Always stylish, always right, cowboy boots are for the times of your life



By Michelle Medley
Photography by Evans Caglage

Stallion's "Bluebird" boot ($895) from Back at the Ranch shows form and balance on the back end of a '59 Caddy.

Cowboy boots and the perfect fit should go together like a wink and a smile. You'll part with at least $200 for appearance, so why not invest in comfort, too? Some people say they don't wear boots because the darn things hurt (and Shane should try homesteading). Boots that hurt are boots that don't fit. Period.

Wise up with Mark Dunlap, general manager of M.L. Leddy's Boot and Saddlery in Fort Worth, where a good fit is guaranteed.

"Most people don't have feet exactly alike. The right foot is going to fit differently from the left foot, so we measure certain areas—the arch, the instep, the heel, the ball of the foot to ensure we get a boot that fits in all of the areas," he says. Once the measuring is done and the customer has chosen the particulars—like heel and top heights, toe shape, pattern, and stitching—the boots are custom-made. In six to eight weeks, they're ready.

On the Web

backattheranch.com billymartin.com cowboyboot.com jbhill.com rocketbuster.com

The Fort Worth store, with as many as 4,000 pairs of cowboy boots on hand, sells a lot of them off the shelf (starting at about $450). Although you may find a pair that fits better than you're used to, you won't get perfect fit if you're shopping in the $200 range.

"It (perfect fit) just doesn't exist when you go into a totally handmade boot; it's not even in your upper-end boots in the industry. You're talking about a boot that is handmade from beginning to end," Dunlap of Leddy's says.

Under the table but well within view are J.B. Hill' s roughout and camel rancher boots ($595).

Wendy Lane of Back at the Ranch in Santa Fe also sells hundreds of boots off the rack; she stakes her reputation on ensuring a good fit.

"We start with asking what shoe size they wear; then we know what size boot to put them in. Every boot company runs differently. I like to put them in a size a little bit big. If your heel lifts in a cowboy boot, then it's not too small," says Lane, whose store carries arguably the largest stock of Stallion, Rocketbuster, Ammons, and Lucchese cowboy boots in the country. Though some stores may insist that a good fit is a snug one, Lane feels differently. "Nowadays, people want to be able to put on a boot and walk out the door and go dancing," says Lane as customers waltz in the store, looking for their next pair.

Kicky "Day of the Dead" boots ($1,100) are ready to ride on a vintage Indian motorcycle.

Care of the Pair

• Like your hands, boot leather must be conditioned and protected. The more often you shine boots, the better. If you don't, they'll crack and dry.

• The key to a good shine is longevity. If the boot polisher doesn't thoroughly clean the boot and prepare it before applying polish, the shine may last a day.

• Type of polish counts. A cream or lanolin-based polish helps promotes shine and longevity. Don't settle for a paste or wax.

• The real key is to use cedar boot trees in your boots. Without them, toes will turn up and leather will dry out. Cedar trees draw moisture, sweat, and acid from the boot. They're a must. Use the trees when you pack your boots for travel, too. And specially designed boot socks not only protect boots in the suitcase but the clothes around them.

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