Cowboy Boots

[BellyTank]

I like the '40s*ish vintage ones with the squared off toe most of all-

B
T

[feltfan]

Can anyone recommend a source for very wide cowboy boots?
My feet are very wide. I expect I'll have to find someone who
does custom work, though who knows- maybe someone makes them?

Ideally I'd also go for the squared off ones. I'm not looking for
work boots like the Justins or the Redwings - I can get those
no problem. Looking for something a little nicer.

I had a pair made in Spain and the bootmaker said he'd never
seen feet like mine before.

Feltfan

[Biltmore Bob]

Square and round toes were standard long before pointed toed cowboy boots. Calvary boots were rounded toes with Cuban heels. The modern variation of what we think of as a cowboy boot really did not come about until the turn of the century and I think the moving picture had something to do with it. Remember Festus on Gunsmoke? He wore a pair of pull on work boots, almost to the knee, with Mule Ear straps. That is what most working cowboys wore. If you could afford more, you probably bought some stove pipe square toes with an embroidered star in the front, or four aces. I thought Tombstone had some accurate renditions of western wear, to include boots. http://www.texasjacks.com/boots/four_aces.htm

[K.D. Lightner]

Feltfan -- I have acquired some nice cowboy boots off ebay; there are a couple of custom bootmakers on the site who will make them to your size. Or at least you can email them to see if they go to that size.

Two of the bootmakers I have purchased cowboy boots from have been customboots and bootstoo. Both are in Texas, I believe one is in El Paso and the other in San Antonio. They both make the real fancy boots, and bootstoo also makes re-enactor boots and shoes and even clown shoes. I have a pair of retro boots styled to look like the fancy double eagles that Roy Rogers wore.

karol

[K.D. Lightner]

Oh, yeah, and if you want to see the world's fanciest boots, go to:

http://www.rocketbuster.com/

There are about a half a dozen on that size I would love to have, if I had the buck. They are so pretty, you could display them as well as wear them....

karol

[feltfan]

Thanks K.D.

Those Rocketbuster boots are certainly fancy. Maybe
too fancy for me. I like good quality material and good
workpersonship.

Of the two bootmakers you mention, which do you prefer?
Particularly for comfort, since both seem to have nice boots?

Thanks,

Feltfan

[K.D. Lightner]

Feltfan --

I found their boots to be about equal; I find Joey Sanchez at bootstoo to be friendlier and more accomodating. Plus, he has a website:

http://www.championboot.com

See if that brings it up. If not, use a search engine and type in champion boots and you should find it just in case I left out a dot or a dash. Once you are on the champion boots website, check out the Tribute boots on the 3rd page of his boots. Those are the Roy Rogers boots I got -- they are red, blue and an offwhite bone color. He has some nice PeeWee boots, too, if you like those. I have a black pair with white cutout hearts, nice for a gal. Joey says he creates up to an EEE, but, maybe he will be able to create or stretch for you.

Also, he sells boots on a site called caboots.zoovy.com

Customboots on ebay has some very fancy and interesting boots and are creating some in the rocketbuster tradition (but not prices). I don't know if the same maker has the store as before. They changed the name from Longhorn boots to customboots and moved from El Paso to San Antonio a few years ago. They used to have a website but have sold strictly through ebay.

Yes, I, too, drool over those rocketbuster boots (Shadow Rider!! I want those boots!), which are custom made. So are the two ebay sellers but I doubt they would compare with rocketbusters. They sell boots to movie stars.

One time I bought a boot from Joey I could not stand once I saw it (thought it was buttery yellow, but it was -- yech -- orange, so I returned them and found another pair I liked better). Joey will tell you what he can and can't do.

Good luck!

karol

[Nathan Flowers]

I have a pair of Paul Bond boots. They are handmade, and were made to fit my feet. They are made of waxed french calf leather, have a round toe, and walking heel.

[K.D. Lightner]

Isn't that the custom bootmaker in Nogales? Sounds like you got some great looking bootsl.

Sometimes you find Paul Bond on ebay, but probably not a lot. Who would part with custom boots unless they could not longer wear boots or their feet grew? (That happened to me with a pair of Luchesse boots I got in the early 90's. I outgrew them. Didn't know that my feet were going to continue to grow.)

karol

[zeus36]

Here is a link to a guy just down the road from me who makes VERY vintage boots from the late 1800's. He did the boots from Tombstone, High Road to China, Lonesome Dove and several top modern western flims plus some TV series.
All are custom made to your foot. The second link is a list of the films and shows he's done work for.

If your gonna go custom, why not go vintage as well?

http://www.jrreyes.com/


http://www.jrreyes.com/html/filmography.html