History

• In the beginning cowboys wore any style boot they could find. After large-scale cattle drives from Texas to Kansas began in the 1860s, cowboys saw what they might need in a boot. Inspiration came from the Mexican vaqueros and charros, ranch hands and owners in the south, who wore detailed leather boots and clothing. At the end of the trail in Kansas shoe makers started to create styles specifically for cowboys. They were stiff, tightly fitted and made for riding. Large mule-ear bootstraps were added to the rounded tops for pulling them on.
  
  

Tradition

• Texas was busy making custom boots around the same time, starting with "Big Daddy" Joe Justin at Spanish Fort, Texas. He began the tradition for Anglo style boots and became very successful, so that the company name Justin became a synonym for boots. As cowboys began earning more money, they saved up for a custom-made pair of boots, although in the 1880s, ready-made boots were available by mail order. In bad times a cowboy might have to wear second-hand boots, but that was a humiliation and often caused blisters.
  
  

Styles

• A shorter heel made it possible to run in cowboy boots during rodeo events.rodeo image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com
  
  Most cowboy boot styles have rounded tops with stitched decorations, such as the cattlemen style and the shorter "roper" design. The rounded tops also had mule ears, the pieces of leather attached to help get the boots on. Straight or square-top boots were called stovepipes, or drovers in a shorter version. The design was influenced by the Civil War military boots and the English riding style boot, both of which were close-fitting and made of soft leather. Some had bootstraps on the outside because the extra leather piece would not fit inside.
  
  

Variations

• The tall boot styles fit tightly and are difficult to walk in. The tall leather upper section on the boots protects the rider from thorns and heavy brush and also makes sure the feet don't slip out. Shorter boots were easier to run in, and were necessary for tying off calves after roping them. Tying off became a popular rodeo event, so demand was created for shorter boots.
  
  

Benefits

• All cowboy boots have a stacked heel, ensuring that the rider's feet stay firmly in the stirrups. Slipping out at the wrong time could be fatal. The boots are smooth underneath and the toe shape is smaller in the front to give the cowboy greater control when mounting and dismounting the horse. Square toes allow the foot more space, but the narrow pointed shape lets the foot into the stirrup more quickly. The rounded top helps the cowboy put on the heavy leather boots, while the square top fits closely all the way up, protecting the legs.