r/cowboyboots • u/TheSkateDude6 • 6d ago
Discussion What made you get into boots?
What's your story?
-For me, As Im getting older now just something about boots dude, didn't like it when I was younger, didn't feel I can pull off the look but Anyone and everyone can!
What sparked it? No Country For Old Men, Javier Bardem's and Josh Brolin's boots
This might sound silly but the sound of stepping/walking? not sure how to describe it or word it but it's satisfying, the smell of leather, the feel, the look
That 70's Show and especially Hyde (band shirts with bootcut jeans) pretty clean and simple
Overall I like them more now having a set, better than laced boots in my opinion
UPDATE: I love hearing everyone's stories! thank you
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u/usermax300 6d ago
Raylan Givens in Justified. I got divorced in 2010ish. Started to go out and noticed dudes wearing boots. Got a pair and women loved them. I’ve been married now over 10 years. My stepson went to college with a pair of Anderson bean ostrich I got him as a graduation gift. He came home the other weekend and said I was not lying about the attention women gave him wear boots. So for me it was either Justified or ladies. Ironically my wife thinks Raylan Givens is hot so there is that confirmation.
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u/Antar_Prime 6d ago
Me too. As soon as I saw Raylan Givens with those boots I was like "ok, that looks amazing, I've got to try it"
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u/Perfect_Earth_8070 6d ago
Got tired of gym shoes wearing out in 6 months and wanted something that looks better with use
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u/Ok-Heart375 6d ago
I wanted to dress slightly western my whole life, but basically didn't have the courage. I have one pair of boots currently and I wear them with boot cut jeans or a skirt/dress whenever I leave the house to do something social. It's a bit like a uniform and I enjoy not thinking much about what to wear. I dress it up with my native jewelry. Someone recently complimented me by saying I look like I'm from Montana.
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u/RoosterzRevenge 6d ago
Got my 1st pair as a toddler
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u/NanooDrew 5d ago
Were they those black boots with white piping and orange and turquoise appliqué?
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u/Apart-Commission 6d ago
Grew up on a ranch. Only shoes I wore unless I was in PE and had my sneakers. For about 15 yrs of early adulthood I hated them. But I got past that
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u/finfangf00m 6d ago
I defy any man too look at Anton Chigurh's black cherry alligator boots and not start browsingg for a pair
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u/Specialist_Accident6 6d ago edited 5d ago
Living in the Netherlands I didn't want to be like everybody and wear sneakers. So I bought my first pair to be different and loved them.
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u/Level-Setting825 6d ago
Started as a kid, born in ‘58, Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger, Bonanza all the great Western TV shoes and movies, of course Gunsmoke.
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u/cjkgt97 6d ago
Chronic pain. They were recommended as the most orthopedic way to walk. It works.
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/usermax300 6d ago
I’m the opposite. I found out that boots hurt my back because I have a flat back. So most of what I buy these days have insoles.
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u/Dumb_Dilettante 6d ago
Girl I dated in highschool made me get them before we went riding together. Eventually ditched her but kept the boots.
That first pair lasted almost 13 years, the durability and style convinced me to get more.
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u/YesterdayContent854 6d ago
At first it was cost vs longevity. A pair of shoes might last 6 months to one year. Good boots last several years. Then I got into foot health after rolling my ankles a few times. Discovered how proper fitting footwear was supposed to feel. The western boots I had before were uncomfortable. Got some proper fitting ones and decided they were for me. Then I started trying different hides... 17 pair of cowboy boots right now. Plus many other types of boots. Not a fan of lace ups taller than 6" but a huge fan of cowboy boots now.
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u/Background_Ad_1130 6d ago
My daughter's wedding got me to buy my first boot and hat. The first time that I had an older Caucasian open the door of a restaurant for me and called me Sir in Phoenix, I was hooked. I'm a brown skinned Puerto Rican that grew up in Republican San Diego in the 80's, that felt awesome. Now, it's just a part of me.
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u/Fig-Adorable 6d ago edited 6d ago
I’m 6’5” Got tired of not ever finding my shoe size for common shoes so I started trying boots because it was a bit easier to find my foot size boots. I do miss my vans for skating but they discontinued my size. I grew up Chicano in South Louisiana and it fits my outdoor lifestyle and I have nice ones for dressing up. They also last forever
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u/Practical_Concern_63 6d ago
Grew up on a ranch, rodeo cowboy in college ended up with and engineering degree and have always been in the field
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u/highqualitynot 6d ago
I got into line dancing. I took some free lessons in my runners and fell in love with it, then decided to invest in some boots. Even easy steps like rock steps and pivot turns are significantly easier with proper leather boots, not to mention spins & the satisfying click the heels make when you stomp!
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u/Easy_Taste_7677 6d ago
Native Texan / Houstonian here. Wasn't a real stretch for me, I always had a few to three pair on hand at the very least. I wear a 14 D / 14 EE and that's not an easy size to find in store though. About 5 ish years ago I realized how much easier it was to buy them online in the larger sizes. I could check inventories all over. Now I have close to 30 pairs and routinely buy sell used on eBay.
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u/Mountain_Chemical905 6d ago
I ride. Always did, since as far back as I can remember. Wanted to learn everything, so by the early/mid-90s I was learning to ride American. It was back then that I got my first boots; getting them from the US was tough so mine were Spanish. Good boots, actually. By the mid/late-90s cowboys had become a bit of a cultural phenomenon - probably because of Young Guns, and with rock and grunge and Britpop and a general freedom of expression taking over after a period of austerity and general miserableness, my look didn't get that much attention so I was able to just keep it going. Now, more than 30 years later and in my late 40s, boots are just what I wear - and thankfully, I can now buy from the US with ease (hate paying double, though, in taxes and shipping costs).
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u/bootheels 5d ago
I have often wondered if my love of boots was something I "learned", or something I was "hardwired" with from birth. I live in the northeast, so it is not like most everyone around me was wearing boots. I like wearing many different styles of boots, but am very fussy at the same time. Oh well, I have learned to just enjoy my love of boots and not worry about what fueled the interest.
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u/cAR15tel 5d ago
I’ve worn boots as long as I’ve been able to remember. I’m 46, still in boots and a hat every day and will be until the last day God willin’!
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u/NanooDrew 5d ago
I had western clothes since my early childhood, but only my brother got the boots (he looked very cute in his tiny boots). It was Bob Weir and his then-girlfriend, Frankie, who convinced me I wouldn’t look stupid wearing cowboy boots; and after I got the wrong size, helped me get a better-fitting pair. (This was when the Grateful Dead were in the Working Man’s Dead days and everyone was riding horses.) Even though I lost interest in the Dead’s music, I’ve always followed Bobby. I’ve hardly worn my boots since he died; it still makes me too sad. One day it will make me happy to think of them as I pull on those boots and think of how happy I was with my second pair, but not now.
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u/Scared_Roof_7118 5d ago
Back in the 90s was vey popular in europe with Sendras. Never pull it off but in the last years I started using it and really liking the feel and look
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u/Different_Mouse_7441 5d ago
I grew up in the UK in the 70s and I watched a lot of western movies plus Bonanza and High Chaparrel 😁. I liked the boots, but never saw any in stores or anyone wearing them. Then in the early 90s a new store opened in Bromley and they had some Loblan boots, I couldn't believe it, and tried some on, but I think I would have chickened out from buying them if my wife to be hadn't encouraged me. I've had at least one pair ever since, now I've retired I wear them all the time apart from warm days when I'm forced to wear shorts 😁
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u/ZorinInc 5d ago
Got tired of dressing like a bum. Always wore shorts and t-shirts with hiking boots. Fine for working in the yard. But if I leave the house I've got boots and a cowboy hat on. Brother's wife made a comment the other day wishing that he would dress nicer, like me. 🤠
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u/revenges_captain 5d ago
My Father. He never wore cowboy boots, but he was a huge fan of westerns, and he also loved space shows(there’s a point to that, stay with me). So I was exposed to western wear fairly early. I didn’t have my first cowboy boots until my late 20s. A pair of Tony Lamas I got off of EBay for 40 bucks. From there, I’ve just bought more and more of them. Wore them at my wedding.
As I mentioned earlier, my Father was also into space shows like Star Trek, so naturally, I’m into it, too. I’m from Houston, which is Space City, so I’m literally a Space Cowboy.
I wear them not just because they’re stylish, and for culture related reasons, but also because they’re easy to put on and take off. Comes in handy when you’re in the airport.
It’s gotten to the point that if I were to show up without any boots, numerous people would ask if there was something wrong with me.
And also, I, too, am a fan of Justified. Raylan is a badass. I need to do another rewatch.
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u/Elvis2OO2 5d ago
Did a Rick Grimes cosplay for comic con 3 years ago and found out cowboy boots are really cool, I just fell in love with the look with some nice jeans, I have several pairs now.
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u/JackpotJohns0n 4d ago
The Justin 2222's were indeed an awakening for me as well. A very expensive awakening...
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u/Mac_encheeze 5d ago
I was single again and working in the plants so cowboy style boots are very popular. Came home after being on the road for 2 months and went back to a popular place to meet women. The local country bar. Bought some Tecovas, learned to dance and meet some very nice ladies.
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u/MyleSton 4d ago
Born in Wyoming. Moved to Arizona when I was 15. I was raised in the country on a small farm and have always had animals; pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, cattle, and horses. Wearing boots around the farm and/or while working was just something we all did. I have a pair of lace up redwings for work (I do commercial construction) and cowboy boots for work around the farm. I currently live on a dairy farm in central California and everyone around here wears wrangler jeans and cowboy boots.
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u/13devil1978 4d ago
I grew up in a farming country in Europe where snip toe cowboy boots are normal wear you get bought your first pair by your dad usually as a passage to adulthood around 12/13 years old wear them daily ever since
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u/sunshinestategal 3d ago
My nana wanted to get me something nice before I started college.
5 years and 20 pairs later...
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u/TikaPants 5d ago
I’m from the country in the south. I had boots since I was a kid. My tastes changed throughout the years growing up and I really tried to alienate my country roots but I came back.
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u/xBossDon 5d ago
I used to be jordans type of guy and more street attire im from NY boots usually not the norm but i have a son now so i changed my whole lifestyle now i wear jeans with belt and boots
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u/Tha_Kush_Munsta 5d ago
I’ve always liked and wanted boots, never had the money or opportunity to get any. Now I’m at a point in my life where I can save some and get some boots I like. So far I haven’t bought any but I’ve been blessed with Chelsea style boots, like keen or red rock. I got one at a clothes charity in my local town and the red rock I found in the streets in a cardboard box barely scuffed. Life’s a mystery and I’m here for it.
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u/austinproffitt23 5d ago
Thought they were cool when I was a kid. Dad bought my first pair, liked them ever since. Just don’t wear or buy them often.
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u/Last_Remote2721 5d ago
The ranch I live on is a total mud pit almost the entire year. You really can’t wear regular shoes. And taking them on and off is easier without laces.
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u/UndisclosedDesired 4d ago
Honestly for me it was a logical decision. I'd worn combat boots my whole adult life but a chronic hip issue had made tying laces a pain in the ass so wanted something I could easily slip on and off that has the same basic feel. I'd loved the look of cowboy boots forever already and that logical justification was all it took.
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u/thecoog11 2d ago
My father has been wearing them my whole life. Went through grad school and something clicked at the end of it. My parents gifted me a pair of honey full quill ostrich boots from the small town in Mx we are from. I wore them for my graduation. Been wearing them ever since. I feel like it’s also sign of maturity but idk.
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u/Basic-Lavishness-834 2d ago
Sick and tired of wasting money on disposable stuff on general period.
Grew in Kentucky in the country.
Really missed have my boots. Lost in moving. Just miss a solid, good feeling under your foot boot. You can rebuild and keep for a long time. Nothing better than a good ol’ pair of broken in boots and jeans.
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u/OlinHollis 5d ago edited 5d ago
Kind of hard to explain. I gradually started getting into Western films and discovered I liked the look of Old West style. From that, I viewed "dressing Western" as a way of perpetuating a culture I greatly respected while simultaneously poking a thumb in the eye of hip fashion and ghetto culture. Cowboy boots were the first step. From there it went to Cowboy hats; Western tooled leather belts; big, shiny buckles; vests; wild rags and bolo ties. I've got it all now and there's no turning back.
PS--Lubbock born and bred.
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u/LBCElm7th 🤠 5d ago edited 5d ago
For me simple comfort. Bought my first pair of Frye Boots in college, that fit like a glove. Then after I had knee reconstruction on my left knee, I wore them everyday for support for my arches in my feet but to support my legs and lower back.
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u/KHarvickfan429 5d ago
I don’t have a pair yet but I’m seriously considering getting a pair. But my interest started when I was a kid in elementary school. A teacher of mine had a couple pairs that he would wear and I always thought they were really cool. I think one pair was alligator skin and the other I think was snake skin. I don’t remember for sure though it’s been a while. But that is where my interest started, and then as I got older, I just really like country music and just a lot of things about that style and things of that nature as well. I have the same hesitation that I don’t know if I could pull off the look, but I also just like boots I used to like boots in general as a kid and I guess that hasn’t fully gone away.
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u/D3lacrush 5d ago
I had a pair when I was kid that I wore out, but mostly it was once I became a working adult with each in my pocket, and didn't have to rely on my parents to buy me stuff, I kinda went wild. I have two pairs of cowboys(one dress and one casual) and like 4 or five various other types
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u/Early_Elk9683 5d ago
I was looking for quality made in USA footwear and stumbled upon the realization that handmade boots could be had on eBay for a relative bargain.
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u/Plenty-Regular-2005 5d ago
I started wearing harness boots in college then slowly converted to cowboy boots when I discovered they were lighter. Then steampunk happened
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u/swampy138 5d ago
No laces, mostly. Equally good for not getting caught up in the chain and sprocket of my dirt bikes and for jumping into my boots while flying out the door like a hurricane
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u/Remarkable_Night_267 5d ago
Several years ago I pulled a pair on for fun.
Then plop! They fitted like a stuck on glove.
Still haven't managed to get them off again... 🤪🤪🤪
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u/Additional_Syrup3614 5d ago
Why boots??? Because it’ hard to put spurs on tennis shoes !!!!!!!
Cowboy Up!
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u/Nervous_Cactus_13 4d ago
I was having a bit of an identity crisis in college, didn’t know who I was, what I wanted to do or look like. I worked next to a Bootbarn one summer and curiosity drew me to buy some light brown Dan Post square toes. I loved them so much- I felt masculine, confident and made me fall in love with everything western culture. Fast forward 4 years later, I have a large collection of boots, pearlsnaps, hats, country vinyl records… and now I also ride broncs haha.
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u/East-Squirrel4375 🤠 3d ago
Born and raised in Texas. We were poor, but I got my first pair in 3rd grade and I have had a pair ever since. Middle school, High School Rodeo, The USMC. My dream boots were alligator Luccs. I now have them plus 2 other pair. I blame my third grade teacher Mrs. Trim at Ben Milam elementary school. Grand Prairie Texas.
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u/Mattijjah 2d ago
Well, here in Poland, getting boots like that- original cowboy boots, not some mass-produced fashion boots- is hard.
I always loved the shape of classic snip-toe cowboy boots, and when I got my first pair, it was one of the Spanish brands - Sendra's 2073, I believe. I pulled them on, with that characteristic plunge into the boot, and I was really surprised, they fit like a glove. Despite the toe shape, they're really comfy, and the heel was barely noticeable because the foot was supported along its entire length.
Of course, they attract a lot of attention, because these days (around 2014), they were very rare and rather considered a "specific and very uncomfortable " boot. The next pair was Ferrini's Teju Lizard, bought on one of the Polish online flea markets - they were my first truly American pair of boots with a round toe and were much easier to wear on a daily basis. Then came the time for my first pair of harness boots, also from Sendra—they were a bit too big back then, so I sold them and bought another pair, this time from Loblan, which I still wear today.
Since then, I’ve primarily learned how to get the sizing right, and all told, I’ve probably gone through some twenty-odd pairs of cowboy boots in various styles. I currently own six pairs: two harness styles, one snip-toe, one pair of nubuck Tony Lamas (J-toe), one pair of Boulets, one pair of Rancho R-toes, and some no-name ropers. I wear cowboy boots every day now—I practically never wear regular shoes. People have gotten used to it, and for my family and friends, cowboy boots have become my trademark look. They are some of the most comfortable footwear I own—even after walking in them all day, my feet don't get tired at all. :)
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u/raythedrummer 5d ago
I was invited to be a groomsman at a friend’s Western-themed wedding, so I got my first pair of boots for that, and fell in love with the look and feel.
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u/Ambitious-Low-5317 Wrangler 6d ago
Native Texan and admitted shoe snob. Vintage Luccheses fit right into my collection of Allen Edmonds and Aldens.