Allow me to apologize right here at the git-go for the pun.  It was just too hard to resist.   If you’re familiar with Cinch jeans and Western wear, you probably saw it coming anyway. Cinch has been making top of the line jeans and shirts for men since 1996.  And they’ve managed to attract some of the top cowboys in rodeo and equine sports in the process.  Guys like Todd Sommers from Whitesboro, Texas, whose won all kinds of awards and quite a bit of cash from the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) for riding, training, and showing horses.   Todd favors Green Label jeans from Cinch.  They’ve got a great classic rodeo fit with a fitted waist and hip, relaxed thigh and slightly tapered bottom to slide over cowboy boots.

There are some bona fide extremes in Western wear.  And let’s face it, they’re really, really fun.  Anyone who’s ever seen an authentic “Nudie” suit knows how excessive and playful Western wear can get. The folks at Lucchese have a brand they’re peddling called “Charlie One Horse” and it appears to be a place where they can have some fun and go to a few extremes at the same time.  Case in point:  the black calf Western Fashion Cowgirl boots.  The emphasis here is on the “fashion.”  The top looks like a classic cowgirl boot with tooled leather and side pulls, and the front of the boot (I’m using the term “boot” here rather loosely) resembles a boot with a radically pointed toe. The extreme part, though, are the heels.  They’re stiletto.   Talk about making a statement. 

Someone once said there were only five truly unique cities in the United States:  San Francisco, New York, New Orleans, Santa Fe, and San Antonio.   In an age when lots of cities are looking pretty darn similar, there may be more truth to that now than there was when ol' "someone" first said it.   Each of those cities evokes an unmistakable feeling, like a personality, anytime you read or hear the name.  In the same way, there are certain styles of boots that convey a unique personality or style,.  And you know a pair when you see them.  Ropers are that way.  Ropers are the antithesis of the fancy cowboy boot.  They take the low heel when the others take the high.  They have the rounded toe rather than the pointed or squared.   Leave the flashy tooled designs, crazy colors and exotic skins to the other guys.  Your Ropers will always be there, keeping your feet solidly on the ground. You can always pick up a pair of new ropers at Boot City - be sure to check our boot reviews first.

You could make the argument that Stetson is the most widely recognized Western brand in the world. You might get some takers who would lobby for other brands – maybe jeans or boots – but if you were Stetson’s corner you’d be likely to win a wager. 

Not many other brands can say they were started as long ago as 1865.  For it was back then that a fella named – you guessed it – John B. Stetson set up shop with a $100 grubstake and set out to create the hats that would one day define the West.    While he was at it, he redefined what it was to be a hat-maker, as the profession was ill-thought of until Stetson made his brand a symbol of quality.  Today, Stetson has achieved the position that most brands dream of – the word itself describes the product.   Notice that nobody ever asks, “a Stetson what?”  - If they did you could just point them to our friends at westernhats.com to find a Stetson hat.

Danny Brooks is a Canadian-born musician who got bit by the blues bug early on.  Schooled by some of the blues masters as a teen, Danny now has the voice of an old-time blues player and a soul to match.  He plays all over Canada and the US and you can even hear him on the blues station on XM radio.  

Danny wears boots almost exclusively.    I asked him about the boots he likes best and he responded with this story, as a true bluesman would:

 “I was playing a gig in St. Catherine’s Ontario, midway between Burlington Ontario & Buffalo, at the Odyssey Bar & Grill.  I used to stop at this little strip mall that had a large Value Village Store that features second hand stuff.  I bought quite a few books by my favorite authors.  One day I checked out the shoes & boots section of the store and there they were, all polished up with no place to go -- a beautiful pair of brown Boulet cowboy boots that had an intricate stitched and tooled design.  They were like new and they fit me perfectly.  I bought them for $6.00.  I have resoled them twice at $40.00 a pop and considering that they were at least worth 300.00, and that was six years ago, that's still quite a deal.  They are one of my favorite pair of boots and I wear them on stage, along with another deal I got, same store, same price, only these were a pair of black cop or cadet high back boots that are great for pounding the stage with.  My friend Will Callery gave me a pair of brown snakeskin boots that I only wear on real special gigs as I want them to last forever.” 

Danny’s a lucky guy.  Not only is he one of the few folks I know that have been truly happy with a pair of used boots, he’s also lucky – or blessed – to have a friend give him a nice new snakeskin pair!

It may be that every little girl wants to be a cowgirl.  I know I sure did.  And I wasn't the only one.  Maybe it’s because I grew up in Texas, or maybe it was all the old Western movies I liked to watch on TV.   But it was my deepest ambition at the age of 5 or 6 to one day become a real true cowgirl.  And one thing was for certain:  boots would be required.   (Getting a pony was also on my radar.) So I started urging my parents, in the way that only a 5 or 6 year old child can, to buy boots for me.  They were reluctant to do so, a point which I found utterly mysterious.  Looking back, it was probably because my brother and I were growing so fast that it made little sense to buy any kind of footwear that would last more than about 3 months.   Still, it came to pass that I did finally come to be the proud owner of a pair of beautiful turquoise boots.   I remember going to the store and choosing them – color was the determining factor – and wearing them home.   From that day on, they left my feet only to allow me to bathe, swim or sleep for the rest of that summer.  review your boots - In those days, it was uncommon to see someone wearing cowboy boots with shorts or a bathing suit, but I didn't care.  Given what I see folks wearing nowadays, you might say I was ahead of my time.

 Some folks swear by vintage boots.  They like the look of authentic vintage Western style, and must think there's something special about having boots with some real history to them.   I’m not sure I agree.  For one thing, you’re buying boots that are already broken in, but they’re broken in by someone else’s feet.   The chances that your feet and body weight are going to go in exactly the same places as someone else’s did seems rather slim. 

One of the worst pair of boots I’ve ever suffered through was a pair of vintage boots I bought on a whim.  They looked cool and seemed to fit.  Problem was, after wearing them for more than about an hour, they started rubbing parts of my heels and instep that I never knew existed.   Needless to say, they were back in vintage circulation before too long. If are really looking for the vintage look, some of the biggest cowboy boot makers have some retro offerings that look vintage, but you can break them in on your very unique feet.

The Austin City Limits Music Festival occurred last weekend, with attendance at about 50,000 or so.  The festival covers a large area, so music-lovers can easily trek several miles a day going back and forth between the many stages, getting food and refreshments, shopping and so on.  It’s generally hot and almost always dusty by late afternoon. For most, the footwear of choice was sandals or athletic shoes.  But a few sharp cowgirls were wearing boots with dresses and shorts.  If you have boots that truly fit like a glove, this can be an excellent choice for a long day of walking.  Your feet are more comfortable than they would be in ill-fitting sandals, and they're not dust-caked at the end of the day.

First off, let’s talk pronunciation.  It’s not “Loo-chess.”  It’s “Loo – Kay – See.”   Be sure to say it right or you’ll immediately brand yourself as a poser instead of a real cowboy or cowgirl. Lucchese’s been making cowboy and western boots since Sam Lucchese’s grandfather started the company in 1883.  That’s a long time to be making boots.  What they don’t know about boots and feet probably doesn’t need to be known. 

The original Sam Lucchese settled in San Antonio at the tender age of 17 back in 1880. Three years later, he’d started his boot company.  But it was his grandson, Sam Lucchese, Jr. who really stepped up the boot design and crafted the company’s stellar reputation for fit, comfort and quality.  If you want one of the best pair of boots money can buy, you are looking for a pair of Lucchese Boots. Our Friends at Boot City carry a full line of Lucchese, and we also reviews of Lucchese Boots here at cowboy boot review.

T Gozney Thornton is a country/western and Tejano musician and a die-hard, bleedin’ orange University of Texas Longhorns fan.  It would be tought say which is more important to him.He has a pair of boots that were custom-made by Danny Ramoz of San Angelo.  They’re alligator, with roses, Texas Longhorns in the front and prickly pear cactus on the tops.  T had them made just before Texas won the 2005 Championship and wore them out to California to the Rose Bowl.  (He’s a man of great faith, that T).  He stomped around in them to tail gate parties all over LA, with his pants tucked in to show them off.    T says he never had so much fun being an obnoxious Texan in his life.When he’s in a less obnoxious frame of mind, and inclined not spend less than four figures for a pair of boots, T’s choice of footwear is Lucchese.