We recently took our niece shopping, we spent a ton on new clothes for her and we looked for shoes everywhere. There were lots of shoes she liked, but none she wanted. (she is going to have to baby sit to pay us back for the clothes, so she was spending her own future earnings) After spending hours at the mall we decided to spend a little time online. The first website we visited was bootcity.com and that is where she fell in love with her first pair of cowboy boots (cowgirl boots) - Since she loves to ride, and every picture in her bedroom is that of a horse, I should have saved myself some time and sent her to bootcity.com first. (next time)

The boots she fell in love with are from Ariat, they are relatively inexpensive. Ariat calls the boots The Kids Heritage Western Boot in Pink with a  Bone Top - The tooling on the boots looks like flowers and the heel is just right for my favorite little equestrian. Check the boots out below, and if you have a little cowgirl at home, I am sure she will love these boots.

 

See the best boots for kids

I typically buy all of my boots from my friends over at Boot City - but I have recently found a pair of boots that I love and Boot City does not carry them. So despite my loyalty to the good people at Boot City, I think I am going to have to buy these fantastic boots from Timsboots.com - When you see the cowboy boots in the image below you will understand what I am talking about. These boots are alligator with a Texas Lone Store front and center. Tell me what you think of these boots, should I spend $1,600 of my hard earned money on these?

One thing in life is true, not matter what kind of work a man does, occasionally he will find himself in need of a good work boot. Even the poor sap stuck behind a desk all day, typing on his computer about the need for work boots may find himself in need of said work boot. Well before you run out to the local Walmart and pick up a pair of boots you will have to throw away after a couple of rough days on the range, you should look at our reviews of work boots. Find out what other men and women think of the boots they have already tested. We have reviews of western work boots as well as steel toe boots and just about any other kind of boot you can put your foot into.

At the cowboy boot review, we love music from George Strait, and we just learned that Justin Boots is a big fan as well. Justin has launched a line of boots with the George Strait stamp of approval 

They teamed up with George to bring you a collection of Men's Boots and Women's Boots designed for every aspect of the western lifestyle. A lifestyle that George Strait embraces and one that just wouldn’t be the same without Justin Boots.When George wanted a signature line of high quality, performance boots he teamed up with Justin Boots. This brand new, technologically advanced collection takes George Strait from ridin', ropin', and working the Ranch to going out on the town. Strait Up with George Strait! There are 6 categories within the George Strait Collection and there is something for everyone.
The Categories are

• Gruene Hall,
• Cotulla,
• Bandera,
• Lace-Rs,
• Cowboy, 
• and 3.1!

The Gruene Hall Boot Collection takes its name from the famous Gruene Hall it is Texas' oldest Dance Hall! Including George Strait ? Ace in the Hole, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Hal Ketchum, Bruce and Charlie Robison, and many more. Click below for a  partial list of folks who have played Gruene Hall. If you are looking for something new to kick up your heels in... look no farther than the George Strait Gruene Hall Collection.
The Cotulla Boot Collection was named after the South Texas Town that just a stone throw away from George's ranch. The name makes perfect sense! These boots are made for Ranch Work, these work boots have a performance rubber outsole with a functional spur ridge and fullgrain cowhide leather uppers and leather lining!History in a Pecan Shell The town was named for Joseph Cotulla, a Polish immigrant from Panna Maria  who gave land to the International-Great Northern Railroad in order to induce them to stop on his land. In 1882 the depot was built and Joseph sold lots in the new town he modestly named after himself. http://www.texasescapes.com/SouthTexasTowns/CotullaTexas/CotullaTexas.htm

The AFI recently published it's list of top 10 western movies of all time, with the film style so far removed from the public eye I thought I would take a couple of minutes to review the list and give my very biased input.

The list form the AFI of the best 10 western films is as follows: (does anyone still play cowboys and Indians?)

1. The Searchers
2. High Noon
3. Shane
4. Unforgiven
5. Red River
6. The Wild Bunch
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
8. McCabe and Mrs. Miller
9. Stagecoach
10. Cat Ballou

The list on the surface seems pretty good, but I am not sure how they could leave John Wayne's last movie The Shootist off of the list. OK, maybe that is just a sentimental favorite of mine, but if you are going to have a top 10 list you certainly need to consider Hondo, Shane and Winchester '73.

I guess when it comes to Western Movies everyone has their favorites, but I was a little dismayed to see a couple of list that had Dances With Wolves on it. I would like to re-write that script and have John Wayne ride in and kick the sh*t out of the whole damn cast.

 

Do you need  new truck, no need to get a loan, just run into your local boot dealer and try on a pair of Tony Lama Boots.
that is right, no need to buy anything, just go in a try on a new pair of the Tony Lama. You can see the official rules here.

 

I want to tell everyone about a sale on a couple of Ariat boots that will be starting soon. These boots are going to reduced by $23 this week

 

It is going to be the best deal online on these boots from Ariat. - The boot line is called Mohave Roper - the boot has all of the cool ariat technology and going to be on sale at bootcity.com for $126.99 -

A pull-on crepe roper with comfort and laid-back attitude -

 

Our friends at bootcity.com are having a sale today, it was intended to be for current customers only but I have permission to tell you about it. If you go to bootcity.com and pick out your favorite pair of boots you can get 10% off. The coupon is good for anything, hats, jeans, belts or anything else you might be interested in. Use coupon cod 10ff when you checkout, and happy shopping.

• That is 10% off Men's Boots
• 10% ladies boots
• 10% off Kids Boots
• and 10% of western wear

 

Nocona boot company has a fascinating back story. I am a big fan of strong women,  we have a great example of a strong western woman in Sarah Palin, the 2008 VP running mate of John McCain for President. The west has a history of producing strong, independent and successful women. Once such lady started the Nocona boot company.

In 1925 Miss Endid Justin started the Nocona Boot Company with a simple yet lofty goal,  carry on her father's tradition of making quality western boots in the town he loved. 

Ended Justin was part of the rich tradition of the Justin Boot Company. She dropped of school in 8th grade and began to learn the trade from H.J. "Daddy Joe" Justin.

"Daddy Joe" was not just another boot maker, he took his handcraft very seriously and he was a perfectionist with every aspect of his trade and business. In Daddy Joe's day the salesman didn't travel, the customer did. So Daddy Joe Justin would wait for the cattle drive to come through town, he would measure the cowboy's for boots on their way through, and they would pick the boots up on the return trip. 
In 1887, things were changing and the railroad came through Nocona, Texas, just south of the town of Spanish Fort. With expansion in mind Joe Justin moved his boot factory to be close to the train and improve his shipping facilities.

Eddid Justin worked with her father for the 12 years learning the fine points of making hand crafted boots, and building a passion for the craft and honing her business skills. These 12 years would pay off when After "Daddy Joe" died in 1918, other members of the family moved the business to Fort Worth, TX in 1925. Justin Boots is still there today.

Miss Enid felt so strongly that Daddy Joe Justin  wanted his boot company in Nocona that she stayed behind got a loan and started Nocona Boot Company. It wasn't easy, but when you learn from the best your confidence can get you through some tough times. During those first years, Miss Enid had to turn her home into a boarding house, she took a job as a sales clerk, shipping clerk, stenographer and credit manager to make ends meet. In the beginning some men didn't like the idea of buying boots from a lady boot maker,  but when the quality is there and the price is right people get over their biases, it is the beauty of the old west and capitalism. Nocona boots began to make a name for itself.

The discovery of oil near Nocona brought a slew of new customer's to Miss Enid's young company. Nocona made a 16 inch "lace-up" boot that the wildcatters loved. The boot was tough enough to stand-up to the oil fields and the workers kept coming back for more.

Endid Justin did a lot of smart things with her business, her catalog included a measuring kit, so folks who got the catalog could measure their own feet. One her best marketing stunts was to sponsor a Pony Express race from Nocona to San Francisco. Fourteen cowboys and one cowgirl took off at 9 AM on March 1,1939, from Nocona, Texas and the first rider reached San Francisco at 2 PM on March 24th. This 'race' gave Nacona more national exposure and helped fuel future growth.

In 1981, the Nocona Boot Company merged with Justin Industries, parent company of the Justin Boot Company, bringing the boot making histories of the two family companies full circle.

Miss Enid Justin retired as president and chief executive officer in September, 1982 at the age of 88. She continued to serve as honorary chairman of the board and consultant until her death in October, 1990.

Miss Ended Justin, we salute you and your Nocona boots.  Here is what our customers have to say about their Nocona boots

There is a lot of debate out there about who makes the best boot, I don't want to enter into that debate, I just want to give you a little information about the company called Justin Boots. -

This is from the history of Justin Boot

The Justin Boots story began in 1879, when H.J. Justin left Lafayette, Indiana to start a new life in Spanish Fort, Texas. Initially a boot repairman, H.J. soon began his own boot company working out of his home making sturdy boots. Read the history on Justin

When a railroad was built in Nocona, Texas in 1889, H.J. moved his family and business there to capitalize on the bigger market opportunity.

In 1908, John and Earl came to work for their father, and the company was renamed H.J. Justin and Sons. The company expanded very quickly and by 1910 you could buy a pair of Justin boots in 26 states, as well as in Canada, Mexico, and Cuba. The best part was you could pick up a pair of this fantastic boots for only $11 a pair, now that is a bargain.

John, Earl and Avis Justin took over the Justin Boots after their father's death in 1918. In 1925, the brothers moved the the Justin Boots headquarters to Fort Worth, TX just west of Dallas..

In 1948, John Justin, Jr. purchased controlling interest in the company. It wasn't long before H.J. Justin & Sons was growing again. In 1968, the company made a deal with Acme Brick, another Fort Worth, TX company with strong  pioneering roots, to form Justin Industries. In 1981, looking to expand the boot Enterprise, John Jr. purchased Nocona Boot Company from his aunt, Enid Justin.  Three years later, Chippewa Shoe Company was added to the Justin family of brands and the growth of the Justin Brand continued. In 1990 Justin Industries made a monumental move and  purchased Tony Lama Boots, now 3 of the strongest boot brands were under one roof.

In August of 2000, Justin Boots was purchased by Berkshire Hathaway, managed by Warren Buffet. With strong financial backing, a lasting tradition of quality, and a talented management team, Justin Boots today is stronger than ever.

You can buy Justin Boots and most online retails, justin does not sell thier boots direct to the consumer, yet.... if you are interesed in reading what other boot buyers are saying about Justin Boots, you read the 50+ Justin Boot Reviews

Justin claims that it takes 100 steps to make each pair of boots, they also say that 16 square feet of leather go into every pair of boots. That is a lot of work and a lot of hide, making Justin Boots a good value, even if they are not still selling for $11 a pair.