Bless my partner. I love him, I really do, but there are times — even after being together for over 19 years — that he doesn’t get it.
Yesterday morning, I had to drive him to get an x-ray. No big deal; the medical imaging center is a mile away. I chose to wear a nice pair of gray ostrich cowboy boots for that trip. But that was only my first pair of boots for the day…
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Any guy seriously into boots has been seeing ads and promos in various media about Legendary Boots. Man oh man, what great-looking, high-quality cowboy boots!
Okay, I admit, I had been drooling over images I had seen of their boots. The price, though, was beyond what I was willing to pay. The boots are great quality, hand-made to custom sizing and all that, but even considering all those outstanding aspects, my inner-self kept saying, “really, you want a pair of boots that cost even more than custom Wescos?”
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
My partner understands… really understands me well. He heard me talk about these boots and I showed him some of the photos from their Facebook page from time to time.
Knowing that I’ve sacrificed a lot of my time and attention for him, working to get him well and past this horrible illness he has been dealing with… my wonderful, caring, thoughtful partner got me a gift.
They arrived the other day. These custom boots are 16 inches (40.6cm) tall, have a full quill black ostrich foot, and dark blue shafts with yellow stitching. Smooth leather soles with a 2.5 inch (6.35cm) cowboy heel complete them.
I haven’t taken them off. Well, I have … when I go to bed … or when I ride my Harley … but otherwise, these puppies have been worn and enjoyed, very much.
How lucky I am to be in love with my best friend, who knows my inner “boot soul” so well. More photos of these boots are here on my website.
Life is short: wear boots and be your own legend!
You think I make this stuff up, but here’s proof that even in the cowboy boot-wearing capital of the United States, there remains people who obsess about whether or not they can wear cowboy boots. In Texas of all places! Sheesh!
Answer: yes, of course you can. Any reservations are all in your head. If people say something about your wearing boots, just say, “thanks … I’m glad you like them.” That’s it. Simple.
I live on the U.S. East Coast. This location is not known as a place where men regularly wear cowboy boots. However, I have worn cowboy boots (and motorcycle boots) to work in a professional office setting for 30 years.
Has anyone said anything?
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Question entered into a search engine, and wound up on my website: “Can a gay man wear jeans and boots?”
Yes, it is both possible (as in “can”) and it is common for a gay man to wear what other guys wear. Lots of guys, gay and straight, wear jeans and boots in Louisiana, and elsewhere. I represent the “elsewhere”.
‘nuf said.
Life is short: wear jeans and boots!
I cannot help but to laugh sometimes at what people search for on the internet, and they get directed to this blog or my website. Here are some of the latest…
1. What cowboys are wearing this year
Response: clothes. Always a good choice. Boots too, but that goes without saying.
2. What did cowboy have on boots?
Response: well, if he were on a farm or ranch, then this would be one time where I could use a word on this blog that would not be considered to be profane (in that context.) The word? Shit.
Man, when I lived on a farm and worked the barn and pasture, it was quite common that a LOT of cow, horse, and other animal shit got on my boots.
No problem, though — a quick spray with a hose at the barn washed it off.
3. What’s the name for cowboy boots?
Response: ??? Um, perhaps “Fred” or “Trent” or “Spike” or ….
I dunno, I have never named my boots. So the name for cowboy boots is, um, “cowboy boots.” Now you know.
4. What’s the difference between a rubber sole and a leather sole in a boot?
Response: one is made of rubber (actually, nitrile, a type of rubber), and another is made of leather. Rubber soles give a bit better traction, particularly in wet environments on working farms. Leather soles are usually worn on dress boots. Now you know.
5. The right or proper way to wear cowboy (or western) boots.
Man, this comes up so many times in searches that land on the Wearing Cowboy Boots page on my website. Short story? The proper way to wear boots is to pull them on and let your pants legs fall over them to stack on the boot foot. Stand tall, smile, and walk with a confident stride. The boots will contribute to your appearance as a strong, confident man (or woman.) That’s it, pure and simple.
6. How to wear socks over boots
Response: I would not recommend wearing socks over boots. Instead, I recommend wearing socks over your feet, and then pull on the boots over your socks. Simple.
7. is boot cut pants for boots for jeans over boot (sic)
Response: I think what this person was asking is if jeans labeled “boot cut” are designed to wear over boots. The answer is — yes! Just as the label says, “sized to fit over your boots.”
Honestly, though, most regular guys wear straight-leg jeans with boots. The jeans are wide enough at the opening to fit over boots and (in my opinion) look even better than boot-cut jeans, because you can see more of the boot shaft under the leg of the jeans. That’s a hot look that many women (and some men) admire.
8. How to wear men’s cowboy boots and not look like a cowboy
Oh brother, someone from Houston, Texas, is worried about wearing boots and not looking like a cowboy? Really?
Well, if you want to wear cowboy boots and do not want to look like a cowboy, then wear other types of clothing, like khakis, dress slacks, or even a suit. Don’t wear a hat (ball cap or traditional cowboy hat.) Wear a dress shirt with a collar and a single pocket, instead of a twill or double-pocket shirt with a western yoke. And top off the “non-cowboy” look by wearing a necktie. Real cowboys don’t wear a noose (not if they can avoid it.) Real cowboys appear casual and comfortable in their boots.
One last piece of advice on how not to look like a cowboy — hunch over, droop your shoulders, look timid, tiptoe or shuffle your feet, and squint your eyes. Look stiff and rigid. Yeah, that way you definitely will not have any remote appearance of looking like a casually-dressed, comfortable, confident cowboy. You will look more like the office clone back here on the East Coast.
Someone sent me an email recently that said:
First, let me say I love your reviews and videos on the various boots. Keep up the good work! I wanted to get your opinion on Chippewa’s harness boots.
I was in a store today and almost bought a pair, but couldn’t decide between the black or the bison.
The quality seemed to be good, but I notice on the box that they are now a division of Justin boots. Do you think they are still a good choice, or would Wesco be better in the long run?
I understand his concern. Within the last decade, we have seen some major boot brands leave the United States and source bootmaking by whatever methods and companies can do it cheaper, while simultaneously increasing the profit margin for the label owner.
Here is what I said in my reply…
Thank you for the compliments on my website and videos. I appreciate your taking the time to write to me and share that, as well as ask a question.
Chippewa boots have been owned by a consolidated company called Justin Brands since 1984. Justin Brands also owns the companies that make boots with the labels of Tony Lama, Justin, Justin Original Work Boots, and Nocona.
Think of Justin Brands as the General Motors of the boot industry. One company with different brands under one umbrella. (What gets confusing is that Justin Brands is one company under a larger umbrella of Berkshire Hathaway, a huge conglomerate that owns many companies that make everything from candy to bricks, or offers products like insurance or newspapers.)
When we have to worry is when a bootmaker begins sourcing production in China, India, or Pakistan. That’s when lower quality materials and workmanship occur. We saw this happen, for example, with Frye boots. Once made in the U.S. with quality materials and standards, these boots are now made by whatever Chinese company gives the owner of the label (Li & Fung) the lowest bid, or best return on their investment.
So far, Justin Brands has kept production in the United States for most of their boots, and outsource only a few of the cowboy boots (Nocona, Tony Lama, Justin) to just over the border in Northern Mexico — which is okay, because boots made in Mexico are well-made of good materials.
You see a lot of Chippewa boots in my collection, and let me tell you, I’m rather finicky about quality. My Chippewa boots have held up well under rather stressful conditions of every-day wear and riding my Harley.
You said that you almost bought a pair — I’d say, go get them. The choice between black and bison is more personal, as whether you like black or brown, or the texture of smooth grain leather or a more “pebble” surface as found on bison. Either are a good choice.
Of course, I wouldn’t dissuade you from buying Wesco boots, either. Those are top-of-the-line in quality and construction, and are still made by a small family-owned company in Oregon. Trouble is, for a lot of guys, the cost of Wesco boots being more than double that of Chippewa boots tends to be a major issue. To me, Chippewa is to Chevrolet as Wesco is to Hummer. A Chevy will get you where you want to go in casual comfort, while a Hummer will get you where you want to go as if you were riding in a tank.
By the way, I noticed in 2010 that a small tag line on the boxes of Chippewa boots indicates the ownership by Justin Brands. I don’t think they said that on their boxes before that, even though Chippewa boots has been owned and operated by Justin Brands since 1984.
Thanks for asking, and enjoy your boots!
BHD
Life is short: know your boot brands.
Every now and then, I look at internet searches that bring visitors to my website. Here are some of the more recent and amusing searches. Some I can answer, some I cannot, and one — I haven’t a clue. Here goes:
1. Good boots to wear with cows.
I guess the best recommendation that I can make for boots to wear with cows are boots that are made of skins such as lizard, ostrich, kangaroo, or goat. I betcha that cows would object if you wore leather boots made of… you know… their brethren.
2. How to cut jeans to fut over booys
While I have enjoyed many visits to Australia (see origination of this search), and I know we share the same language — I still cannot figure out what “fut over booys” means. At all. (Perhaps this is a typing error since this was done on one of those i-gadgets).
3. What to say when someone asks why you are wearing cowboy boots.
Good question! Here are some suggestions —
a. I like how they look. Aren’t they cool? Let me lift my pants so you can see them better.
b. If you think these boots are cool, you should see my boyfriend’s boots! Wow!
c. I got them as a gift, and appreciate the thoughtfulness of (name of giver.)
d. These boots are more comfortable than your (dorky) dress shoes.
e. I’m tired of dressing like a clone.
f. My horse suggested the boots.
g. These boots fit and feel better than my horse’s shoes.
h. Why not?
4. Can you wear men’s motorcycle boots in summer?
Well, duh… summer is prime riding season. Bikers wear boots.
Answer, seriously: YES! You can (as yes, it is possible) to wear motorcycle boots in the summer. It is also preferable, as you “should.”
However, some guys have had a bad experience with boots feeling hot during the summer. Boots that do not fit well or were made of materials other than leather (such as “man-made uppers”) that do not breathe probably resulted in your feet and legs feeling fried, hot, and clammy.
Best way to resolve that situation is to invest in quality all-leather boots that fit you correctly. Please — size of your sneakers is probably way off from the true size of your foot and correct boot size. Go into a shoe store and get both feet measured. (Funny thing, but most motorcycle dealers that also carry boots seldom have a device that measures foot size for boots.) Once you know your “shoe size,” you can find a pair of boots that will fit.
Good quality, well-made boots, like Chippewa Firefighters or harness/engineer boots will not only feel good (and not be hot), they also will look good and protect you at the same time.
5. How should men wear cowboy boots?
Tah-dum: on their feet. ‘nuf said. (I still can’t believe how frequently this question is entered into a search engine.)
Life is short: wear boots on your feet … and have a nice day!
I received the following message via the hotboots website:
how many pairs of boots do u onw, i own about 7, i wonder if u can send me some pics of ur favs to my email?
How did I respond?
There were a variety of things that went through my head, but I remained courteous with this reply:
Hello, thank you for your message. All of my boots are shown on my website, as well as the answer to your question on how many pairs of boots I own.
Cheers,
BHD
What I really wanted to say is how annoyed I get with text-messaging communications. The word “you” is “you” not a single letter “u”. The noun “I” is always capitalized. The word “your” is “your” not “ur.”
And send pictures of my “favs” to his email? Heck, that’s what my website is for. If you want to see my boot collection, check out the cowboy boots or my motorcycle boots or my work boots. They are all there.
I don’t have time to send photos via email. Just visit the website. And while you are at it, learn how to write with full words in complete sentences. I know that I sound intolerant of text-speech, but that is who I am — an old codger who does not communicate by texting. Yep, I block texting and do not send text messages, so I do not favor the short-hand abbreviations that frequent texters use.
Imagine… if this dude were to communicate that way in a professional setting?
Which brings me to a lesson that a recent young job applicant learned. He had applied for a job with my company, and I participated in his interview. He showed up on time (good), was dressed casually but in clean clothes (well, okay), but he could not articulate a single sentence. That is, his method of communication was as abbreviated has he has trained himself to communicate via text.
What really frosted the interview team was that his smart phone chirped during the interview and he had nerve enough to pull it out, read the message and send a reply — all while pretending that he was paying attention to us and that we didn’t see what he was doing.
Needless to say, this kid didn’t get a second look. Turned down flat. I’m all for giving opportunities to the younger generation, but there are some rules of decorum that should be followed. Arrive on time, dress appropriately, and turn off that damn smart phone during the interview! Then, if you really want to impress the interview team, after the interview is over, send a hand-written thank-you note using complete words and full sentences — in the mail, using a stamp! That would blow people away.
Meanwhile, think about how your way of communicating comes off to others. If the others are your seniors, then consider that they may not appreciate short-form text-speak.
Life is short: spell your words out and write coherently.
Someone from France sent an email message to me the other day complimenting me on my website, and then explained that he saw a pair of python (snake) cowboy boots in a store one time, and fell in love with them. He was unhappy about the price — over €300 — so he wanted to know if I could recommend a source of the boots that was less expensive.
I was able to find a new pair of python boots at reputable U.S. boot retailers for approximately US$200, or about €152.
Unfortunately, I also found out that U.S.-based retailers such as Boot Barn or Sheplers will not ship exotic skin (snake, ostrich, lizard) boots to Europe and some other countries in Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific.
Customs regulations in other countries prohibit importation of products made with snakeskin. These companies would be happy to sell the boots to you. It is each country’s Custom’s offices that make it a legal issue to get them.
Used boots may not be as difficult to receive in Europe, and shhhh… don’t tell them, but if you find a pair of snakeskin boots on eBay, win the auction, and have them shipped to you with marking on the box of “used boots”, then you can probably get the boots you want.
Some countries may inspect the parcels, and some may not. Each country and its customs regulations and inspections are different. Nonetheless, unless you travel to the United States and buy the boots here (then find a way to get them through your country’s customs inspection when you arrive home), the only options that I know you can use to get snakeskin boots in Europe is to 1) find them legally for sale somewhere and pay the going price, or 2) win an eBay auction and hope that the boots make it through customs when they are shipped to you.
Oh well…
Life is short: wear snakeskin boots (if you can get them).
I have admired and have worn Lucchese boots for decades. They are comfortable and very well-made.
Let me share a little bit about what I have learned about Lucchese boots from my own experience, and share some happiness with a new pair of Lucchese Classic handmade boots.
There are three lines of men’s Lucchese boots — the “1883” line, which is entry-level and priced accordingly. The “1883” boots are made with lower-grade leather, and are often soft and scuff easily. They look nice and feel good on the feet, but you get what you pay for — low-end, easily-damaged boots.
The middle line is called “Lucchese 2000.” These boots are well-made of more durable leathers. They cost a little bit more, but again, you get what you pay for. Pretty good boots for the money.
The top-of-the-line in the Lucchese brand are called “Lucchese Classics.” I have a number of these boots in my Lucchese cowboy boot collection. They are very comfortable, exceptionally durable, and are very well-made with lemonwood-pegged soles, steel shank, and other features that make them an excellent choice of long-wearing, exceptional footwear.
When you visit websites of vendors of Lucchese boots, the good ones will offer buyers the opportunity to specify specific heel and toe styles on Lucchese Classics, rather than take what comes standard. This is a way, then, to get high-end commercial cowboy boots made with some custom features. These boots are called Lucchese Classic Handmade Boots.
However, let me tell you, it takes a looooooong time to get handmade boots from Lucchese, but the results are worth the wait.
Last August, I was surfing around the Internet and found a price on a pair of Lucchese boots that I thought was a wrong price. It offered Lucchese Classic Goatskin Boots for half of what comparable prices were from other vendors. I contacted the vendor and asked if the price were correct, and received a reply confirming that it was.
I then asked if I could get a different heel and toe style than standard. Again, the reply was affirmative, and there was no extra charge. The only “fee” was time. The boots would have to be made by hand at the Lucchese factory in El Paso, Texas, and it could take a few months.
Well, a “few” months turned out to be six — but what I received last week were a stunning pair of handmade Lucchese classics that make me feel a bit “taller in the saddle.” (Or shall I say, “taller in the stride.”)
The boots are standard 13 inches (33cm) high, but the heel is two inches (5.1cm) high, instead of the usual 1.5 (3.8cm) inches. That half-inch (1.3cm) difference makes the feel of my stride different… more confident… tall. Funny how a little bit more height of a heel can make me feel that way.
I have tried wearing boots with even higher heels, but since I am such a natural klutz, I cannot wear them and manage to remain upright and stable. Honestly, I have no idea how women can wear those ultra-high heels on some of their shoes.
Anyway, these Lucchese Classic handmade boots are terrific, great-looking, and also great-feeling. I am proud to have them on my feet and part of my cowboy boot collection.
Life is short: wear quality boots (to work at the office, around town… anywhere!)