How the rise of Western wear is reshaping the cowboy boot
Words by Alli Patton
It’s always been there. In the epic tales of Westward expansion. In the murky black-and-white of a Gene Autry film. On the soles of workers and in the wardrobes of entertainers. From the stirrups of progress to the mighty stages of today, the cowboy boot has voyaged – ground crunching, spurs shuddering—across the American culture-scape and into our hearts forever.
Over centuries, this footwear has naturally evolved from a tool of the trade, a means of getting difficult and dirty work done, into a fashion statement, a symbol of strength and individuality in all who don the item.
Today, especially with the recent rise of Western wear, this American icon has been taking on a new shape–the cowboy boot is steadily becoming the every-person’s shoe.
While, in essence, not much about the boot has changed significantly, it has been altered to meet varying needs and trends of late. “The changes you do see are the additions of different heights, toe shapes, and silhouettes,” shares Doug Hogue, Vice President of Brand and Product of Lucchese.
Since 1883, the luxury manufacturer and retailer has crafted footwear inspired by the Lucchese family’s founding blueprint, using resources like their original design sketches and implementing fit techniques such as their trademark twisted cone last, to make boots that not only look good but are also up to whatever task.
“At Lucchese, it’s important to us to follow the principle that fashion follows function,” Hogue offers, “meaning that all of our boots are horse-ready, whether that be our best-selling 17-inch Priscilla or our classic men’s horseman boots.”
The brand has come to shoe more than just the U.S. cavalry it outfitted at its inception.
Everyone from ropers and ranchers to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have found a good fit with Lucchese today. Now, with Western-inspired looks seemingly everywhere come festival season and a similar style guide on full display thanks to series like Yellowstone and Landman, the demand for such fashions have only increased. Brands like Lucchese have heeded the call.
Today, especially with the recent rise of Western wear, this American icon has been taking on a new shape–the cowboy boot is steadily becoming the every-person’s shoe.
“While the brand has long been a staple in Western-centric regions like Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, and Colorado, it is now making strategic moves into new markets, with retail locations coming soon to two cities closer to the East Coast,” Hough shares, adding the company’s plans for expansion by opening stores in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia—their furthest move East to date—in 2025. “This eastward expansion reflects the growing demand for Western-inspired fashion beyond its traditional roots and a broader cultural embrace of Western heritage and craftsmanship.”
As the cowboy boot continues to bend to the will of trends, though, it is also growing increasingly decked out in excess—embroidery, cut-outs, and fringe—all the while reaching higher heights and meeting impossibly tapered points in the name of fashion. As it does so, some companies have traded care and comfort for cuteness; and it seems as if the very thing that was made to be bucked around in won’t soon be worth its dirt. It’s a transformation that begs the question: what happens when the cowboy boot can no longer take the horns?
It was, in part, this concern that set sisters Sarah Caruth and Margaret Walker on the path toward creating Fraulein Boot Company, an heirloom brand that marries fun, feminine styles with the traditional techniques that allow wearers to still get down and dirty.
“You can have as many cutesy boots in your closet,” the sisters share, “but if they’re not comfortable and well-made, you’re not going to wear them.”
At Fraulein Boots, the items are not only inspired by the vintage looks of the well-loved cowboy boots that line Sarah and Margaret’s closets, they have taken on the lasting feel of them too. “We started our whole business because we both collected vintage cowboy boots and have had a love for them since we were little girls,” they explain, believing whole-heartedly that the bootmakers of yore got it right the first time. “We wanted to make ours feel and look like the old ones.”
Their boots are handmade in León, Mexico by a manufacturer, with generations-worth of bootmaking experience, that puts a lot of care – and nearly 200 steps – into the making of a single boot.
What happens when the cowboy boot can no longer take the horns?
“That was important for us to have an authentic product that can last,” they share. “It’s slow fashion. It’s not just a quick fix. It’s a thoughtful thing. The process and the fashion around it, too, is something you want to have staying power.”
The true testament to their product’s quality, however, comes whenever a real cowgirl attests that a Fraulein boot is the most comfortable she’s ever put on. As the sisters say, “They’re expensive, and yes, I don’t know if I would go work cattle in them, but you definitely could. They’re definitely made to last.”
With the current onslaught of Western-flecked fads, it’s good to know that many brands, whether it be longtime bootmakers like Lucchese or industry newcomers like Fraulein Boots, are still putting a lot of heart into their soles.
