Boots - In Depth

Boots are one of your most important pieces of equipment. Ya....Boots. They can be the difference between a simple get off or being dragged around the arena. This is one area that you should not mess around with.

First and foremost is the heel. Ditch the walking heels...yer gonna need a riding heel. A spur shelf is preferred but not completely necessary. A rawhide counter (the heel cup) is also really nice for protection. At least make sure it's thick leather back there or you will bruise a heel.

Secondly, don't even think about using anything but a leather sole! Seriously. Just don't. Your noggin can thank me later. And you need a full welt....not three quarter. That means the leather sole runs the full length of the boot (shown below) and there are no nails in the sole before the heel. You want nothing that can catch in the stirrup and leave you limping home. If you are that lucky.

Fit. Make sure it....fits. Duh. ...but it's more than that. Too loose and they may come off (not super likely unless you're swimming in them) during the ride, too tight and you're hung up. Some guys will split their boots down the front and back to the ankle to prevent hang-ups....if they fit right, this is just ruining a good pair of boots. But it's up to you. Rule of thumb, you want them to slip off your heel if you put slight pressure on the boot with your opposite foot. You be the judge...it's your neck. I always rode with boots 1/2 size bigger than what I normally wear. You don't want to be slopping around, just not tight. Note: if you cinch up your spurs too tight....your boots aren’t coming off regardless of the size. Also, make sure the instep gives you lots of room. There is nothing worse than hanging up even after your heel pops out of the heel cup of your boot, because your foot is still wedged in there. Baby powder can help some, with this.

Welt. It's the part of the sole that sticks out past the sides of the boot. You want minimal here. For that reason you should stay away from double stitched soles (below). The slimmer the boot the better. If you have super wide feet, make sure you accommodate them with wider stirrups (maybe try 3" stirrups instead of 2 1/2. Hint: This the gap measured at the top of the stirrup, so it may only help slightly). The idea is that less width in your boot means your foot slides out easier.

Stay away from the super wide square toe box. You want round...or a slim square toe (like below). Make sure there is no metal/plastic or sewn-on leather over the toe that could catch (toe caps? Seriously?....). Even if it's only caught for a split second, that's long enough to get a hoof in the teeth.

Bull hide is thick, protects your feet the best and lasts longest. It's not a necessity though.

We suggest olathe, and Barstow bronc boots. There are other good ones out there too, we are just the most familiar with these brands.

When in doubt...just make sure it's gonna come off easy. You can even dump some baby powder inside your boots to make them slip more. Perfect for sticky, sweaty feet.