These Boots Were Made For…

Cowboy boots aren’t just made for walking, they are made for riding. You’ll be hard pressed to find a cowboy with even minimal experience riding or working without them. They are, without a doubt, a staple of a cowboy’s wardrobe.

Riding boots originated in the 19th century by various manufacturers. Many boot makers take great pride in their product and guard their trade secrets quite carefully. This secrecy results in a varied fit between brands in their boots.

The name cowboy boot refers specifically to a certain style of riding boot worn by cowboys, riders and ranchers. Although in years past boots have been increasing in popularity. More and more people are wearing cowboy boots as a fashion statement and not just for practicality.

Most often they are made from cowhide leather. If you are willing to pay a more premium price, you can find them in such materials as ostrich, alligator, snake, eel or even elephant. They materials take extra care but can be well worth it if you are looking for something different.

There are two different kinds of cowboy boots, Western and roper. The Western style has a tall boot shaft, an angled heel over an inch high and a pointed toe. The roper style is a newer design that has a lower boot shaft, lower heel and has a round toe box.

The Western style boot is better for safety and protection. The pointed toe of the boot is designed to slip in and out of your stirrup with ease, making mounting and dismounting your horse safe and easy while the heel keeps your foot from going too far into the stirrup. The tall boot shaft helps keep our dirt and debris, while giving better ankle support and protecting the leg from rocks, brush and thorns.

The roper style boot is better for using in more everyday settings. They were actually designed for use in the rodeo as they were a bit more functional when roping, however designers what take them even further. Their popularity has really pushed the industry into creating more style options with boots.

Regardless of the style, cowboy boots are far from simple. Boots have a lengthy construction time, often necessitating dozens, if not hundreds, of individual steps until they are fully made. But, the cliché "you get what you pay for" really applies when it comes to this product.

Playing Cowboy For Real

Ever dream of escaping the hustle and bustle of the big city for a slower paced life? Sometimes the pressures of our lives make us look to the easier times of the past. A great way to really relax and rejuvenate is heading out west – for real.

Grab your favorite broken in jeans, a soft flannel shirt and of course your cowboy hat. Horse, saddle and cowboy boots will be provided for you. The willingness to turn off your electronics and technology is a must.

People are drawn to the Western frontier lifestyle for the many things it has to offer. Any day could give you a quiet calm, a days hard work and a relaxing evening around a campfire sharing stories with friends and family. Who doesn’t like spending an evening with their cowboy boots propped up and enjoying the night stars on the open range?

Dude ranches are a great way to experience this way of life. Even though it might be temporary, the escape exists if you want to give it a try. You can go anywhere from a long weekend to a month or more with the new title of “ranch cowhand.”

Playing cowboy for real gives you the chance to escape reality and go back in time. Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Utah are only some of the states that offer this on dude ranches. A quick search on-line can bring up dozens of establishments waiting for give you the experience of a lifetime.

You need to decide if you want to play cowboy on a working ranch or if you are expecting more of a relaxing fantasy vacation. Guest ranches are for families, but more and more programs are being offered for adults only to enjoy downtime. It is a growing trend on the ranch vacation front.

Many of the ranches offer an assortment of classes, such as roping or horsemanship. If you choose a ranch where you will be riding a lot, you might consider buying your own pair of cowboy boots. Be sure to properly break in the boots prior to your arrival so they feel comfortable.

Fall is the ideal season to head out to a ranch since all the summer crowds are gone. Dude ranches pricing often includes lodging, meals, horseback riding lessons and trail riding. The priceless items you will take away are a sense of adventure and relaxation.

Most Famous Cowboy Hats

The American cowboy hat is recognized all over the world as the quintessential part of a cowboys outfit. The hat literally defines the word cowboy. Many have worn this hat over decades; the rare few have made it famous.

One of the first to make the headpiece popular was John B. Stetson who designed and made the first one. He created the hat for a hunting trip with friends. Later he began selling the hats after demand for them came pouring in.

It has been over 100 years since the cowboy hat made its debut. There are more instances now of the hat making the person who wears it famous instead of the other way around. Many an actor who has taken on a western role has worn the hat to fame.

Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Gene Autry are three very famous actors who wore the cowboy hat. Rogers’ white Stetson with a silver hatband was one of the most famous cowboy hats. With the starts of television, The Lone Ranger was known as the masked cowboy with \his white hat who brought justice to the Wild West.

Ronald Reagan is a very likely one of the most famous actors who wore a cowboy hat. From his early movies and his years spent in California to the campaign trail taking him to the White House, he looked like a natural wearing the hat. He spent many happy times on his land, Rancho del Cielo, his home for nearly twenty-five years and the true Western Cowboy estate.

The booming popularity of Western films had actors such as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford all wearing hats. John Wayne would be one of the most popular wearers due to the memorable way he would tip his hat. Clint Eastwood’s style was more subtle, an attitude if anything else.

Cowboy hats can look good on just about anyone. An unlikely star, Bret Michaels of the band Poison is famous for his white hat with black cross embellishment. Orders for his now famous hat come pouring in all over the country.

While it started as a basic need, the hat has now taken on an iconic image of its own. These days, it is mostly worn for the appeal of showing a Western lifestyle. With the right attire, anyone can claim the Wild West as their own.

Cowboy Hats on the Big Screen

The Western genre in film has been a popular one for decades. Hollywood has done well promoting the rural West to the masses. A good looking, rugged cowboy up on the silver screen has only added to the allure.

Much like the colors red, white and blue, the state fair or mom’s apple pie, a cowboy hat symbolizes the freedom that the Wild West offered. Nothing is more American than a genuine cowboy. It’s a character that is rough around the edges and complex to boot.

One of the first films to feature the cowboy and his famous hat was The Great Train Robbery in 1903. After being played four consecutive times in the theatre that day, the venue turned out the lights and sent patrons home. Film fans have been enjoying western films ever since.

No cowboy is more famous than John Wayne. His coolness was only emphasized by the tip of his hat when he was up on his horse. It’s a hard act to follow, but what’s the harm in trying?

While Western movies are far from the cutting edge of fashion, many hat styles have been made popular by the actors and actresses who wear them. Like Audrey Hepburn in her famous black dress and strand of pearls, a cowboy hat can bring the same classic feeling to the big screen. You instantly know a character wearing one is someone to be reckoned with.

Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Paul Newman all carried the hat off well. Their films are wildly popular and their talents highly revered. Although who is to say how memorable their characters would have been without the ultimate western accessory.

John B. Stetson was the first to construct the original cowboy hat in 1865 for a hunting trip. It was so successful to wear and with his traveling companions that he continued to wear it on other travels. He began making them for friends and selling them for a whopping $5.00 a piece!

The main plot of the Western film is simplicity at its best, the goal of maintaining the law and order on the wild frontier. It has a solid foundation of the most basic idea, good vs. evil. You cannot have a Western film without guns and gunfights, horses and train robberies, holdups, shoot-outs, outlaws and of course, the sheriff with the cowboy hat.