Frequently asked questions

Mostly - start at your street shoe size and expect about half a size of variation between brands. Judge the fit at the instep and heel rather than by the number on the box. Full method: the sizing guide.

Down, if you are between sizes, with a slightly thicker sock. Leather relaxes across the width over the first weeks but does not get longer, so a boot that is too long will slip at the heel forever.

Snug across the ball of the foot, firm over the instep with a distinct pop as your foot goes in, a quarter to half inch of heel lift when new, and about half an inch of room at the toes. See how should cowboy boots fit.

A quarter to half inch of lift is normal and correct - the sole is stiff and has not yet developed a flex point. It reduces within two weeks. Sideways movement, or more than half an inch, means the boot is too big.

One to two weeks of wearing them an hour a day for a typical leather boot. Rubber-soled cushioned boots need almost none; traditional leather-soled boots can take three or four weeks. The safe method.

Short frequent wears with a thicker sock, flexing the vamp by hand between sessions, and a light conditioner at the crease points. Never heat, water or a hairdryer - all three permanently damage leather.

A correctly sized pair with a heel under 1.5 inches and a cushioned insole is comfortable for most people. A tall riding heel on a stiff leather sole is not. The variable that decides it is your arch - the honest answer.

A wide square or wide round toe in your normal width, before you go hunting for EE stock. A width letter widens the whole boot including the heel pocket; a toe shape adds room where wide feet actually hurt. Five picks.

Buy a shorter shaft, buy a boot sold as wide-calf, or have a cobbler fit an elastic gore panel into the back seam. The gore panel is the least-known option and usually the best. Wide feet and wide calves.

Between $150 and $250 if you expect to wear them regularly - that is where full-grain leather and welted, resoleable construction begin. Under $150 is right for a single event. What each band buys.

Ariat, for a practical reason rather than a quality one: its sizing is predictable and it makes more toe shapes and widths at mid prices than anyone else, which raises the odds that an online order fits. The brand map.

Rubber for one pair that does everything - grip, weather, concrete, long days. Leather for dressing up and dancing. Or buy the leather-soled boot and have a cobbler fit a thin rubber half-sole, which gets you both. Compared in full.

Square or broad square if your feet are wide or you want the current mainstream look; round or R-toe if you want one versatile pair that works with tailoring. Toe shape is a fit decision disguised as a style one - all seven shapes.

No, as a default - jeans go over the boot, in a bootcut or straight leg with a hem wide enough to clear the shaft. Tucking is a riding and rodeo convention. The full answer.

Twice a year for boots in regular wear, plus after any soaking. Clean with saddle soap, dry at room temperature away from heat, then condition thinly. The twenty-minute routine.

Welted boots can, typically three or four times, for a fraction of a new pair. Cemented boots - where the sole is glued - usually cannot be done economically. How to tell which you have.

Straw. It is cooler, far cheaper, and you will mistreat your first hat while learning how to wear one. Buy felt second, once you know your size, brim and crease. Felt vs straw.

Wearing every western piece at once - decorated boots, a tooled belt, a trophy buckle, a patterned shirt and a hat together. Let one piece be the statement and keep the rest plain. What not to wear.