If you take a look at street style pictures from any fashion week or peruse photos of festival-goers, chances are you’ll spot more than a handful of cowboy boots in the crowd. Whether it’s a pair of silver boots from Annie’s Ibiza and Terry De Havilland spotted outside a Ganni show in Copenhagen or Kendrick Lamar flaunting a custom pair by Rocketbuster while performing at Coachella, cowboy boots seem to have infiltrated every plane and corner of the world, but how did the quintessential Americana style become a staple without borders?
To begin tracing the expansion of cowboy boots, we need to make our way back to the American West. Texas and Kansas are widely credited as the birthplaces of this style of functional footwear, with various shops across the states pioneering it in the 19th century. Though the American West still has a strong claim to the cowboy boot and its aesthetic, the first seeds were planted long before riders and ranchers of the region began saddling up.
“I’m always resistant to make singular origin claims around practical, purpose-built garments or footwear that emerged in different parts of the world at different moments in history,” Sonya Abrego, a New York City-based fashion historian and author of Westernwear: Postwar American Fashion and Culture, tells Observer. “But what we recognize today as a cowboy boot has roots in Spanish equestrian culture—a riding boot with a narrow toe to help the foot slide in the stirrup and a heel to help secure it in place came to this continent with horses and cattle that the Spanish colonizers brought with them from the 1400s.”
Brought over first from Spain and later via Mexico, the vaquero influence on cowboy boots is undeniable, but similar boot styles were also present in other European countries. Lithographs from the 17th century show French military personnel and horsemen donning cavalier boots, a sister to the cowboy boot that was also popular in England, sometimes even equipped with spurs.
Despite external influences, the cowboy boot as we know it today emerged from agrarian roots in the post-Civil War United States. “As cattle ranching expanded after the American Civil War, bootmakers developed specialized designs that better suited cowboys’ daily work on horseback,” says Vicky Latham, who co-founded and co-leads London-based specialized fashion brand Jessie Western alongside her sister Jessie Blake. Together, the sisters have been selling and manufacturing cowboy boots with North American makers for over a quarter of a century, gaining clients such as Bella Hadid, Kate Moss, Chloe Sevigny, Kate Hudson and Brad Pitt.
Some of the defining features of today’s cowboy boot shoe style include “taller boot shafts, sturdy leather, pointed toes and angled heels, [which] became standard because they improved comfort and safety while riding,” says Latham. One of the first known examples of the modern cowboy boot dates back to 1875 and is attributed to Kansas bootmaker Charles Hyer, who owned a cobbler shop in Olathe. The brand claims the boot was born when a cowboy requested a custom shoe for cattle driving.
Other pioneers in the field include Justin Boots, which set up shop in Spanish Fort, Texas, in 1879. Also in Texas, we find Lucchese, founded in 1883, and Rios of Mercedes, established in 1853, both of which began making military and utilitarian footwear before naturally shifting to and specializing in cowboy boots.
For a while, cowboy boots were reserved for the ranch and riding, but it didn’t take long for them to start escaping the confines of cattle life. Abrego notes that there has “clearly been a lot of stylistic variation and decorative treatments and new materials” that have transformed cowboy boots since their humble beginnings. Latham and Blake pinpoint the shift to the early 20th century, when other elements, such as decorative stitching and colorful leather, were slowly introduced to make each pair stand out. That began the transition from “purely functional footwear” into “symbols of personal style,” according to the sisters.
“Cowboy boots were originally designed for a purpose, from the angled heel that secured a rider’s foot in the stirrup to the tall shaft that protected the leg on horseback. But they have always represented more than function,” Doug Hogue, vice president of brand and product at Lucchese, tells Observer. “Since the creation of the cowboy boot, there haven’t been many significant changes, but we do see variations within the shaft heights, toe shapes and silhouettes.”
The most notable expansion of cowboy boots began in the mid-20th century, as rodeo culture grew and cowboy boots became a staple for country musicians and actors. More specifically, during the 1930s and 1940s, as Western movies rose in popularity, cowboy boots began to pop up everywhere, worn by both men and women. Over the next couple of decades, everyone from John Wayne and Roy Rogers to Dale Evans and Betty grable was seen wearing cowboy boots.
Actor and musician Gene Autry, known as the Singing Cowboy, took the craze to a new level with an expansive collection of custom boots, many of which are now preserved in the Autry Museum of the American West.
Abrego believes it’s precisely because of these various depictions—in film, television and print media—that the boots still remain recognizably “Western” to this day. Shows like the uber-popular soap opera Dallas introduced global audiences to the style of shoe, which was extensively featured in the characters’ wardrobe as a symbol of wealth and Texan culture.
By the ‘80s, cowboy boots had already earned a spot in the high-fashion space via Vogue spreads and on musicians beyond country, such as David Bowie, and royalty, with Princess Diana giving them her stamp of approval, tucking her casual jeans into the high shaft. In 1989, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders reportedly introduced their now-iconic white boots as part of their uniform. The boots remain part of the uniform to this day and, since 2011, have been made by Lucchese, now in their fourth custom version for extra comfort.
During the ‘90s, cowboy boots further permeated the mainstream, appearing in shows and movies as well as red carpet premieres. Jennifer Aniston wore a pair in promotional pictures for the short-lived 1990 sitcom Ferris Bueller, while Reese Witherspoon rocked a pair to the premiere of Robert Mulligan’s The Man in the Moon. They became almost a uniform for celebrities like Britney Spears, Sienna Miller and Kate Moss, among others, in the early and mid-aughts, as styles like boho-chic and indie sleaze began taking off. In her debut country era, as expected, Taylor Swift became a poster child for cowboy boots.
Around the same time, cowboy boots got the high-fashion treatment via bespoke and custom collections inspired by the Americana aesthetic and the wild spirits it’s meant to evoke, like Givenchy’s spring-summer 1998 collection, designed by Alexander McQueen.
The extra exposure led to a boom in popularity that turned cowboy boots from a niche aesthetic into a popular shoe choice, and that momentum has only grown in the 2010s and 2020s. Noted horse girls like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner have been spotted rocking various pairs while gallivanting around the city. Since 2024, Beyoncé’s historic Cowboy Carter album has also ushered in a widespread mainstream resurgence for Americana staples, including cowboy boots, as many put together looks inspired by the album for her mammoth world tour.
In high fashion, cowboy boots are also still standing strong. They were a key part of Pharrell’s fall-winter 2024 men’s collection for Louis Vuitton, which explored the origins of workwear with a focus on the American West, and have since graced the runways at Meryll Rogge’s Marni, Khaite, Gabriela Hearst, Chloé, Fendi and more.
“There have always been bold color choices, contrasts and clever customization in cowboy boot design,” Abrego says, “[but] we’ve seen fashion designers bringing them into collections in ways that can reflect a kind of ‘Americana’ while others bring them in to critique or subvert those ideas.”
And then, of course, there’s the resurgence of Western-centric shows like Yellowstone and its spin-off, Dutton Ranch, as well as Landman, all of which feature characters prominently wearing cowboy boots, ranging from classic work boots to elaborate, embellished silhouettes.
With more celebrity co-signs and greater visibility, cowboy boots, once made only by traditional businesses, have naturally started popping up in mass retailers and becoming increasingly accessible to the general public worldwide. Walmart, for example, has a pair for under $46, while Free People sells another for $78, allowing everyone to dip their toes in the trend, even if it’s for a one-and-done event.
Whether it’s a cobbler with centuries-old traditions, a high-fashion house or a mass retailer, cowboy boot manufacturing has changed significantly since the post-Civil War days. “Bespoke shoemaking was replaced with larger workshops and wider distribution through mail order and easier access to travel,” Abrego explains. “You see companies like Hyer in Kansas, that got started in 1875 and grew from being a small cobbler shop to a specialist in boots for cowboys, and the look starts becoming more standardized and recognizable.”
Despite the advances, the essence has remained untouched. “Technology will never replace craftsmanship; it just gives talented people better tools to work with,” Hogue says, adding that artisanal expertise will always trump innovation. Though modern advancements have been woven into the practices that brands like Lucchese have perfected for more than 143 years, for most heritage bootmakers, the process is still “virtually unchanged,” Hogue says, to ensure shoes can withstand a lifetime.
Prices also denote how much of an investment a good pair of cowboy boots has always been. The Johnson County Museum has records of two pairs of boots from Hyer (then C. H. Hyer and Sons, Inc.) sold for $26.50 (about $645.90 today) in 1932. Archival posters from the same decade advertise shoes for as low as $14.85 (around $362 currently) for men’s sizes and $10.50 (around $256) for women’s and children’s sizes.
Since its relaunch in 2023, Hyer now offers everyday, riding, ranching and fashion boots, ranging from around $250 to $1,000. Ranching and riding boots, which prioritize utility, tend to be more affordable, while fashion-first shoes focus on flashier designs and “exotic” leathers. Lucchese’s offering, on the other hand, goes from $395 to nearly $17,000. Other popular commercial brands like Ariat start at around $180, and the brand says “they fit in just as well on the ranch as they do at a festival.”
Both in the 1930s and now, the process of creating a cowboy boot begins even before the materials are assembled. “Designing a cowboy boot involves selecting the leather, toe shape, heel, shaft, stitching and fit leather and inlaid and stitching,” Latham, who’s also worked with Lucchese in the past, explains. When Jessie Western offered bespoke boot services, a single pair of custom boots would take three months to be made.
Timing varies heavily depending on style and construction. Hogue says that at Lucchese, an average of 180 people touch each boot manufactured. The process still involves picking the leathers and hand-selecting hides before proceeding to cutting, shaping and stitching. The brand finishes each boot with the use of a “signature twisted cone,” which Hogue says “ensures a superior fit.” (Latham agrees that “traditional hand-pegging is a hallmark of high-end, bespoke or heritage-grade bootmaking designed to last for decades.”)
Traditionally made cowboy boots have become somewhat of a collector’s item for those who appreciate the savoir-faire. “When customers buy cowboy boots, it is more than just chasing a trend—they’re investing in craftsmanship, heritage and timeless style,” Hogue says. “The design has remained relevant because it’s both functional and refined and it pairs just as well with luxury ready-to-wear as it does with classic denim. Around the world, consumers are increasingly seeking products with authenticity and longevity, and that’s why the cowboy boot continues to resonate across generations and cultures.”
That’s not to say the agrarian and utilitarian roots have been completely stripped in lieu of only luxury and display approaches. “The labor and function of cowboy boots have not been removed for everyone,” Abrego points out. “There are plenty of real cowboys and cowgirls, working ranchers, farmers and rodeo riders whose lifestyles are true to those roots. But like so many things in fashion, it’s also easily adapted in other places and settings that have nothing to do with cattle culture.” While some may be buying a pair for a statement, heritage brands still target those customers with investment pieces featuring durable cowhides and comfortable insoles that will last them for years.
The straddling of those two different worlds makes cowboy boots a cornerstone addition for some, and a tried-and-true trend that’s bound to cycle back for many others. The original market is still there, and demand is soaring elsewhere. Someone who lives thousands of miles from the American West likely won’t buy a pair of cowboy boots with the nitty-gritty aspects of ranching in mind, but that doesn’t mean they won’t consider a pair to get their styling gears spinning.
