| Historically horsemen have always needed protective | | | | custom-made boots. |
| footwear as well as preferring boots with a higher | | | | In the 1920s and 1930s cowboy boots became a |
| heel. The origin of the cowboy boot that we know | | | | fashion item as a result of the movies and radio |
| today comes from various boot styles including the | | | | shows about the Wild West. |
| Wellington boot, which originated from Britain's Duke | | | | After 1940 boot designs became more colorful and |
| of Wellington. At the time it was a straight plain | | | | intricate incorporating images of the west such as |
| leather boot with one-inch heels and straight tops. | | | | cacti, eagles, horses and horseshoes. |
| Cowboys also wore the Hessian boot, which had a | | | | In the 1950s when rodeos became a popular form of |
| V-cut in the front, and some of these had a silk or | | | | entertainment and country music started being heard, |
| leather tassel hanging down in the V. | | | | the popularity of cowboy boots skyrocketed and |
| The Coffeyville-style cowboy boots originated in | | | | millions of pairs were reportedly being made in all |
| Coffeyville, Kansas around 1870 and were normally | | | | shapes, colors and styles. |
| black leather with a low Cuban heel. The front of the | | | | After this the designs of cowboy boots followed the |
| boot, known as the "graft", was higher than the back | | | | fashions and styles popularized in the movies - if John |
| and was usually a different color. Texas cowboys | | | | Travolta or Tom Cruise wore cowboy boots then |
| were known to have a lone star inlaid in the graft. | | | | those styles were immediately in demand. |
| Cowboy boots continued to evolve through the late | | | | Since the early 1990s boot makers have become |
| 1800s and the designs were influenced by the | | | | even more adventurous and we are now seeing |
| European cavalier style of boot, which were | | | | styles incorporating studs, conchos, rhinestones and |
| characterized by higher heels and better-quality | | | | precious stones, no doubt partly as a result of the |
| leather. | | | | interest in line dancing. Of course it is still possible to |
| The toes of cowboy boots were square or rounded | | | | buy an attractive plain leather boot. |
| and this did not change to pointed until the 1950s. | | | | Part of the enduring appeal of the cowboy boot is |
| The straight lines of stitches across the top of the | | | | that they can be worn by anyone. |
| toe of the cowboy boot are called a toe wrinkle. | | | | There is an excellent book that covers everything to |
| Boot makers in the early 1900s started to add | | | | do with the cowboy boot called appropriately The |
| decorative stitching on the toes in addition to the | | | | Cowboy Boot book, which you can get from |
| wrinkle and these designs became and have remained | | | | Amazon. |
| to this day the personalized signature of | | | | |