Someone used an internet search on “rules on wearing cowboy boots” (and ended up on the cowboy boot section of my website). Someone else asked, “what guidance can you provide when I wear cowboy boots? Are there rules?”
I’m not sure why there seems to be an interest in “rules.” There aren’t any rules, per se, about wearing cowboy boots, but here are some suggestions based on my experience.
Rules for wearing cowboy boots
1. Wear what you like and what fits you and your lifestyle.
2. Stand tall and proudly.
3. Smile! Men appear more confident and self-assured when they smile (and wear boots!)
4. Stop obsessing about what other people may say or think about you wearing cowboy boots. Seriously, get over it. If you’re worried that someone may say something because wearing boots is new to you or not common where you live, then make the choice not to wear them. But it is YOUR choice — not someone else’s.
5. If you have nice boots that you want to show, tuck your jeans into them. If you don’t want to do that, then don’t. It’s your choice.
6. Cowboy boots go well with dress clothes or a suit. Generally, it is wise to choose an all-leather boot or subtle alternate skin boots (such as smooth ostrich or Teju lizard) in black, brown, or black cherry and which have a rounded or semi-rounded toe and traditional heel height. Boots with more fanciful design, sharp X-toes, high heels, or made of unusual materials (Caiman alligator, rattlesnake, python, etc.) may be too ostentatious to wear to places where one might wear a suit, such as at an office, conference, wedding, funeral, or to a place of worship.
7. Have at least two, if not more, pairs of cowboy boots if you will be wearing them regularly. It is a good idea to let boots “breathe” for at least one day between wearing them. The boots need to air out and allow time for sweat which may have been absorbed into the leather and insole to evaporate. (This is also sometimes called “rotating boots” but does not mean turning them around.)
8. IMHO, do not wear cowboy boots that have smooth leather soles while operating a motorcycle. This is a safety precaution — smooth soles provide no traction! Same applies about wearing smooth-soled cowboy boots in places that may be slick with rain, snow or ice.
Keep your boots clean and in good condition
9. Mud will dry out leather. While sometimes it’s fun to get boots muddy, it is also important to clean it off when you’re done playing so the leather is not permanently damaged.
10. If boots somehow get biological stains on them, wipe it off — don’t let it dry on. The most often-applied biological agent that somehow gets on boots dries out leather and may cause permanent damage.
11. Avoid getting boots that are made of snakeskin or lizard wet. Scales on snakeskin boots will curl when they get wet, and they will not “uncurl” when they dry.
12. Use a quality leather conditioner or reptile skin conditioner on your boots. Avoid using waxy shoe polish on boots (or parts of boots) that are made of materials other than leather — snake, lizard, alligator, etc. Waxy shoe polish can build up within the scales or fine creavases on boots and dull the finish or ruin the skin.
13. Do not use a hair dryer on boots, put them in an oven, or place them near a source of heat such as a radiator or forced-air heat vent. That can cause leather or skins to shrink permanently. If boots are wet and you want to hasten the drying process, a trick I learned from Bamaboy is to put the boots on top of a water heater.
14. Store boots so air can circulate around them. Keep them in a well-ventilated area. Keep them in the light — avoid storing boots in dark, damp places. That includes storing boots in a box when the boots may be wet. Mold and mildew love “dark and wet”. They “eat” fibrous products, and particularly have a “taste” for leather. To avoid having boots be destroyed by mold and mildew, keep them dry, in the light, and in a place where air circulates.
Life is short: stand tall, walk confidently, and smile while wearing your cowboy boots!
Afternoon update: as of 4pm local time, we had 17″ (43cm) of snow, and as this photo attests, it is still snowing!!!! My Wesco Combat Boots were on my feet this afternoon!
Again, I have observed a recent high number of internet searches ending up on this blog or my website from people entering questions like, “can I wear a uniform in public?” or “how to wear a CHP uniform” or just plain “CHP uniform rules”. This is the third (and last, for the moment) in my series on the “rules” regarding fetish wear.
4. Do not assume behavior while wearing a uniform that implies you are a cop. Impersonation is evaluated on two factors: how you look and what you do. If you try to act like a cop in public, such as by pulling someone over, frisking or handcuffing a “suspect,” interrogating someone, etc., then a real cop may think you are trying to impersonate an officer and take you in for questioning and possibly place you under arrest on criminal charges. Keep the cop-acting behavior behind closed doors.
