For those who really love western wear, having a closet full of cowboy boots is pretty much a dream come true. Of course, western wear aficionados can tell you that there is nothing more wonderful than the feeling of a well broken-in pair of cowboy boots so you've got to actually wear all those boots in your closet if you have any hope of fitting in! All jokes aside, whether you're living out west and wearing boots because they are part of the functional outfit you wear to perform your daily duties, or you a city slicker who just happens to appreciate western wear styles, a pair of quality cowboy boots is something that you want to look for and include in your wardrobe.
Today, there are a number of big name bootmakers whose products are reliable and always of high quality. You can can find their boots in most western wear stores, large shoe stores, at western events and online. However, there are a number of smaller operations that are also producing some of the finest western footwear available, and you might not be able to recognize them by name. If you are interested in being able to tell a quality boot when you see one, then listen up.
Finding a high quality boot is something that you can do based very much on visual inspection. Now, you can't actually see the shank of the boot, so you'll have to actually ask what the shank is made of and how it is held into place. The right answer to that question, by the way, is a steel shank held in place by wooden pegs. When you look at a boot to see how it is made, start by turning it over and looking at the bottom. The heel should be made of stacked leather, and the back of the heel also. Fake laminate is not an appropriate substitution. The heel should be well dressed, meaning that it should be very smooth, as should the toe of the shoe.
Turning the boot over, look at the toe. It should be smooth with no lumps, and well rounded or come to a smooth and even point. The leather of the boot should be free of any scratches or marred areas. The stitching should be small and even with no loose threads anywhere. All inlays should be smooth and glued firmly in place. The boots ought to stand on their own and look to be the same size. Once you know all these things to be the case, then you can start playing with colors, types of leather and fancy inlays!
Written by Penelope Holiday. Brand name
cowboy boots and
western wear at The Boot Store online store for
western apparel. Ariat boots, Justin boots more at western-wear-store.com
