Reading, Writing, and Cowboy Boots

By: xdavid

I am extremely lucky that teaching people about cowboy boots is a part of my job. There aren't many people out there who can say that about their employment. Whether it's the history of the boot, the main components that every boot is made of, or different styles off cowboy boots, I'm just a fountain of information. Of course, my fondness for western wear goes back a long way, so it seems only natural that I'd be in my thirties and still be wearing it.

When I was three or four years old, my parents tell me, I hit a phase during which I wanted to be very independent. I would do everything for myself that I could, and usually tried to do the things I couldn't yet do myself. One area where I was certain that I could be on my own was in getting dressed each day. For the next year, I proceeded to wear cowboy boots every single day of the week. When I wasn't at school, these boots were usually paired with a cowboy hat, my favorite pink leotard and a tutu. The "no tutus at school" rule had to be obeyed, after all.

I did eventually outgrow that phrase, but I continued to incorporate different elements of western wear into my wardrobe. A cowboy hat was worn at the beach- all my belts had large western style buckles, and I was routinely found in a pair of cowboy boots and by the time I was twenty-one I owned four different pairs. When I started studying American history, I found that a lot of what I had been taught to believe about the cowboy life wasn't actually the way it really was. When I delved into learning the real story of the wild, wild west, I was even more fascinated by that period of history.

When you look at the history of western apparel, it becomes very clear that this style developed out of a need for better clothing- those that would be both durable and safer for all involved. The thicker fabric of denim jeans and high shafts on boots protected a cowboy's legs from snakes, rocks, briars, thorns, barbed wire fences and so much more. Even now, the evolution continues as you see a shift in the boots worn by rodeo riders who need to be able to quickly dismount their rides and run (for roping events and the like). It might not be the kind of evolution they're fighting over teaching at school, but it is every bit as obvious as that particular theory is.

Written by Melanie River. Brand name cowboy boots and western wear at The Boot Store online store for western apparel. Ariat boots, Justin boots more at western-wear-store.com