This style prevailed until the early 1960s, when changes in horsemanship (a softer approach to starting animals, and the emphasis on ground versus saddle training green horses) began to alter boot styles. By the early 20th century, underslung boot heels came into use, further preventing the foot from slipping too far in the stirrup. Smooth outsoles made for faster dismounts, while steel or stiff leather shanks in the insole provided reinforced arches, making it easier to stand up in the stirrups. These new cowboy boots possessed tall, rigid “uppers,” to protect the legs from chafing, brush, and snakebites the decorative stitching and piping strengthened the leather and kept it from sagging. And when German immigrants, some of whom were skilled cobblers, settled in Texas, the result was an all-American product-a melting pot of influences. Because neither cavalry nor vaquero boots were ideally suited to the needs of the newly-minted American cowboy, the demand for specialized bootmakers grew. Vaqueros also brought with them a tradition of branding and roping cattle. They were brought by colonists, soldiers, and vaqueros, who traveled up the El Camino Real and established towns and ranchos throughout the region. Thanks to them, working cowboys (and aficionados) continue to walk tall, literally and figuratively.Īlthough low-heeled cavalry boots were the initial style introduced to the United States, low-heeled vaquero boots became commonplace throughout the Southwest by the mid-19th century. Making boots by hand is a dying art, but happily, there are companies dedicated to preserving this essential piece of American heritage. It’s a tradition that spans three centuries, which should make us all proud. Today’s cowboy boots are a form of heirloom footwear-a classic design, largely produced by hand, aided by both modern and vintage tools, machines, and materials. The scope and commitment required to produce modern versions of these heritage products draws on American ingenuity and loyalty. To augment this issue’s “Made in America” theme, American Cowboy made a pilgrimage to Texas to visit these legendary companies. And the iconic Rios of Mercedes are made in Mercedes, Texas, along with sister brands Olathe Boot Company and Anderson Bean Boot Company. Hill, Lucchese, and Rocketbuster, plus the massive Justin Brands factory. El Paso is home to independent manufacturers such as J.B. More than 150 years later, Texas remains the epicenter of cowboy culture, and El Paso and Mercedes are the beating hearts of American bootmaking. And the people I work with, their other joy and passion are horses and cattle. “The Evans family has been cattle ranching for five generations in Texas and New Mexico. “I got into this business 40 years ago,” says Trainor Evans of Rios of Mercedes, Texas’ oldest boot company, established in 1853 by the Rios family. Today, boot companies are often owned, run, and staffed by longtime or multi-generational employees dedicated to upholding the tradition of American bootmaking. Bootmakers responded, and an entire industry was born. Cavalry boots lacked as higher heels (two inches or more) for anchoring the foot in the stirrup and minimizing the chances of getting hung up. Cattle ranching was big business in Texas, and the need for a specific type of boot emerged. Cowboy boots, as we know them, are synonymous with Texas, where 19th-century bootmakers adapted the classical riding boots, Northern European in origin, worn by both sides of the cavalry during the American Civil War.
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