Cowboy Boots for Christmas
Christmas is always a good excuse for a new pair of cowboy boots. I’m Susan Allen stay tuned for more on boot trends after the break. When it comes to picking out a good pair of cowboy boots I’m all about comfort and durability but I have to admit even with a working boot I often succumb to style. With the current emphasis on “retro” styling meaning pointy or square toes and tooled leather uppers with a 1940’s /50’s vintage feeling, it’s a good time to reflect on how the cowboy boot came into existence. It all started in 1875 when a Colorado wrangler stopped at the Charles Hyler Shoe Shop in Kansas and ordered boots more suitable for ranch work than his civil war cavalry issues that were tall, stiff and hard to walk in. Hours in the saddle had given this seasoned cowboy more than enough creative time to design what he believed would be the perfect pair of riding boots, they would have scalloped tops for easy pull on, slanted heels to hold a spur and a pointed toe to slip into the stirrup. Voila today’s cowboy boot was born. With the exception of fat babies most western boots still resemble the first cowboy boot designed over a hundred years ago in the mid-west only the fancy stitching we pay big bucks for is now merely for looks, back then it was to keep layers of leather from shifting. What I treasure about our western heritage is that great design is timeless, like the saddle, bridles, silver bits and spurs the cowboy is evidence that good design stands the test of time. I’m Susan Allen