The Boot Seen Round The World
Rodeo and movie stars set the earliest standards for fancy cowboy boots.
By: G. Daniel DeWeese 09/14/2009
In the song “London Homesick Blues,” a broke cowboy is stuck in the cold, damp, far-from-Texas streets of England. He yearns to “go home with the Armadillo” and takes solace in wearing his cherished cowboy hat and boots. Londoners passing by him comment on his origin based mainly on his “manly footwear.” They would never wear the hat, but they admire and covet his boots.
With this portrayal in his song, Gary P. Nunn poignantly captures the cowboy as America’s most endearing, and enduring cultural ambassador. Wear cowboy boots in a foreign country and be prepared to get admiring glances and shout-outs about Texas and cowboys from people who may otherwise not know a lick of English or much about American culture.
Early in Nunn’s song, the singer says “you can bet your boots” that he’d leave London in a heartbeat. If he could. Betting your boots is the Big Ante; it is meant and taken as a sign of a sure thing. Boots in general, and cowboy boots in particular, are highly prized possessions not taken for granted. Boots have a long tradition as badges of social rank, wealth or occupation. The term “well heeled” specifically connotes wealth. It took the American cowboy—and the creative bootmakers who outfitted them—to democratize boots.
The cowboy boot was borne out of necessity before it became a potent symbol. The high tops protected the wearer’s calves from rubbing on saddle leathers and from scrapes from thorny brush he rode through. The loose fit in the heel and lack of laces allowed a potentially lifesaving exit from the boot if he was unhorsed and his boot got caught in a stirrup. The metal shank under the arch of the foot permitted a cowboy to stand in stirrups for long hours at the trot. The high heel helped keep the foot from sliding forward through the stirrup. Cowboy boots were designed for riding.
Today, the vast majority of cowboy boots sold around the world never come in contact with a stirrup. With lower tops and lower heels, these boots are made for walking. But they have taken on another, equally important role in modern life. They are a personal statement made public—a leather canvas for artistic and cultural expression. Plenty of bootmakers—large and small—can help you put your best foot forward.
Plain Cowboy Style
Early cowboy boots were plain, rough and coarsely cobbled. The forerunner of the fancy inlays and overlays seen in many cowboy boots to come was created by bootmakers in Coffeyville, Kansas. They sewed star-shaped leather inlays into the shafts of boots for cowboys trailing cattle out of Texas in the 1860s, notes boot collector Tyler Beard in his book, Art of the Boot. The addition of the Lone Star was a statement of state pride.
Embellishing boots with rows of intricate stitch patterns, the most common form of boot embellishment today, would not start for another 40 years. It is widely thought that stitching may have originated as a method to keep boot tops from slouching, but John Pearce, the chief boot designer for Justin Boot Co., questions the validity of that theory. “The tops of those early boots were made with harness leather, which is tough and fairly rigid,” he contends. When softer leathers were used, stitching would help keep boot shafts up, but he thinks stitching has always been more about the design. “Otherwise, why have the stitch patterns always been so fancy?” he asks.
Comments (2)
Chris Bennett Boot Co. in Nogales, AZ may be a good place to check. Chris Bennett is the owner; don't know if his father or some other relative might be the bootmaker you seek. Couldn't find a web site, but the phone number is 520-287-6688.
Dan D.
Has anyone heard of a custom bootmaker, probably circa 50-60's named Bennett. had a drinking problem if my info is correct....apparently did boots for high-profile Hollywood stars and Western VIPs. if you have any info would be much appreciated, this is a work of love for a friend.....Bill
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