The best cowboy boots for a wedding

Justin's Bent Rail collection is the answer to a question beginners ask constantly: which cowboy boot does not look like a work boot. Justin publishes a leather upper over a leather outsole with a double-stitched welt, an 11-inch boot height, a broad square toe and its J-Flex insole. The leather outsole is the part that matters for dressing up - it is thinner and quieter than rubber, it takes a shine, and it is why this boot reads as footwear rather than equipment. The broad square toe keeps it comfortable despite that. Justin states the line is handcrafted in the USA with globally sourced materials, which is unusual at this price.

What you give up: You give up wet-weather confidence and grip. A leather sole is slick on tile and wet pavement until it wears in, and it is not what you want for a muddy field.

Tony Lama sits in the slot between the mid-market brands and the handmade tier, and the Bonham is its cushion-comfort everyday boot, listed at a 13-inch height. The reason to put it on a beginner's list is the proportion: Tony Lama's shapes are narrower and more upright than the square-toe mainstream, so a boot like this works with a dress trouser in a way a wide square toe never will. If the occasion you are buying for is a wedding or a night out rather than a fairground, start here and in Justin's Bent Rail rather than in the sport lines.

What you give up: You give up toe-box room and cost. The narrower last is unforgiving if your foot is wide, and the price sits above the entry brands.

Corral is the brand you reach for when the boot is the outfit. The company describes handmade designs built with traditional craftsmanship, and its boots typically run a 13-inch shaft, a 2-inch stacked heel, a cushioned leather insole and a leather outer sole with a rubber heel cap. The embroidery, inlay and overlay work is genuinely good and it is the reason these appear in every country-wedding photograph on the internet. For a beginner the tall shaft and stacked heel do need a short break-in, so buy them two or three weeks before the event, not two days.

What you give up: You give up practicality. A 2-inch stacked heel on a leather sole is not a standing-all-day boot, and the decoration limits how many outfits it goes with.

The Round Up is Ariat's more fashion-led western boot and the bridge between the plain Heritage line and a decorated Corral. Expect a taller shaft than the Fatbaby, snip or square toe options depending on the model, stitch detail on the shaft and Ariat's cushioned footbed underneath. It is the pair that works for a wedding, a nice dinner and a concert without looking like three different boots, which for a first purchase is the single most useful property a boot can have.

What you give up: You give up the Fatbaby's instant comfort. A taller shaft and a higher heel mean a real break-in week, and a snip toe is less forgiving on a wide foot.

Dan Post lists the Renegade CS with a distressed leather vamp and stitched upper, a square toe with a western heel, a single-stitched welt over a Dan Post leather outsole, full leather lining with its Ultimate Flex insole, and a 13-inch shaft. The 13-inch shaft is the reason to pick it: a taller shaft keeps a bootcut jean sitting where it should instead of bunching at the ankle, and it is what makes a boot look deliberate rather than borrowed. The distressed finish also forgives the scuffs a first pair inevitably collects in month one, which is a real advantage when you are still learning not to kick doorframes.

What you give up: You give up easy entry. A 13-inch shaft takes more effort to get on and off, and a leather sole again means caution on wet tile.