Texas bootmakers on how the Western shoe moved off the ranch and into the fashion world.
These days , you could stag cowherd boots — sturdy and craft in leather of all shades — on the street of NYC , LA , and even as far afield as London and Paris . Originally designed for cowherd , rancher , and rodeo riders , the footgear has a longsighted history in Texas and other share of the American West . But like a lot of workwear styles , cowpuncher boot are also currently veer for the fashion cognoscenti . Lately , the utilitarian and regionally specific footgear is a regular sight at style workweek , red carpet events , and on Instagram feeds . require Texas boot maker , though , and they ’ll insist the cowboy boot ’s stylish rise to fame — yes , even before Beyoncé ’s hit country strain — create consummate sense .
Gillian Kennedy , main marketing officer ofTecovas , an Austin - based brand that crafts cowman boots with modern silhouettes , enunciate they ’ve always been a wardrobe staple fiber . “ So many of us who work at Tecovas spring up up with families where cowherd boots and westerly wear were a way of life rather than a trend , ” she suppose . “ There is nothing more versatile than a cowboy boot . ” fashion influencerKrista Lavrusikagrees . “ Cowboy boots make the whole look sense more relatable and soften - up . They have a play , relaxed , effortless flair , ” she says . “ I uprise up in Texas and move to California . So when the ‘ coastal cowgirl ’ trend pick up … I thought to myself , Oh , I can do both . Let ’s embrace this , ” Lavrusik tells us .
For the uninitiate , Coastal Cowgirl top out on Instagram and TikTok last summertime with beach - meet - ranch feel : cotton sundress or breezy linen paper pants paired with leather or suede cowpuncher kicking . Kennedy sees Coastal Cowgirl as a trend influence that forge in colligation with pop culture inspirations likeYellowstoneand the Eras tour where Taylor Swift commonly register up onstage in cowboy boots to make these footgear item feel both aspirational and accessible to a wide range of wearers .
Photo by Molly Polus for Thrillist
“ There is an effortless constituent to cowboy boots , ” says Madisen Li , VP of selling for Tecovas . “ They are a throw - on - and - go type of shoe , and their construction and style make them easy to match alongside your preferent jean or an sluttish dress . ”
In in high spirits fashion contexts , cowboy boots show up in photo shoot and on runways . decorator are take pool cue from classic westerly silhouettes and emphasis can be interpret into more modern fashion aesthetics . “ I always pay aid to the room that people dress them up ; it can be a cool juxtaposition , ” says Holly Mery , director of women ’s design atLucchese , whose San Antonio – bear luxury rush were founded in the late 19th century . “ We ’ve determine our iron boot at fashion appearance , on red carpet , and at formal effect … It ’s really exciting to see [ gowns ] with light and rhinestones and sequins with cowboy boots . ”
Founder and CEO of Dallas - basedCITY BootsLizzy Bentley agrees . “ [ We ’re ] always confound around the idea of ‘ Boots in uncommon place ’ when we ’re launching new campaigns and planning photoshoots . We ’ve put cowboy boots on classically trained ballerina , poolside , in the blow ! ”
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The rise in ranch gear outside of these specific US regions is also not entirely new . In the 1950s , Elvis Presley ’s option to endure rodeo rider boots onstage and to outcome inspired a rise in boot sales . In the late sixties and 1970s , Western style made a major opinion on menswear , with film likeMidnight Cowboyestablishing the movement in Hollywood and chic ’ 70 women also dabbling in Western boots and hats and belts . In the eighties , major connection usher likeDallaskept Texas - inspired fashion on the judgement of television set viewers nationwide , and superstar Western wearing enthusiasts like Burt Reynolds go cowboy hats and boots firmly into the mainstream .
But when it come to turning cowman the boot into a fashion - world fixation for womenswear , no famous name played a bigger role than Princess Diana . Herfamous outfitworn to a polo match in 1988 consist of a charity sweatshirt , an outsize pinstripe blazer , a baseball game cap , and straight - leg mom jeans tucked into chocolate-brown cowboy boots , cementing Western - style boots ’ office in the upper echelons of panache . “ She styled cowboy boot with everything from blue jean to sweat pants and had a real knack for a mix of unexpected cursory - slash - cool styles , ” tell Li .
The ravisher is in the clangor . Though there ’s a story and a purpose to this footwear , it does n’t mean it ca n’t acquire . “ I think longtime iron boot wearers who may experience as though boots have been ‘ appropriated ’ should view this on-going trend as a celebration of all that the cowboy boot defend , ” says Bentley . “ The women wearing CITY Boots are pave their own paths , just like Texas ranchers have been for hundreds of years”—whether those way be the brick - lined route at the Fort Worth Stockyards or the paved pavement in Manhattan .
Courtesy Tecovas
