Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Fly320s on February 27, 2009, 06:58:03 AM
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After 40 years, I'm finally embracing my Texas heritage. Time to buy a pair of good boots.
So, who makes good cowboy boots and where can I buy them. The boots will be for special occassions, not work boots, if that makes a difference. I'll be in Dallas next week for a few days if any of you can recommend a store down there.
Thanks, ya'll.
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So you want dress boots?
My father wears Tony Lama. He has worn them for years. He prefers ostrich or shark (like his holsters).
My father's boots=>http://www.tonylama.com/en/guys_elpaso.html?424fccf8=16106
Years ago I had a pair of elk skin boots for riding (my father is a dedicated trail rider). They were very comfortable.
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if you want something inexpensive, Double H makes several cowboy boots... i have a pair of HH's engineer boots which are comfy, except i chose the wrong size because i'm an idiot.
tmm
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I have Ariats. I like 'em, and they weren't too expensive.
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I have Ariats.
Me too. It's hard for me to wear dress cowboy boots all day anymore (I wore them almost every day for general "about town" stuff years ago), but Ariats have a really great insole and good cushioning and are about the only boots I can wear a full day without my feet complaining.
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A word of advice if I might. Decide first what type of sock you will be wearing and then take or wear them when you go to start trying on boots. Socks which are thin and "slippery" will allow you to slide your foot in quite easily. Thicker socks will require more effort and will likely force you into a larger size. If you then wear thinner socks later your foot will slide around in the boot and aggravate the stuff out of you.
Also look to see if the side seam inside the boot is sewn down or the interior lined. A rough seam inside the upper will chafe your ankles and give you considerable discomfort.
Having made those two particular mistakes, I feel comfortable giving you the benefit of experience.
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IF they are for dress only, consider having a pair custom made. More expensive, but definitely worth it. I have a pair in my closet that is over 20 years old, but still look like they did the day I got them.
Brad
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Love my hippo hide Noconas. Look cool and tough as nails.
Cavender's Boot City in Mesquite.
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Hippo?!?!
That would make a great gun belt and holster!
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I have Ariats. I like 'em, and they weren't too expensive.
Another vote for Ariats. My wife and I each have a pair, and we find them very comfortable.
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Love my hippo hide Noconas. Look cool and tough as nails.
Cavender's Boot City in Mesquite.
Pics? I wonder if they make holsters from hippo?
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My wide feed never would fit comfortably into those pointy-toed elf boots. :laugh:
Hippo?!?! That would make a great gun belt and holster!
I used a few pieces of hide from my Zambian hippo to make a couple of traditional sjamboks. Very tough, very thick stuff.
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I've had Dan Post, Justin and Tony Lama boots from $125-$300 that were pretty good. If I had more money and wore boots more often, I'd probably have them custom made.
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I have owned Nocona, Justin and Tony Lama's over the years. The Nocona's have always been my favorites. There was a time when you could go to Nocona, TX to the factory and have a mold made of your foot. They would build your boot and keep your mold in storage for the next pair. Those were by and far the best boots I ever had. Even now they have "fit" centers at some stores so that you can get the right boot the first time.
Expect the boots to be tight, they need to stretch a little bit. IMO, you should also opt for a walking heel, it is a little bit lower than the traditional "cowboy" heel.
Get a boot jack, you will never regret it.
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcarrollcountytack.com%2Fcatalog%2Fimages%2Fbootjack.jpg&hash=7efd8e6b416ab9c2ba24bd55c2e9fc82c44ad79b)
If you are going to be in Dallas, Nocona isn't that far away. I don't know if they still sell out of the factory or not, or if it is even there anymore, but if it is it may be worth a phone call and a short drive.
bob
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Pics? I wonder if they make holsters from hippo?
Before I indulge y'all with images, I must belay the suggestion of Cavender's I made above and replace it with Shepler's in Mesquite.
Currently, they are not looking their best. Usually, I have used the viscous shoe cream (black for lowers, neutral for uppers) on them. But, last two polishes, I have not had any available and have made do with the usual black Kiwi paste. They shine up fine, but have lost some detail as the natural irregularities have filled in. What I am trying to say is that there is generally a much more noticeable grain to the hippo lowers (bull hide uppers).
Here you go...
Front-on, in sunlight:
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3319%2F3282988838_0b517467e8_b.jpg&hash=9fd3d448a5f7a5e5f7b4824607fdf6719af98791)
Profile, in sunlight:
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3289%2F3282989914_e670086059_b.jpg&hash=bc4bc28cc9f5f75188ece3683b824ac04d7c8f6f)
Did I mention they were tough? I was once in a rather tight spot that necessitated movement, at night, & over rocky terrain, in my best on-the-prowl duds, which included these boots.
Nothing else I wore (except socks) was wearable in polite company again, save the boots. They had protected my feet and taken some really nasty gouges from sharp rocks that would have left me lame.
Cleaned up just fine, and a little Meltonian black shoe cream did the rest.
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I picked up a pair of Tony Lamas with a riding heel a few years back... Interesting in that they were TRULY comfy while I was recovering from a bout of plantar fascitis...
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I was once in a rather tight spot that necessitated movement, at night, & over rocky terrain, in my best on-the-prowl duds, which included these boots.
Somehow unexpected husbands and bedroom windows come to mind....
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Somehow unexpected husbands and bedroom windows come to mind....
Sounds like a darn good way to get shot.
I find it interesting that so many people here wear real cowboy boots. I always thought they were only used by ranchers, horsemen, Southwesterners, Rocky Mountainers, and Texans. I would think they would leave a bad impression on some people. I guess it just seems unusual to me. I've never seen a man wearing them who didn't work with horses.
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Sounds like a darn good way to get shot.
I find it interesting that so many people here wear real cowboy boots. I always thought they were only used by ranchers, horsemen, Southwesterners, Rocky Mountainers, and Texans. I would think they would leave a bad impression on some people. I guess it just seems unusual to me. I've never seen a man wearing them who didn't work with horses.
They are comfortable and look good.
I would suggest Justin and/or Tony Lama. Not sure where you are but I know El Paso has three or four outlet stores for them, since that is where their factory is.
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Somehow unexpected husbands and bedroom windows come to mind....
:laugh:
Not quite that bad.
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"They arecomfortable and they look good."
Exactly why I want them. All of my other boots are for hiking or getting dirty. Up here in NH, nice boots can come in handy, especially during the spring melt.
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You may want to look at a pair of ropers while you are looking. They can come in handy for a lot of different occasions.
bob
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:laugh:
Not quite that bad.
OK, but you just can't give us a setup like that and not elaborate at all. Well, you can, but still we'd love to hear at least a highly sanitized version of the tale. I'll settle for a PM, even. ;D
That's a really nice pair of boots, BTW.
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OK, but you just can't give us a setup like that and not elaborate at all. Well, you can, but still we'd love to hear at least a highly sanitized version of the tale. I'll settle for a PM, even. ;D
That's a really nice pair of boots, BTW.
Kinda busy the last few days, but it involves college students, "escorts" (busty type), escorts for the escorts (burly type), county sheriff's deputies, paintball, an entrepreneur unfettered by local social mores and bureacratic licensure...and strip mines.
Might have to take it elsewhere to protect the naughty & naive.
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Kinda busy the last few days, but it involves college students, "escorts" (busty type), escorts for the escorts (burly type), county sheriff's deputies, paintball, an entrepreneur unfettered by local social mores and bureacratic licensure...and strip mines.
Might have to take it elsewhere to protect the naughty & naive.
:O :cool: =D
I wish we lived nearer each other. That sounds like it's best told over several beers.
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Thanks for the info, gents.
I picked up a pair of Lucchese 2000 boots. They are dark brown goat skin with just a little flourish on the upper portion. Leather soles, walking heel. The five-minute walk around the store told me that they should do the job for me.
Here: http://www.lucchese.com/products_detail.php?id=188
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Those look nice. Lucchese makes good boots.
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That is a nice looking pair of ropers, I may have to go buy me a new pair of boots.
bob