History of Cowboy Boots

Before and after the Civil War, cowboys wore whatever they could afford to buy, or what they possessed following the war. One example is the Wellington, a boot of British origin dating from 1810 and popularized by Arthur Wellsley, the first duke of Wellington, following his defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. The Wellington boot can be described as a plain boot that usually comes in black, or sometimes brown, leather. Typically these boots had side seams, one-inch stacked straight heels, square or slightly rounded toes, and leather pull-on straps.

Cowboys were also wearing at this time the Hessian boot, an under-the-knee boot with a V-cut in the front. This boot was introduced in England about 1785 by German dandies imitating the military footwear of the Hessian soldiers, named after the city-state of Hesse.

Throughout the 1860s and '70s, these various military-style boots continued to be copied in hundreds of variations, modified and sometimes improved upon by southerners in Texas, who also brought with them the refined European cavalier-style ancestry of boot making.

The historical facts show that the most influential boot makers in Kansas and Texas pre-1900 were primarily of German or British descent. They rose to a fashion high as a by-product of the entertainment industry's success with the cowboy hero.

The 1920s and 1930s West, of which many elder generations speak of nostalgically, was kept alive through radio shows and movie serials featuring the likes of Tim McCoy, William S. Hart, Bronco Billy, Jack Hoxie, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, Hoot Gibson, and Tom Mix. None of these tough cowboys would have been caught without his boots, and these Hollywood idols were the springboard for the continued passion for cowboy boots that remains to this day.

Cowboy Boots are an American icon but have there roots in Britain and Germany. Read more about the history of cowboy boots here.

What's a roper, packer or a lacer? Learn all about the different styles of cowboy boots here.

What are your cowboy boots made of? Is it leather, alligator or even exotic ostrich? Regardless of the type of material, read more about how to care for your cowboy boots

Not sure what you are looking for in a cowboy boot? Click here for tips on buying cowboy boots.

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