Video: The Cobbler Fits Boots

From Rock Group Boots Like KISS to Cowboy Boots and Pirates

Pop Culture has created Anakin Skywalker boots from Star Wars, Batman boots from the comics and Battlestar Galactica boots from the popular TV hit. Cobblers have been crafting cavalry boots and cowboots boots as long as blacksmiths have been working with metal, but lately Jedi Knight boots have been as popular as Mad Max style boots and pirate boots worn by Johnny Depp.

History

Most histories of the cowboy boot agree they were derived from the cavalry boot used in the Civil War in the early 1860s and other similar designs. Working cattlemen in the 1870s and 1880s asked bootmakers for modifications to better fit their working conditions. Predictably, most of these bootmakers were in the cattle ranching areas of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The two most renowned bootmakers of the era were Charles Hyer of Hyer Brothers Boots in Olathe, Kansas, and H. J. "Big Daddy Joe" Justin of Justin Boots in Spanish Fort, Texas and later Nocona, Texas.

A cowboy needed to be able to quickly and surely mount and dismount his horse in the course of work. In addition to working cattle, they also worked and trained new horses. Much of their riding was cross-country, conditions were rough and unpredictable, and weather variable from summer heat to winter snow. Staying alive and comfortable under these conditions drove the mutation of the cavalry and other tall riding boot designs into what has come to be called the "cowboy boot".

While mounting, the slick, treadless leather sole of the boot allowed easy insertion of the foot into the stirrup of the Western saddle. While an extremely pointed toe is a modern stylization appearing in the 1940s, the toe of the original boots retained the more rounded shape of other boots. A slight point to the toe does make it somewhat easier to quickly insert the foot in the stirrup, but an extremely pointed toe is not helpful and not practical in a working boot.

While mounted, the tall heel prevented the foot from sliding forward through the stirrup, which could be life threatening if it happened and the rider were to be unseated. The tall shaft, comfortably loose fit and lack of lacing might save a cowboy's life since his body weight would pull his foot out of the boot if he were unseated and his boot remained stuck in the stirrup.

The fit will vary depending on the type of toe that is sought. Pointed toes leave a narrower space between the toes and the tip of the boot which may cause discomfort. This is avoided by selecting a half size larger than the wearer's normal size. A rounder toe (like a roper or a Wellington) will fit more like a regular shoe. Another factor is leather. A cowhide or kidskin boot will become softer with wear, molding to the wearer's foot. That is why it is recommended to select a snug size because the boot will eventually "break in" and a loose fit will become sloppy..

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