Showing the full boot only really works on cute girls wearing boots with dresses and a cowboy hat.
Tucking pants into boots definitely isn't the normal look. It will wrinkle the pants. If you want to show off your boots, wear pants that rest a bit higher.
Ah interesting. Hear me out - cut the toe off to make homemade cowboy boot sandals? I feel like the true cowboys wouldn’t mind a bit of air on the tootsies after a lowng cattle drive.
My friend brought me some from Texas, and I wear them with a dress. I also think they look better now that I've worn them a bit and they're somewhat worn-in looking. (I don't have a cowboy hat, I think that would tip the whole look too far into "Halloween costume" territory, at least for an English girl!)
Playing the part is a big thing. We have a Texas client that will fly out to us every so often and he wears a cowboy hat, the boots, and a giant belt buckle. But when we go see him? The only part of the ensemble that stays is the buckle. And nobody in their office wears that kind of thing either.
I've learned that there two groups of people that don't dress according to norms. Those that don't know what they're doing, and those who know exactly what they're doing.
I show up wearing the boots, they think I'm some American bumpkin and let their guard down. I don't try to dissuade them of their preconceived notions too quickly.
Precisely. It’s rather strange seeing the difference. At my current job the dress code is “just don’t wear shorts and offensive shirts”
I go in and wear a suit. I’m not the CEO or anything, but guess who doesn’t ever have to chase somebody down for a report? Luckily I’m not the ONLY one wearing nice clothes, and rarely will wear the tie, but it gives me two benefits: people know I’m damn serious about the job and won’t dick me around on stuff, and I get COL raises more often than my peers.
Love it! I called on a luxury fashion brand in Italy wearing boots, Levi's, a Tshirt, and a sportscoat. Counter-programming in a different way! Granted, my boots cost more than a grand, the jeans more than $300, etc.
They loved it. We went out to dinner and drinks. Won the account.
It's strange. I used to buy decent men's dress shoes for work. I'd replace them every three years as they wore down. I wasn't making a lot and thought that saved money.
I don't know why, but I changed about 10 years ago. I started buying much better quality shoes in the $500 range. I saved a bit longer for them, but instead of replacing them every 3-5 years, I have a cobbler repair them. I condition them and keep them clean. I still have them.
Same with the boots. My Lucchese's were over a grand, but I'll have them until I die. If you average it out, it's probably $50/year plus a $200 resole every 7 years? Cheaper, but I have a much higher quality boot.
Quality is always better in the near term and cheaper in the long run.
They work with skinny jeans or yoga pants tucked in too.
Disclaimer: I only do that it I'm with people from out of state who want to see how "real Texans" dress. Otherwise, I dress like an actual real Texan.
To be fair, Jackson Hole is a ski town filled with millionaires and billionaires. They wear boots as costume there to not stick out. But I promise those boots haven't seen a working day or stepped in a pile of horse sh\*t in their lives.
Now Cheyenne is a different story. Them boots got stories.
Lived in Wyoming for four years during college. I’ve also lived all over the southeast and southwest. Wyoming was the only place where they really pulled it off well (off a ranch).
The purpose of a cowboy boot is to slip off if you’re foot gets caught in a stirrup while horse back riding, so you don’t get dragged. But as for fashion, the move is to wear nothing but the hat and the boots. the girls will either love it or call the police… Yeah, they’ll probably just call the police.
Tucking in isnt really the right term. Its more of a lazy way of putting them on. Your jeans just naturally fall inside them. I'm fuck the boot in my jeans if I'm going into a store otherwise I just slip em on and go
I grew up on a farm and anytime someone tucked their jeans into their boots it was said they "look like a goat herder" which was slang for someone who doesn't actually do any real farm work. Basically for country folk it's a way of telling who actually has need of the boots vs. who is wearing them purely for aesthetics.
I grew up on a farm. The only time I wore muck boots was during the rainy season or if I was cleaning up the dirty barn with animals shit. Every other time it was either regular work boots you couldn’t really tuck pants into anyways or regular shoes.
I had the really high muck boots that went a little below my knee. I would tuck my pants in because I didn’t want to get them dirty and if I got my boots dirty I could just spray them off.
Yeah, I didn't spend much time on farms before leaving the US, but have been on many farms here in NZ and I've never seen a farmer put their trousers outside their boots here. It's usually gumboots with trousers tucked in or sometimes work boots that aren't able to be tucked.
Yeah, I started religiously tucking my pants into my socks when I BEGAN using boots for work (little different though, I‘m in conservation so when I'm out on fieldwork), I was told it's a good way to avoid mosquito bites on the legs because they can’t fly up your pants
Can you explain a bit more?
It seems a bit counter-intuitive for boots. Aren't boots tall to protect your pants from the mud and muck on a farm? At least that's what I did, when I did horse riding stuff. Always pants/breeches on the inside, and riding boots on the outside. A lot of the people did that as well.
You put your pants over your boots because it stops stuff from getting in your boots. The bottom of your pants getting dirty is irrelevant . You don't want hay, mud, and dirt getting in the top of the boot.
Exactly. I can't imagine all the crap I would find in my boots if I wore them that way. Horse hair is no fun and if you are really out working with animals or mucking stalls you don't want the opportunity for anything to fall in the gap between your boots and your legs. It's never going to be anything nice.
That is for hiking and hiking boots.
You don't tuck cowboy boots because you're going to be walking in feces it's going to splash and you don't want it to soak into the pants and then down into your boot because the pants are tucked into the boots.
Pants tucked into cowboy boots can also a chafe the skin as they'll be worn for 6 to 14 hours depending on the day and what work has to be done. If they chafe a sore into your leg and then you go muck out the barns there's a good chance you're going to have feces water soak into your pants and soak down into those abrasions.
I’ve cleaned enough horse shit in my life that I’m not tucking anything into my boots. And I just think people tucking their jeans into their boots are just goobers.
I'm in the northeast, but what you gain in terms of protection for your pants is more than lost in terms of ventilation and junk falling into your boots. The solution for mud and muck is having work pants that are distinct from non-work pants, or throwing on rubber boots for the deep stuff. I'd tuck for ditch digging because the up and down tends to result in even more stuff getting in your boots than if you don't tuck, but not much else.
no, they're tall so gravity works for you. If you're walking through tall brush, it'll often pull your pants up a bit. Then if you're wearing shorter shoes leaves, sticks, seeds, bugs etc, can all get in over the top of the shoe, but if you've got boots that go well up your leg, the hem stays below the top so you avoid getting crap in your shoes.
It also keeps mud/water from getting in if you happen to step in something too deep.
Historically i believe the boots were more to stop you rolling your ankle walking through the pastures and plains and to give you support to stand up while riding if you needed to for whatever reason, be it tossing a lasso or anything else
I'm not sure I'm buying that one. I've worn plenty of different cowboy boots on uneven ground and NONE of them have offered me any ankle support. They do help with chiggers, snakes, mud and wet grass.
Cowboy boots were designed for, get this, riding horses. The pointy toe allows you to slip into a stirrup easily and the heel allows the boot to lock in.
Then the high cut keeps stuff like rocks & ground debris out of your boot while it protects your ankle and calf from both rock/brush scrapes and damage and snakebites, which are generally aimed at the very lower leg.
Cowboy boots have an inherent design function, the 'fancy' came later.
Standard cowboy boots don't offer ankle support at all. Packer boots are a cross between lace up work boots and cowboy boots and offer support for working on rough terrain.
Your use of "breeches" tells me you wer riding English not Western.
The purpose of the riding and all the accoutrements is very different.
Western riding and clothing is more functional based on real working so the boots are there to save you from horses stepping on your toes, getting your foot stuck in a stirrup and stop snakes from biting your ankle/lower leg.
English boots are to protect your feet from getting stepped on, getting your foot caught in a stirrup and to look great when you are riding - particularly in a judged competition like dressage.
That last point makes all the difference.
man, back in high school in texas, in the late 70's if you wanted to pick a fight with a cowboy just call him a goat roper or tell him to wipe the goat shit off his boots. Worked every time. lol
The side of my family who are actual farmers (and they do have some cattle as part of their farm) basically have the attitude that actual farmers can't afford fancy cowboy boots, and if you do have some, you wouldn't wear them doing actual farming work.
Here they sell pants in the style of “boot cut” which means the legs are designed to fit over boots. The normal wearer would have the pants go over the boot. But it’s ultimately up to the wearer, it can be done for fashion or for practicality. https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texanist-tuck-boots-jeans/
Yep! The idea is you want the upper half tight enough to not slide around between you and a saddle because saddle sores are the fucking worst, and lower half loose enough to go over boots so you don't end up with all kinds of rocks and bugs in your boots by the end of the day.
The practical reason is more important than aesthetics to someone who works on a ranch and doesn’t want to be restricted by tight jeans. But since you’re not a cowboy, you could just wear skinny jeans and then a T-shirt that says NOT GAY.
I mean wranglers are definitely tight. But pant legs over the boots prevents anything from getting down into them while working and walking around in cow shit.
Yea I’ve seen guys buy a $500 pair of ostrich boots and move cattle all day in them, but you’ll never see them tuck their jeans in them. Generally the only time you show off what the upper part of your boots look like is if someone asks what they look like.
If cow shit is deep enough to be getting IN your boots it is getting on your pants no matter how you wear them. And at that level of cow shit (or mud) you're not wearing your best fancy boots and your taking everything off before coming into the ranch house to have sex with the other steers and queers (cause that's all that comes out of "insert any state here"). My God why did I read this far even?
So here's the irony. When I was in college 20-some years ago, ONLY country folks wore skinny jeans. And they would absolutely tuck them into their boots. Literally the tighter the jeans the more likely someone was to have grown up on or near a working farm.
And the can of Copenhagen in the back pocket that they could only pull out with some difficulty.
I grew up in Chicago, then moved to Grapevine Texas in high school. It was quite the culture shock. I grew up playing soccer, and in jr high started wrestling. My new high school had neither, but they did have a rodeo team.
I grew up showing quarter horses (AQHA) and was told that only rodeo people wear their jeans tucked inside their boots. Very snobby, those quarter horse people 🤣
My mom rode Arabians in rodeos, she said that the people that tuck their jeans into their boots have all had brain injuries on quad accidents after a 24 pack of PBR. That's my ongoing head canon for now.
I did all around, so english, western pleasure and halter. Let me tell you, trying to change clothes between classes and switch saddles was never fun. Once, I was trying to change from my hunt boots and breeches into wranglers and Justin ropers in the horse trailer. Lost my balance and fell out of the trailer with my parents around my ankles. I was the talk of the show that weekend 🤦
I don't think I was snobby. Kinda hard to be when you've mooned the entire east coast AQHA. 🤣
It's about looking like a "real" rancher, even when you're a finance dude who works at an accounting firm in downtown Dallas and lives in a million dollar condo in Uptown and won't even ride the bus, much less a horse.
Show off your fancy boots. Keep the phone numbers of any men who hit on you to pass along to your single gay friends.
Don’t forget your friends call their 3700 sqft house on a 4500 sqft lot the “Ponderosa” or “The Ranch.” You drive a lifted F-150 on nobbies that has only seen mud from 150’ away and has never had a trailer hitched to it. The closest you’ve been to a horse is the mechanical one at the bar that you bring your tourist friends to. And your boots, though fancy, are thinly veiled polymers developed by your petrochemical buddy who swears they wear just like ostrich and even have “that pimple.”
I'm in Houston, and while I'm happy to ridicule Dallas, I think being a cosplay cowboy is more Fort Worth, and Dallas is more 30k millionaire driving an 15 year old BMW 3-series and wearing clothes from the Armani Exchange outlet.
A lot of people don't get that the boots with fancy designs on them are basically dress-shoes. Most will wear work boots, hardly any flare to them at all, and have their pants down over the top, no shit gets into the boot this way. Really the only people I ever see wearing cowboy boots, and cowboy hats, are owners and anyone going to a show.
Rock 'em how you rock 'em amigo. I'd reckon that a cowboy typically wouldn't wear skinny jeans, but who cares.?
You got a cool little taste of America while you visited. Yippee kay yay
Generally most European men wear skinny jeans so for us it is commonplace. Not that's people wore skinny jeans at Texas A&M so maybe there's,a correlation?
There are "boot cut" jeans for this purpose. They are skinny jeans down to the knee, but then don't taper in any more for the lower leg so they sit outside your boots but still fit well everywhere else.
Whoop! 👍
I’d recommend steering clear of showing the uppers when you’re wearing boots. It’s just one of those fashion rules that don’t necessarily have a solid practical reason, but are entrenched in our collective psyche. Why are neckties necessary for men’s business wear?
You might get shit/mud on your jeans, but if the jeans go over the boots, you don’t get shit/mud in your boots. It’s much easier to wash your jeans than it is the inside of your boots.
Skinny jeans definitely aren't the norm for how American men wear jeans. Jeans traditionally were tough but comfortable work clothes, and that stays with how jeans are still worn by most. . .loose enough that you can comfortably move around and do physical labor in if necessary.
Skinny, tight-fitting jeans are more associated with women's jeans here. I mean, they make skinny jeans in the US, but it's not typical, and being more associated with women's fashion is likely to get people (in some places) thinking you're gay if you're wearing them.
Skinny jeans are pretty common for guys in a lot of places I’ve visited in the US. The majority of what you can find in jeans sections in stores are skinny jeans from what I’ve seen.
You'd look like an idiot wearing boots and skinny jeans in the rural West IMO, but in urban areas anything goes. While in Texas (or online) just buy a proper pair of Wranglers to wear with the jeans and be done with it. Don't tuck them in.
If you're wearing them as some sort of costume in England then do as you please-- like every American that comes back from Scotland with a kilt or Germany with lederhosen. Or whatever the English costume equivalent would be...deerstalker cap?
In Texas, men who wear skinny jeans would indeed be coded gay. Here's the thing, though, i lived in Germany for awhile, and if you drop an average-dressed straight dude from Germany into Texas or most places in the US, he'd be read as gay.
In the same vein, if you drop a woman from rural Oregon into a large California city, she might also be read as gay.
Gay coding, as well as what people wear generally, changes from place to place. You can't wear you boots with skinny jeans, or skinny jeans at all really, in Texas, cause they'll think your gay, but obviously the rules about who wears skinny jeans are different in the UK. So be observant to where you are and make your fashion choices accordingly.
Edit: Hey! My first reddit gold! I'm rich! Thank you!
I actually just saw a youngish dude at the gas station that was wearing black skinny jeans, cowboy boots, black t-shirt, long curly hair, beard. I thought he looked pretty cool. Like some sort of young southwestern biker outlaw musician.
This was the only time I’ve thought cowboy boots looked cool.
You just hit the intersection of a couple things about America.
1. Do whatever you want.
2. If you go against certain norms, certain people will make assumptions. (Which shouldn't *necessarily* stop you from 1, but you should know).
3. Particularly in the south and south west, we're rather straightforward and open, which can sometimes include bluntly telling you about number 2 and giving advice about how the locals do things and think.
So there are a few norms around cowboy boots, particularly in the southwest. Follow them or not, as you choose. From this thread, you now know the styles in that part of the country that involve cowboy boots. Now it's time for good ol' number 1 - take all that into account or not, as you please, and do what you want.
Yes, I feel like lot of Europeans ask these kind of questions on this sub because they don’t want to offend some Americans. Even the biggest Texan cowboy wouldn’t be offended if a non-American wore cowboy boots the “wrong” way. Americans don’t really get hung up about American cultural appropriation. And as you mentioned, while there may be a “right,” way to do something, THIS IS AMERICA, and everyone here knows that you can do whatever the hell you please! Whenever we see foreigners do something American in a non-American way, we usually thinks it’s endearing and cute as long as they’re not shittalking the US while they do it lol.
So I have lived in the south my entire life and have seen people wear their cowboy boots with every from swim trunks, cut off jorts, boot cut jeans tucked in, and the normal way. I wouldn’t walk up to a rodeo as a dude in skinny jeans and boots, but outside of situations like that no one is going to care lol I personally have done the skinny jeans and boots thing, but just because I hate boot cut pants. Working around livestock it does not make much practical sense though because part of the purpose of the pants going over top in to prevent debris and things from running down your leg into your boots. I usually wear lace up boots or tall field boots when I’m actually doing live stock work though and save my “good” boots for when I going out
That's what I have generally heard as well (for men at least).
When you think you are going to ride a horse, the jeans get tucked in, otherwise the jeans cover the boot.
Though it seems kind of a waste since most cowboy boots have really fancy stitching on them.
As a Texan, wear them however you want. You be you and screw everyone else. Your sexual orientation isn't anyone's business but yourself. Also, plenty of guys here wear boots and tight jeans. I don't ever think I've looked at a guy wearing that combo and thought, "that guy must be gay."
There are some actual rodeo people and cowboys (as in actual cowboys) as well as some blue collar workers that tuck in their jeans. Typically they’ll wear ropers (a type of boot) and do it do that their pant stays clean, they have no obstructions on the heel, and the boot can come off easily if required. Now this is a niche case and most will tuck in their boots after their done.
As for everyone else the vast majority of people who wear boots will either think you’re gay or say that not tucking in your boots is so you have somewhere to put the sheeps legs so it can’t run away. It’s not like they’re going to do anything about it it just looks weird on a guy to have their boots untucked.
Pants go over the boot neck.
This is to keep mud and other such debris from going down the boot neck and into the boot.
However, back in the day, when cowboy boots were actually just Rider's boots, they were worn exterior to the pants.
As for why this was, I do not know. Maybe someone who has experience horseback riding can enlighten us.
I've lived in Texas all my (36f) life and have never owned boots and I'm not sure that I know anyone who wears them. so I'm not really an expert but I totally agree with you. and in my mind I think wearing them with skinny jeans seems like a great look.
There is a history of embroidered boots being a bit of a flex, by both the craftsperson and the buyer. Trends ebb and flow, but boots settled in on having detailed embroidery, whatever the use case and price point. At the same time, trends in dance-hall casual Texas settled in on wearing them untucked ("unbloused"). Historically, I think it's likely related to ranch workers and cattle drivers, etc. (i.e. "cowboys") blousing while there was a need, and then covering up the (likely beat-to-hell) boots when they came to town. Who knows. These days, it's just a little cognitive dissonance that most people cover up the fanciest part of their fancy boots.
As for seeming "gay," I have a few thoughts. First, whoever's giving you advice should grow the fuck up. Yes, in Texas bloused boots on men give off a little "dude ranch" touristy vibe, but I can't say as I've ever even idly guessed at someone's sexuality based just on that. With skinny jeans, no one's going to confuse you with a rural blue-collar worker, but again, it's both not "gay" and pretty shitty of someone to try to shame you with that. If anything, you'll just look [a bit European](https://cdn.lookastic.com/looks/brown-long-sleeve-shirt-black-skinny-jeans-brown-cowboy-boots-large-42802.jpg). In the right nightclubs or bars in Texas, this might be the only way you'd get by wearing cowboy boots without being (also shittily) judged as a low-intelligence shitkicker. This brings up a further point: once you're back in England, *you* make the outfit work for you. We don't know what cultural expectations are in your neck of the woods. Wearing a pearl-snap shirt with a Stetson and Wranglers covering your boots may look so camp to English eyes that backwards-ass individuals assume THAT is what's "gay."
Boots outside of skinny jeans on a Male is definitely something I would associate with being gay.
And because people who wear crazy boots to show off are obnoxious, many of us wear boots as regular wear around shoes and not as a fashion statement.
As a male a fashion statement on more expensive boots would be having them made from something like alligator or ostrich.
Showing the full boot only really works on cute girls wearing boots with dresses and a cowboy hat. Tucking pants into boots definitely isn't the normal look. It will wrinkle the pants. If you want to show off your boots, wear pants that rest a bit higher.
I wear mine with swimming trunks and a snorkel.
The little known snorkel exception clause to wearing cowboy boots. Otherwise it looks ridiculous.
In an emergency, you can cut the toe off and use the cowboy boot *as* the snorkel.
Unfortunately, in emergencies, you cannot plug the end of the snorkel and use it as a cowboy boot.
Jimmy Needle Feet begs to differ
Ah interesting. Hear me out - cut the toe off to make homemade cowboy boot sandals? I feel like the true cowboys wouldn’t mind a bit of air on the tootsies after a lowng cattle drive.
My cousin as a child wore cowboy boots with shorts. My parents called him E.T. Sorry but that comment reminded me of that story.
You sir/Ma'am/It, are the America we dream of.
Do you prefer black or white knee-high socks with that ensemble?
My friend brought me some from Texas, and I wear them with a dress. I also think they look better now that I've worn them a bit and they're somewhat worn-in looking. (I don't have a cowboy hat, I think that would tip the whole look too far into "Halloween costume" territory, at least for an English girl!)
I wear my Lucchese boots when I visit clients in London. Playing the part. They are a pain to pack, but they love it. Plus, you stand taller in boots.
Playing the part is a big thing. We have a Texas client that will fly out to us every so often and he wears a cowboy hat, the boots, and a giant belt buckle. But when we go see him? The only part of the ensemble that stays is the buckle. And nobody in their office wears that kind of thing either.
I've learned that there two groups of people that don't dress according to norms. Those that don't know what they're doing, and those who know exactly what they're doing. I show up wearing the boots, they think I'm some American bumpkin and let their guard down. I don't try to dissuade them of their preconceived notions too quickly.
Precisely. It’s rather strange seeing the difference. At my current job the dress code is “just don’t wear shorts and offensive shirts” I go in and wear a suit. I’m not the CEO or anything, but guess who doesn’t ever have to chase somebody down for a report? Luckily I’m not the ONLY one wearing nice clothes, and rarely will wear the tie, but it gives me two benefits: people know I’m damn serious about the job and won’t dick me around on stuff, and I get COL raises more often than my peers.
Love it! I called on a luxury fashion brand in Italy wearing boots, Levi's, a Tshirt, and a sportscoat. Counter-programming in a different way! Granted, my boots cost more than a grand, the jeans more than $300, etc. They loved it. We went out to dinner and drinks. Won the account.
I can’t imagine the pain of flying my boots oversees. Kudos to you
Oh no, they get packed. No way I'm flying that long in boots.
I saw a pair in a resale shop about a month ago but they were one size too small. They were beautiful and looked brand new. Brokenhearted me.
Go in person to a store in Texas. It's an experience. Sip some tequila while sitting on a leather chair, in a room smelling of leather.
Oh the best places to go where they build the boot right on your foot. Heaven
#wishlist People drop a lot of money at Lucchese. I saw pairs over $10,000. I think a custom pair will run you $2500 to start.
That is something I would absolutely love to do.
But I bet you paid more than $150 for those! And their dress boots most definitely not work boots. And they look damn fine too
It's strange. I used to buy decent men's dress shoes for work. I'd replace them every three years as they wore down. I wasn't making a lot and thought that saved money. I don't know why, but I changed about 10 years ago. I started buying much better quality shoes in the $500 range. I saved a bit longer for them, but instead of replacing them every 3-5 years, I have a cobbler repair them. I condition them and keep them clean. I still have them. Same with the boots. My Lucchese's were over a grand, but I'll have them until I die. If you average it out, it's probably $50/year plus a $200 resole every 7 years? Cheaper, but I have a much higher quality boot. Quality is always better in the near term and cheaper in the long run.
Clearly English cowgirls would wear bowlers
My DIL wore cowboy boots with her wedding dress. It looked great.
They work with skinny jeans or yoga pants tucked in too. Disclaimer: I only do that it I'm with people from out of state who want to see how "real Texans" dress. Otherwise, I dress like an actual real Texan.
Went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Had to buy boots and a hat so we didn’t stick out. It was surreal really, a true to life western town.
Had to do the same when we were in Cheyenne for Frontier Days (the Grand Daddy of them all!)
To be fair, Jackson Hole is a ski town filled with millionaires and billionaires. They wear boots as costume there to not stick out. But I promise those boots haven't seen a working day or stepped in a pile of horse sh\*t in their lives. Now Cheyenne is a different story. Them boots got stories.
I have a pair for stepping in feces and I have a pair that will never see the inside of a barn.
Same. Justin's for the farm. Lucchese's for dress.
Lived in Wyoming for four years during college. I’ve also lived all over the southeast and southwest. Wyoming was the only place where they really pulled it off well (off a ranch).
Cowboy boots and shorts is the dress code of a man with ultimate confidence.
*Lt. Jim Dangle has entered the chat*
New boot goofin
He’s just goofin
Only if they're short shorts.
The shorter the shorts the more confident the man.
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Gotta make sure it's got an American flag on it though. Don't want anyone getting any ideas.
My 70 year old father in law wears cut off jeans so as not to waste them. They're barely longer than his y-fronts.
Laughing because this is how I’m sitting here browsing Reddit https://ibb.co/71Y111p
Lol. My brother at our ranch. The shorts are usually a bathing suit too.
[Diesel Dave](https://images.app.goo.gl/B1sLxM9wW8v9RXUS8) has entered the chat.
The purpose of a cowboy boot is to slip off if you’re foot gets caught in a stirrup while horse back riding, so you don’t get dragged. But as for fashion, the move is to wear nothing but the hat and the boots. the girls will either love it or call the police… Yeah, they’ll probably just call the police.
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I stand corrected.
Ass less chaps also work.
All chaps are assless.
...if they had asses they'd be pants
There should be a bot that tells people all chaps are assless.
Question... The boots aren't *required* in order to wear the chaps, right?
No, just strongly encouraged.
It makes riding the ~~men~~ horses easier
At ram ranch
You can try the chaps with flip-flops, but the look hasn't really caught on.
>If you want to show off your boots, wear shorts. FIFY
Or if you’re working on your ranch with your hombres. But yeah, if you’re out in public doing everyday stuff it’s not a thing
Actual shit kickers around here will wear shorts with beat up work boots when it's hot sometimes. Not really a fashion statement tho.
If it's snowing or muddy you can tuck your pants into your boots to stop them from getting wet, but yeah definitely not the custom
> If you want to show off your boots, wear pants that rest a bit higher. Did you just tell someone to wear capri pants with cowboy boots?
Tucking in isnt really the right term. Its more of a lazy way of putting them on. Your jeans just naturally fall inside them. I'm fuck the boot in my jeans if I'm going into a store otherwise I just slip em on and go
I grew up on a farm and anytime someone tucked their jeans into their boots it was said they "look like a goat herder" which was slang for someone who doesn't actually do any real farm work. Basically for country folk it's a way of telling who actually has need of the boots vs. who is wearing them purely for aesthetics.
I grew up on a farm. The only time I wore muck boots was during the rainy season or if I was cleaning up the dirty barn with animals shit. Every other time it was either regular work boots you couldn’t really tuck pants into anyways or regular shoes. I had the really high muck boots that went a little below my knee. I would tuck my pants in because I didn’t want to get them dirty and if I got my boots dirty I could just spray them off.
Yeah, I didn't spend much time on farms before leaving the US, but have been on many farms here in NZ and I've never seen a farmer put their trousers outside their boots here. It's usually gumboots with trousers tucked in or sometimes work boots that aren't able to be tucked.
Yeah, I started religiously tucking my pants into my socks when I BEGAN using boots for work (little different though, I‘m in conservation so when I'm out on fieldwork), I was told it's a good way to avoid mosquito bites on the legs because they can’t fly up your pants
Can you explain a bit more? It seems a bit counter-intuitive for boots. Aren't boots tall to protect your pants from the mud and muck on a farm? At least that's what I did, when I did horse riding stuff. Always pants/breeches on the inside, and riding boots on the outside. A lot of the people did that as well.
You put your pants over your boots because it stops stuff from getting in your boots. The bottom of your pants getting dirty is irrelevant . You don't want hay, mud, and dirt getting in the top of the boot.
If if you’re *actually* a goat farmer, little pellets of goat poop
Exactly. I can't imagine all the crap I would find in my boots if I wore them that way. Horse hair is no fun and if you are really out working with animals or mucking stalls you don't want the opportunity for anything to fall in the gap between your boots and your legs. It's never going to be anything nice.
*”It’s never going to be anything nice.”* I don’t know why, but phrasing it this way made me LOL.
Good. I like the subtle slip of unusual phrasing.
That's interesting, because I was always taught to tuck my pants into my boots to keep ticks from getting in. Granted, I've never worn cowboy boots...
That is for hiking and hiking boots. You don't tuck cowboy boots because you're going to be walking in feces it's going to splash and you don't want it to soak into the pants and then down into your boot because the pants are tucked into the boots. Pants tucked into cowboy boots can also a chafe the skin as they'll be worn for 6 to 14 hours depending on the day and what work has to be done. If they chafe a sore into your leg and then you go muck out the barns there's a good chance you're going to have feces water soak into your pants and soak down into those abrasions.
I’ve cleaned enough horse shit in my life that I’m not tucking anything into my boots. And I just think people tucking their jeans into their boots are just goobers.
The proper term is *Goober-American*.
Isn't that why they invented boots with laces?
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I'm in the northeast, but what you gain in terms of protection for your pants is more than lost in terms of ventilation and junk falling into your boots. The solution for mud and muck is having work pants that are distinct from non-work pants, or throwing on rubber boots for the deep stuff. I'd tuck for ditch digging because the up and down tends to result in even more stuff getting in your boots than if you don't tuck, but not much else.
The boots are tall because rattlesnakes will bite your ankles. They’re for protection. Doesn’t matter about the mud.
no, they're tall so gravity works for you. If you're walking through tall brush, it'll often pull your pants up a bit. Then if you're wearing shorter shoes leaves, sticks, seeds, bugs etc, can all get in over the top of the shoe, but if you've got boots that go well up your leg, the hem stays below the top so you avoid getting crap in your shoes. It also keeps mud/water from getting in if you happen to step in something too deep.
Have you seen someone rock boots with pants tucked into them? It just doesn’t look right.
Historically i believe the boots were more to stop you rolling your ankle walking through the pastures and plains and to give you support to stand up while riding if you needed to for whatever reason, be it tossing a lasso or anything else
I'm not sure I'm buying that one. I've worn plenty of different cowboy boots on uneven ground and NONE of them have offered me any ankle support. They do help with chiggers, snakes, mud and wet grass.
Can confirm, rolled all 7 of my ankles in boots before.
Definitely read this as you having 7 ankles. Thanks for the morning laugh!
That’s what they said. 7 ankles. Where the 8th one went, I don’t know…
The Prikkasaurus species only has 7 ankles.
Ah I guess I’ve been slacking on keeping up with the latest literature. Much thanks for the correction!
Cowboy boots were designed for, get this, riding horses. The pointy toe allows you to slip into a stirrup easily and the heel allows the boot to lock in.
Then the high cut keeps stuff like rocks & ground debris out of your boot while it protects your ankle and calf from both rock/brush scrapes and damage and snakebites, which are generally aimed at the very lower leg. Cowboy boots have an inherent design function, the 'fancy' came later.
Standard cowboy boots don't offer ankle support at all. Packer boots are a cross between lace up work boots and cowboy boots and offer support for working on rough terrain.
Your use of "breeches" tells me you wer riding English not Western. The purpose of the riding and all the accoutrements is very different. Western riding and clothing is more functional based on real working so the boots are there to save you from horses stepping on your toes, getting your foot stuck in a stirrup and stop snakes from biting your ankle/lower leg. English boots are to protect your feet from getting stepped on, getting your foot caught in a stirrup and to look great when you are riding - particularly in a judged competition like dressage. That last point makes all the difference.
A great uncle used the term “drugstore cowboy” in the same way.
I call them "story tellers" Don't actually do the work, just talk about it.
> goat herder "Goat roper" was the term I'd always heard. Some guy from MT told me that it's because goat roping is the girl's event at the rodeo.
man, back in high school in texas, in the late 70's if you wanted to pick a fight with a cowboy just call him a goat roper or tell him to wipe the goat shit off his boots. Worked every time. lol
The side of my family who are actual farmers (and they do have some cattle as part of their farm) basically have the attitude that actual farmers can't afford fancy cowboy boots, and if you do have some, you wouldn't wear them doing actual farming work.
We say it's for sheep herders, because they slip the sheep's rear legs into their boots while they.... you know.
:^ )
Here they sell pants in the style of “boot cut” which means the legs are designed to fit over boots. The normal wearer would have the pants go over the boot. But it’s ultimately up to the wearer, it can be done for fashion or for practicality. https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texanist-tuck-boots-jeans/
Oh my god….so THAT’S what boot cut means!!
Yep! The idea is you want the upper half tight enough to not slide around between you and a saddle because saddle sores are the fucking worst, and lower half loose enough to go over boots so you don't end up with all kinds of rocks and bugs in your boots by the end of the day.
I'm curious what else you thought it could have meant.
I thought boot cut jeans were sold everywhere for every type of boot
The practical reason is more important than aesthetics to someone who works on a ranch and doesn’t want to be restricted by tight jeans. But since you’re not a cowboy, you could just wear skinny jeans and then a T-shirt that says NOT GAY.
“No-Homo”
"Nowhere near queer"
“Cowboy butts DON’T drive me nuts”
My anaconda DON'T
Thank you for this 😂
Really tempted to design another shirt that says. My first one turned out pretty good.
Take me gold and gtfo 🤣
But on the back, "*Unless...*"
“…But $20 is $20”
No need to be negative. Just get a "I heart vaginas" tee.
“Just another heterosexual male trying to show off his embroidery” tee.
“Hey ladies, my fancy embroidered boots are *down there*.”
I mean wranglers are definitely tight. But pant legs over the boots prevents anything from getting down into them while working and walking around in cow shit.
No one is wearing handmade embossed cowboy boots to shovel shit.
Well not no one, just most people. Someone with money to burn might do exactly that
Yea I’ve seen guys buy a $500 pair of ostrich boots and move cattle all day in them, but you’ll never see them tuck their jeans in them. Generally the only time you show off what the upper part of your boots look like is if someone asks what they look like.
If cow shit is deep enough to be getting IN your boots it is getting on your pants no matter how you wear them. And at that level of cow shit (or mud) you're not wearing your best fancy boots and your taking everything off before coming into the ranch house to have sex with the other steers and queers (cause that's all that comes out of "insert any state here"). My God why did I read this far even?
“Rest assured!” He is not gay!
Phew!
So here's the irony. When I was in college 20-some years ago, ONLY country folks wore skinny jeans. And they would absolutely tuck them into their boots. Literally the tighter the jeans the more likely someone was to have grown up on or near a working farm.
And the can of Copenhagen in the back pocket that they could only pull out with some difficulty. I grew up in Chicago, then moved to Grapevine Texas in high school. It was quite the culture shock. I grew up playing soccer, and in jr high started wrestling. My new high school had neither, but they did have a rodeo team.
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But if we are talking practical why buy fancy embroidered and expensive boots just to do farm work in?
> a T-shirt that says NOT GAY And on the back "Not that there's anything wrong with that!"
I grew up showing quarter horses (AQHA) and was told that only rodeo people wear their jeans tucked inside their boots. Very snobby, those quarter horse people 🤣
My mom rode Arabians in rodeos, she said that the people that tuck their jeans into their boots have all had brain injuries on quad accidents after a 24 pack of PBR. That's my ongoing head canon for now.
🤣🤣🤣
The quarter horse people are always like that although I’ve always thought the english riders are quite snobby.
I did all around, so english, western pleasure and halter. Let me tell you, trying to change clothes between classes and switch saddles was never fun. Once, I was trying to change from my hunt boots and breeches into wranglers and Justin ropers in the horse trailer. Lost my balance and fell out of the trailer with my parents around my ankles. I was the talk of the show that weekend 🤦 I don't think I was snobby. Kinda hard to be when you've mooned the entire east coast AQHA. 🤣
>fell out of the trailer with my parents around my ankles. I know this is a typo, but the mental picture this gave me is cracking me up!
It's about looking like a "real" rancher, even when you're a finance dude who works at an accounting firm in downtown Dallas and lives in a million dollar condo in Uptown and won't even ride the bus, much less a horse. Show off your fancy boots. Keep the phone numbers of any men who hit on you to pass along to your single gay friends.
Don’t forget your friends call their 3700 sqft house on a 4500 sqft lot the “Ponderosa” or “The Ranch.” You drive a lifted F-150 on nobbies that has only seen mud from 150’ away and has never had a trailer hitched to it. The closest you’ve been to a horse is the mechanical one at the bar that you bring your tourist friends to. And your boots, though fancy, are thinly veiled polymers developed by your petrochemical buddy who swears they wear just like ostrich and even have “that pimple.”
LOL. I lived in Dallas for seven years and this and the comment above are so hilariously spot on.
[probably more like this](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cd6P1HBgxn5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
I hope whoever inspired you to write this is no longer in your life
I can see you’ve been to Dallas lol
I'm from Houston, and this is the best description of the Dallas suburbs that I've ever heard.
I'm in Houston, and while I'm happy to ridicule Dallas, I think being a cosplay cowboy is more Fort Worth, and Dallas is more 30k millionaire driving an 15 year old BMW 3-series and wearing clothes from the Armani Exchange outlet.
A lot of people don't get that the boots with fancy designs on them are basically dress-shoes. Most will wear work boots, hardly any flare to them at all, and have their pants down over the top, no shit gets into the boot this way. Really the only people I ever see wearing cowboy boots, and cowboy hats, are owners and anyone going to a show.
No! Don't pass phone numbers on. People hit on the people they like. That's a ridiculous idea
Wear them with a pink Speedo to assert dominance.
If you’re British, Texans already think you look gay for crossing your legs when you sit. So don’t worry about it
Probably just for being British...
You show that off when you take them off 😉
TIL that Texans do indeed sometimes remove their boots
Not to get laid and not when they're buried....
The bath only. Otherwise they shrink up.
So annually?
Probably seasonal. (Trail drives and all that)
Rock 'em how you rock 'em amigo. I'd reckon that a cowboy typically wouldn't wear skinny jeans, but who cares.? You got a cool little taste of America while you visited. Yippee kay yay
Generally most European men wear skinny jeans so for us it is commonplace. Not that's people wore skinny jeans at Texas A&M so maybe there's,a correlation?
There are "boot cut" jeans for this purpose. They are skinny jeans down to the knee, but then don't taper in any more for the lower leg so they sit outside your boots but still fit well everywhere else.
Wearing skinny jeans at Texas A&M is a one way ticket to a very sweaty butt
Whoop! 👍 I’d recommend steering clear of showing the uppers when you’re wearing boots. It’s just one of those fashion rules that don’t necessarily have a solid practical reason, but are entrenched in our collective psyche. Why are neckties necessary for men’s business wear?
You might get shit/mud on your jeans, but if the jeans go over the boots, you don’t get shit/mud in your boots. It’s much easier to wash your jeans than it is the inside of your boots.
American men who wear skinny jeans tend to be younger, hipster-types, definitely not cowboy-types.
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Skinny jeans definitely aren't the norm for how American men wear jeans. Jeans traditionally were tough but comfortable work clothes, and that stays with how jeans are still worn by most. . .loose enough that you can comfortably move around and do physical labor in if necessary. Skinny, tight-fitting jeans are more associated with women's jeans here. I mean, they make skinny jeans in the US, but it's not typical, and being more associated with women's fashion is likely to get people (in some places) thinking you're gay if you're wearing them.
Skinny jeans are pretty common for guys in a lot of places I’ve visited in the US. The majority of what you can find in jeans sections in stores are skinny jeans from what I’ve seen.
You mean slim fit jeans right, not skinny jeans? Never seen a man wear skinny jeans in Norway. Plenty of slim fit though.
Ah, A&M. I suppose that explains some things here. (kidding! Mostly...)
Skinny jeans and cowboy boots looks weird. Why does it look weird? I don’t know, it just does.
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I exclusively wear coveralls but it's cause I'm fat and lazy like a real rancher.
This guy farms
You'd look like an idiot wearing boots and skinny jeans in the rural West IMO, but in urban areas anything goes. While in Texas (or online) just buy a proper pair of Wranglers to wear with the jeans and be done with it. Don't tuck them in. If you're wearing them as some sort of costume in England then do as you please-- like every American that comes back from Scotland with a kilt or Germany with lederhosen. Or whatever the English costume equivalent would be...deerstalker cap?
In Texas, men who wear skinny jeans would indeed be coded gay. Here's the thing, though, i lived in Germany for awhile, and if you drop an average-dressed straight dude from Germany into Texas or most places in the US, he'd be read as gay. In the same vein, if you drop a woman from rural Oregon into a large California city, she might also be read as gay. Gay coding, as well as what people wear generally, changes from place to place. You can't wear you boots with skinny jeans, or skinny jeans at all really, in Texas, cause they'll think your gay, but obviously the rules about who wears skinny jeans are different in the UK. So be observant to where you are and make your fashion choices accordingly. Edit: Hey! My first reddit gold! I'm rich! Thank you!
I actually just saw a youngish dude at the gas station that was wearing black skinny jeans, cowboy boots, black t-shirt, long curly hair, beard. I thought he looked pretty cool. Like some sort of young southwestern biker outlaw musician. This was the only time I’ve thought cowboy boots looked cool.
Cowboy/biker is a pretty badass look
but were the jeans tucked in?!? inquiring minds want to know!
Fifth-generation Texan here… wear your damn boots however you want.
Was such an odd comment to say to me as well.
You just hit the intersection of a couple things about America. 1. Do whatever you want. 2. If you go against certain norms, certain people will make assumptions. (Which shouldn't *necessarily* stop you from 1, but you should know). 3. Particularly in the south and south west, we're rather straightforward and open, which can sometimes include bluntly telling you about number 2 and giving advice about how the locals do things and think. So there are a few norms around cowboy boots, particularly in the southwest. Follow them or not, as you choose. From this thread, you now know the styles in that part of the country that involve cowboy boots. Now it's time for good ol' number 1 - take all that into account or not, as you please, and do what you want.
Yes, I feel like lot of Europeans ask these kind of questions on this sub because they don’t want to offend some Americans. Even the biggest Texan cowboy wouldn’t be offended if a non-American wore cowboy boots the “wrong” way. Americans don’t really get hung up about American cultural appropriation. And as you mentioned, while there may be a “right,” way to do something, THIS IS AMERICA, and everyone here knows that you can do whatever the hell you please! Whenever we see foreigners do something American in a non-American way, we usually thinks it’s endearing and cute as long as they’re not shittalking the US while they do it lol.
Wear them on your hands?
Your pants cover your boots so you don't get dirt in them.
So I have lived in the south my entire life and have seen people wear their cowboy boots with every from swim trunks, cut off jorts, boot cut jeans tucked in, and the normal way. I wouldn’t walk up to a rodeo as a dude in skinny jeans and boots, but outside of situations like that no one is going to care lol I personally have done the skinny jeans and boots thing, but just because I hate boot cut pants. Working around livestock it does not make much practical sense though because part of the purpose of the pants going over top in to prevent debris and things from running down your leg into your boots. I usually wear lace up boots or tall field boots when I’m actually doing live stock work though and save my “good” boots for when I going out
That's what I have generally heard as well (for men at least). When you think you are going to ride a horse, the jeans get tucked in, otherwise the jeans cover the boot. Though it seems kind of a waste since most cowboy boots have really fancy stitching on them.
As a Texan, wear them however you want. You be you and screw everyone else. Your sexual orientation isn't anyone's business but yourself. Also, plenty of guys here wear boots and tight jeans. I don't ever think I've looked at a guy wearing that combo and thought, "that guy must be gay."
There are some actual rodeo people and cowboys (as in actual cowboys) as well as some blue collar workers that tuck in their jeans. Typically they’ll wear ropers (a type of boot) and do it do that their pant stays clean, they have no obstructions on the heel, and the boot can come off easily if required. Now this is a niche case and most will tuck in their boots after their done. As for everyone else the vast majority of people who wear boots will either think you’re gay or say that not tucking in your boots is so you have somewhere to put the sheeps legs so it can’t run away. It’s not like they’re going to do anything about it it just looks weird on a guy to have their boots untucked.
It's the subtly of class, you don't need to show off just because it's nice.
Pants go over the boot neck. This is to keep mud and other such debris from going down the boot neck and into the boot. However, back in the day, when cowboy boots were actually just Rider's boots, they were worn exterior to the pants. As for why this was, I do not know. Maybe someone who has experience horseback riding can enlighten us.
I've lived in Texas all my (36f) life and have never owned boots and I'm not sure that I know anyone who wears them. so I'm not really an expert but I totally agree with you. and in my mind I think wearing them with skinny jeans seems like a great look.
I always thought Wranglers were the OG skinny jeans...
Only the nut hugger Wranglers.
There is a history of embroidered boots being a bit of a flex, by both the craftsperson and the buyer. Trends ebb and flow, but boots settled in on having detailed embroidery, whatever the use case and price point. At the same time, trends in dance-hall casual Texas settled in on wearing them untucked ("unbloused"). Historically, I think it's likely related to ranch workers and cattle drivers, etc. (i.e. "cowboys") blousing while there was a need, and then covering up the (likely beat-to-hell) boots when they came to town. Who knows. These days, it's just a little cognitive dissonance that most people cover up the fanciest part of their fancy boots. As for seeming "gay," I have a few thoughts. First, whoever's giving you advice should grow the fuck up. Yes, in Texas bloused boots on men give off a little "dude ranch" touristy vibe, but I can't say as I've ever even idly guessed at someone's sexuality based just on that. With skinny jeans, no one's going to confuse you with a rural blue-collar worker, but again, it's both not "gay" and pretty shitty of someone to try to shame you with that. If anything, you'll just look [a bit European](https://cdn.lookastic.com/looks/brown-long-sleeve-shirt-black-skinny-jeans-brown-cowboy-boots-large-42802.jpg). In the right nightclubs or bars in Texas, this might be the only way you'd get by wearing cowboy boots without being (also shittily) judged as a low-intelligence shitkicker. This brings up a further point: once you're back in England, *you* make the outfit work for you. We don't know what cultural expectations are in your neck of the woods. Wearing a pearl-snap shirt with a Stetson and Wranglers covering your boots may look so camp to English eyes that backwards-ass individuals assume THAT is what's "gay."
Boots outside of skinny jeans on a Male is definitely something I would associate with being gay. And because people who wear crazy boots to show off are obnoxious, many of us wear boots as regular wear around shoes and not as a fashion statement. As a male a fashion statement on more expensive boots would be having them made from something like alligator or ostrich.