from Mossimo should work well for you. This is a straw hat too. It is unfortunate however that this is out of stock at Target right now but you can always call other shops if they carry a straw cowboy hat like this one.

Straw cowboy hats are a wonderful addition not only to your wardrobe but to your cowboy hat collection as well.