Vintage Cowboy Boots on eBay

Groovy "Willie Lusk" boots on eBay.
Okay. I'll let you wear them, but not everyday.

Exotic Cowboy Boots on eBay

For maximum impact, and exotic leather should offer novelty and surprise. Bystanders will wonder, point and eventually ask, "What is it?" Popular with people who want to stand out in a crowd, exotic leathers provide eye-catching patterns and textures not found on everyday cowhide.

Exotic leathers offer a way to add endless variety to a your boot collection. There's always one more color, one more critter... one more pair.

In many cultures, wearing the skin of a totemic animal is thought to convey that animal's strengths and characteristics:* cunning, speed, and virility to name a few.

The best way to get the exact exotic cowboy boots you want, is to order them custom made.

Otherwise, are you feelin' lucky? ...here are a few finely-crafted short cuts to help you with your ebay searches for both new and used cowboy boots. Just remember to check the listings carefully for words like "genuine" (not "print" or "embossed.") Don't be afraid to ask the seller questions, or request more detailed photos.

My shortcut eBay searches for cowboy boots...

• Alligator boots (see also, crocodile & caiman)
• Anteater
• Armadillo boots
• Bullhide
• Crocodile & caiman boots
• Eelskin boots
• Elephant
• Elk boots
• Lizard
• Ostrich mens boots
• Ostrich womens boots
• Sea bass
• Sea Turtle (prohibited on eBay, more info)
• Shark
• Snakeskin boots
• Stingray

* Anyone shopping for armadillo boots should please look carefully before crossing the street.

Photo of shark cowboy boots provided by ebay seller, "steve_and_nikki."

Anteater Boots

Wowza. There seems to be some sort of ebay feeding-frenzy on anteater boots.
Photo courtesy of ebay seller, "premiumguide."

Cowboy Boot Collecting: eBay Pick

I know. I know. These are Miss Capezio "cowboy" boots... but I find their ferocious flowers kinda inspirational. (Photo courtesy of eBay seller iheartdangervintage)

More cowboy boot auctions.

Where to Buy Cowboy Boots: Austin, TX

Are you in Austin for SXSW? Here's a free one-page trip guide to finding vintage, ready-made and custom cowboy boots.

Your welcome. (File size: 4.1 MB)

Cowboy Boots: Trendspotting

Here you go. These are the cowboy boots that all the cool girls will be wearing at the farmer's market tomorrow morning. Nameless brown leather, scuffed toes. It's still winter, so they will be worn with black tights or skinny jeans. They are a perfect complement to root crops and organic coffee drunk from a jar.

More vintage boots on eBay.

(Photo courtesy of ebay seller, carissa_malka. )

Cowboy Boots -- Clippings

Amazing! 257 images and counting. How many pixels is that?

Many thanks to "treasguy" and "mbstinky" for their generous posting of vintage cowboy boot ads on the photo-sharing site, Flickr.

Poke around. You'll find the "Big 3," but you'll also find ads for Paul Bond, Joe Hall, M.L. Leddy, and Champion Boot Companies.

Play a game of hide-n-seek ...and look for the ad that matches your latest vintage pair.

Cavender's Boot City (& Raffle)

This time of year I tend to look backwards as much as forward. Thinking about the things I plan... and then the things that happen anyway.

One such surprise was my visit last summer to Cavender's Boot City in Houston, TX. I've got plenty of bootmakers to visit when I'm in Texas, so usually I blast right by all the chain stores... BUT I got a tip (from Mr. Cavender, himself) that there were some swell boots inside.

It turns out, Cavender's is a Houston hideout for vintage cowboy boots. They are not for sale, but part of an impressive Cavender collection... available for viewing during store hours.

My favorites were the larger-than-life "display boots." I don't know, maybe it's my unending fondness for roadside attractions, or maybe it's because my everyday boots are so small... these big boots just crack me up.

Go see for yourself

Cavender's
2505 S Loop West 610
Houston, TX
(713) 664-8999

P.S. Hey! Send me an email at jenn@dimlights.com with "I want 2 hats" in the subject line. E-mail me before noon, Saturday January 31 PST. A winner will be picked randomly, and I'll mail 'em these two hats. Woo hoo! (Free domestic U.S. shipping only.)

Cowboy Boots: Vintage Advertising

Cowboy Boots: Vintage Advertising

Cowboy Boots: Vintage Advertising

Today's eBay Pick: My Cowboy Boots

You can now own a bit-o-history. These 1970's patchwork Justin boots are straight from the pages of my book. Yep... shown in a full-page color photo on p. 45 to be exact.

This week, I'm selling them on eBay, accompanied by a signed copy of my book and a hand written letter of authenticity. These boots are truly neato, cool, groovy, fab, bangin', gnarly...one could even say "foxy."

(Keep your eye on my eBay selling for more cowboy boot collectibles coming up!)

Cowboy Boots: Vintage Advertising

I buy vintage cowboy boot advertising because the stitches inspire me.

This is an original 1965 print ad for Tony Lama cowboy boots, with photos showing 12 stitch styles, and several famous wearers of the boots: Slim Pickens, Buck Owens, Harry Charters, Ardith Bruce and many other back-in-the-day rodeo stars. (Click to zoom pages 1, 2, 3, & 4.)

Here, my favorite stitch patterns are THE STOCKMAN (p. 3) and THE FANCY FOOT (p. 2). They fill the tops with good angles and curves.

I think THE BULLWHIP on page 3 is a dud. Yuck. It's boring, and bet you anything, those boot tops are going to sag and wrinkle because of the sparse horizontal stitching at the ankle... but that's just my opinion.

Here are the eBay searches I use most often:

• cowboy boot advertising
• cowboy boot catalogs

Cowboy Boots: Seattle, WA

I try and stay on top of things... but the growing popularity of cowboy boots in Seattle had me a little puzzled. Certainly wasn't true a year ago.

Last year, Seattle was just like other urban West coast spots (except maybe LA). Folks were buying vintage boots as fashion staples, but they weren't giving boots much of their time, money or attention.

But...Wow! Now, Seattle can be considered a go-to spot for cowboy boots, thanks to Insurrection Apparel & Boots. Insurrection has always had a great selection of vintage boots... but now, they've brought in some swell designs from Lucchese, Liberty, Rocketbuster, Morado and Old Gringo. And Insurrection has its very own line of vintage-inspired cowboy boots.

I particularly like this boot in the photo, black and white with just a bit-o-color at the cuff. Oh, yeah.

Vintage Levi's, motorcycle jackets, western shirts and cowboy boots... everything for that classic American look. I'll admit it... I wish I were as cool as Insurrection.

Insurrection
8403 1/2 Greenwood Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98103
HOURS: Tuesday-Saturday 10-6, Sunday 12-5
PHONE: 206-782-5752

Vintage Cowboy Boot "Repair"

I found this boot on eBay.

Look at the back of the boot... notice how the previous owner cut a slit in the top? Brilliant!

Not that I'm a proponent of taking a knife to a vintage boot. But personally, I would rather see boots worn and enjoyed on someone's FEET ...not chopped up and made into cowboy boot purses, and such.

I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. -- Jack London

Yeah... that's right. Got it?

This is a simple alternation which could be done at almost any shoe repair shop. The slit in the back acts as an extra deep top scallop and opens the throat of the boot to accommodate a larger calf.

You need to have a couple of rows of stitches around your cut. Remember, vintage boots are especially prone to tearing... especially if you're tugging hard on the tops and your 40 year old leather has gotten somewhat fragile with age.

When I'm bidding on eBay, I always e-mail the seller and ask for the calf measurements. With a short top boot, like an Acme, you won't have a problem... but the for a factory boot made in the 1960-1980's, it's smart to double check.

There you go. Ready? Walk like ya mean it!

Photos courtesy of eBay seller buxxomrider.

Capitol Saddlery (Austin, TX)

Cowboy Boot History for Sale on eBay

A rare find. A pen and ink drawing signed by Harry Olsen. The image is great... a wild bronc bustin' out of a corral of art deco typography. (photos)

Olsen-Stelzer created beautiful cowboy boot catalogs way back when. Illustrated the margins with sunsets and cactus... a pen and ink was all you needed to imagine adventure in high-def.

(Photo courtesy of eBay seller Texas36. Thanks to Marshall C. for the heads-up.)

Texas Custom Boots (Austin, TX)

Texas Custom Boots is truly a full-service boot shop.

Noel Escobar will be happy to make you a brand new handmade customfit cowboy boot. He is happy to sell you one of his vintage boots. He will also take your broken-down chewed-up vintage factory boots and restore them to wearable condition.

Noel has more patience and expertise for restoring worn and vintage cowboy boots than anyone I know. Noel will strengthen boot tops with new linings. He'll relast boots... sometimes adding a wingtip or foxing as an attractive repair. He'll resole & polish. Click through to the end of the photos to see what can only be called "extreme makeovers."

Also, Texas Custom Boots adjoins Martinez Brothers Taxidermy, which makes for some great pictures. Come for the boots, stay for the BBQ.

Cowboy Boots at Rocketbuster

   

Have you seen the print ads? The website? Rocketbuster's got great new designs and swell remakes of some very cherished vintage pairs.

I like how Nevena gave a bit more pizazz to the toe and heel on these yellow bird boots.

Photographs by Marty Snortum, Cowboy Boots: The Art & Sole.

More Cowboy Boot Labels

I've added a bunch "new" labels to the "Makers' Marks" Photo Pool on Flickr. Now, there are more than 70 custom and store-bought cowboy boot labels... and yes, there's plenty of room for more!

(P.S. I've alphabetized my photos.)

Cowboy Boot Companies

I've just updated my Cowboy Boot Companies page, where you'll find boot companies in sizes M, L & XL. There are many MANY links on this page, but here are a couple you won't want to miss:

• Go to the Lucchese website and watch their video, "A Day in the Life of a Lucchese-made Cowboy Boot." ...then while you're over there, click over and view Lucchese's Historic State Boots
• And take a look, Zappos.com is having a great sale on Old Gringo men's and women's cowboy boots!

Heritage Boot Launches New Website

Visit the grand re-opening of Heritage Boot's website. Get a sneak peek at new their "top shelf" Rancho Deluxe boots. Limited sizes available in each style... so they'll sell out fast. Call early and reserve your pair.

Hold the Date! Come meet me at Heritage Boot... Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 1-4pm. I'll signing books (...and no doubt, trying on some boots.) Stay tuned for more details.

Cowboy Boots on eBay

If you're not on my mailing list, you may not know that I've updated my eBay pages with some groovy new searches, like...

• On my vintage eBay page, you'll find cowboy boot auctions ending soon, with zero bids (a.k.a. some great deals!)
• On my popular brands eBay page, there are new cowboy boots still in the box with tags attached.

The photo of "gas pump" cowboy boots is courtesy of ebay seller "ldpndp." Aren't those boots somethin'?

Kowboyz

I remember the first time I actually FELT LIKE A COWBOY BOOT EXPERT. It was when Evan Voyles held up a boot and said "Do you know who made this boot?"

And I did.

Not only that... but, I could tell the bootmaker and the where Evan had bought the boot just by looking at the sole.

That's when I knew I had met enough makers and peered into enough cowboy boots to call myself an expert...and now when the newspapers and magazines printed it, I believe it's true.

Clues:

• You can tell from the lightning bolts inked on the sole... this cowboy boot was made by Pascal (Riff Raff Leather.) There is also a pirate ship stamped inside the boot on its heel slide.
• You can tell by the big ol' "red ink" size and price...the boots were purchased at Kowboyz, a vintage cowboy boot shop once located in Los Angeles, now recently moved to Santa Fe, NM.

Here's a great article about Kowboyz... full of dishy Hollywood-style namedropping. And yes, that's $99 for a "custom" boot made of nubuck and foil leather... you really oughta pay Kowboyz a visit.

Check out my newly-updated vintage cowboy boot dealer page for other shops!

Today's eBay Pick

All's fair in love and eBay.

If you are up for the challenge, go for it! I guarantee you'll bidding against top-notch boot collectors and Hollywood stylists for this pair of vintage cowboy boots.

Five rows of stitching. Ranch-worn and high-fashion... this pair of Dixon from the 50's-'60's are today's definition of uni-sexy.

These are the boots you wear to fashion week anywhere in the world, eliciting the envy of others.

Classic never-ending style.

(Ladies, confirm your calf measurements before bidding.) Good luck!

Click here for ebay auction...and here for other cowboy boot auctions.

Cowboy Boot eBook

I love looking through Tyler's book, Cowboy Boots...nearly 400 pairs of cowboy boots.

Did you see all those great Dave Little Boots? What's that?! You say, you can't find them?

And those five pairs made by Joe Patrickus, you mean to tell me you don't know what pages they're on?

Well here you go, the "Missing Index" for Tyler Beard's book, Cowboy Boots. It's my first eBook.

I originally created this index for my personal use. It’s great, an indispensable reference tool for recognizing the individual styles and skills of America’s best known bootmakers. I used this index over and over again while I was writing my cowboy boot book, and now I am sharing it with you.

Tyler’s Cowboy Boots should be on every collector’s shelf. By purchasing this index you’ll get the most out of your book. Here’s why, it's...

• Fast. Less time hunting for a famous bootmaker’s work. Don’t miss a single boot!
• Accurate. Errors in the book’s captions (First Edition) have been corrected in this index. Nine pairs of cowboy boots were labeled with the wrong maker. Do you know which ones?
• Easy. A separate index means less page-flipping. And a larger font for more comfortable reading.
• Practical. There is a convenient space for note taking. By writing your notes on this index you can keep your book in a fine “collectable” condition.

Click here to download your free copy. (File size: 370 KB)

Vintage Cowboy Boots, Tough Love

Yes, I know how much you love those great old Acme patterns. They're great. They've got the tiniest bits of colored inlay with those 2 rows of stitching swirling around them. .. factory-made minimalism at its best. They are indeed wonderful.

BUT, let's get couple things straight...

1. Your feet are too big. Only people like me who are too short to be seen over a deli counter can wear 'em. I can wear vintage Acmes... and you get to order your sandwiches with dignity. That's just the way things are. Don't worry, you are a member of a very big club, so to speak.

2. It is now 2008. Many of these very cool boots were made a looooong time ago. Don't believe me? I hate to break it to you, but a cowboy boot made in 1945... is now 63 years old. Bargain leather, once worn, now boxed and brittle. And these boots aren't getting any younger.

Save yourself a pile of grief. When you're in Austin, TX go to Heritage Boot. Jerry & Patti Ryan are remaking many of the favorite old patterns in present day sizes.

With lots and lots of boots on the shelves...their stock boots range from the $250 to around $700. (Those old Acmes are costing about the same.)

Heritage Boot also sells custom boots made in the Rio Grande Valley. Prices start at $600 for calfskin and bullhides. Delivery is approximately 8 weeks.

Heritage Boot
Jerry & Patti Ryan, Owners
117 West 8th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 326-8577
sales@heritageboot.com
www.heritageboot.com

Cowboy Boot Treasure Hunt

I like Austin, not just for all the chorizo tacos and free wifi ...but because it's a big city that keeps its sense of possibility.

My last trip to Austin was in October. Here are a few photos I took at Uncommon Objects. I go every time I'm in town, even if my suitcase is full.

(You can see more photos of Uncommon Objects here.)

Uncommon Objects
1512 South Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 442-4000
www.uncommonobjects.com

Cowboy Boots in Austin, Texas

Some folks are heading off to Austin for South by Southwest and I am green with envy. Yep. All the cool kids are going this year... Maggie Mason, Dwight Yoakam.

If you want to find some hip cowboy boots in between all that music, media, film and fun, then print out this page,"Cowboy Boots in Austin TX", and stick it in your back pocket. No charge.

(Photo taken at Heritage Boot.)

Wahoo!

Wahoo! is a great little store in Santa Fe, New Mexico run by Diane Zamost. Cowboy boots, vintage denim... it's a curated closet of coolness.

I get a lot of e-mail from folks asking me "What should I wear with my cowboy boots?"

This shop has all the answers. You can go retro with a snap shirt and a little fringe... or grab some studded denim for that outlaw-rocker look. Want to go traditional? a little "range-y" maybe? Wahoo! has beautiful silk scarves, and decorated gloves and belts. (You may mix-up all 3 of these looks only under Diane's supervision.)

Wahoo! 227 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (map)
Call 1-800-36-WAHOO (9-2466) ...or 505-577-8200.

My Cowboy Boots, All of Them

These are my cowboy boots. I count sixteen pairs, including the two that were packed away in the attic (the blue Lone Stars and the old-timey red Noconas.)

I can't take much credit for "curating" this fine collection, because so many of my boots were gifts. My closet has been a true group project, the result of happy travels, generosity, and more than a little luck.

Here they are (approximately) in order of acquisition...

Vintage Acmes

Evan Voyles said it, and it's true. Sometimes you pick up a cowboy boot for an oddball reason, a goofy little boot in crappy condition. I've held on to these Acmes for years just because of the colors. Someday I will live and work in room that's painted these colors... two colors of brown, a worn red and a creamy white. A room with a wood floor and rounded edges .

Vintage Corrals

These are my "first pair" of cowboy boots. I wore them all day, every day, starting in September 1996 and ending in July 2000. The best thing about them was the circular scuff mark I had on the bottom of my right foot from spinning on the dance floor.

These boots seem a little funny to me now, with their plastic soles and paper lollipop-stick "pegs." The inlays are chipping like old paint.

I'm remembering all the custom boot shops I visited wearing those boots...and all the bootmakers who took a turn fixing them up. Brent McCaslin, Michael Anthony, Tex Robin all shaking their heads, biting their lips, polishing scuffs and replacing heel caps. Makes me smile.

Elvis

Made by one of the Trujilio brothers in the 1950's, these cowboy boots are fondly known as the "Elvis Boots" ...although, really the name inlaid on the front is "Ellis."

They are beautiful and beat-up boots. The inlay is surrounded by tiny stitches in variegated thread. I can tell the design was carefully planned out by the tightly packed top, but the grassy green stitches along the edge of the vamp give it a playful improvised look.

The vamp musta been something to see, before some misguided soul inked over the red inlay. I guess he had his reasons.

Believe it or not, I own these boots. They were a generous gift from Bryce Sunderlin... who bought them from Tyler Beard years ago. These boots were photographed in The Art of the Boot (p. 37) and Cowboy Boots (p. 107.) I got them this summer, or they would have been in my book too.

Cowboy Boot Labels (con't)

Me: (browsing the boots on the display table at the Bootmaker Round-Up.)
Mark F.: Hey there... you taking photos of all the labels?
Me: Uh, yeah ...right. Yep. Sure am!

Thanks Mark!

(Many of the photos are courtesy of LDPNDP, one of my favorite eBay sellers.)

More places to find vintage boots

Yes, at long last I've updated my page of vintage cowboy boot dealers.

The key to vintage boots is to act fast. Call or e-mail the dealer with questions...don't bookmark a page expecting to find a boot where you left it. And unfortunately, when vintage boots are gone, they're really gone. No such thing as "backordered."

Check out the vintage boots at Cowboy Legends. Cowboy Legends now offers free shipping and easy returns on all its vintage boots. When it comes to fit, eBay is always such a crapshoot.

Photo courtesy of Cayuse Western Americana.

Cowboy Boot Collections

Here are a few of web pages I've been enjoying lately.

One is a vintage cowboy boot blog called "Man In the Crowd" written by James Davis. Even though I enjoy pages like the Custom & Vintage Boot Collectors' Topic, it's a treat to visit James' blog which focuses on a single, personal, cowboy boot collection. Good photos, good information. Click on the photos for closer look...and leave a comment behind if you like.

...another is a website full of boot jacks. The site (which is slow to load) belongs to bootmaker Frank English and includes boot jacks of all types...buggy, naughty, wooden, old, hinged and horned. Personally, I like the snake.

Cowboy Boots p. 250

Click the Gabcast play button to hear more about those great eagle boots on page 250 of my book, Cowboy Boots: The Art & Sole. Click back to read an earlier blog entry about the very same boots.

Makers' Marks

Factory-made? Custom made? Take a peek inside the secret language of cowboy boot labels, signature stitches and inking. I've posted a bunch of photos of cowboy boot labels and signature stitches on Flickr. I'm hoping it's a help to boot collectors and a tribute to makers.

Move your mouse over the photos to view extra notes and info.

Add your own photos to Flickr and join the fun! Points awarded for artistic merit. (If you run into to trouble you can e-mail me your photos and I will post them.)

Cowboy Boot Ephemera

Click on the image and read the about the thrilling adventures of the "Popsicle" Kids in the Nevada Bad Lands.

(Spoiler... the boot ring saves the day!)

Lotto

I just bought a $3 copy of Texas Boots from abebooks.com.

When it showed up... it turned out to be a hardcover copy! Woo hoo!! JACKPOT!

Vintage Cowboy Boots with an Eagle Inlay

"Eagle boots" were insanely popular during the early 1950's. In large part because of the patriotism and prosperity our country felt following World War II, but also because of big western stars like Roy Rogers (remembered for his wide-winged eagle inlays in red, white and blue.)

Pictured here is a great pair of vintage boots. The eagle is made by overlaying leather in two colors, gold and green...on top of the boot's white vamp. This is the best "eagle toe" I have ever seen. [zoom]

What makes it so great?

• The cut-outs mimick the shape of the boot's toe...going from wide to narrow somewhat gradually.
• The toe design is bold to balance the heavily inlayed top and mule ear* ...even without the bird's head, the overlay makes a great "wing"tip.
• The eagle's head sits well above the wrinkles across the vamp at the boot. It's unfortunate how often wrinkles and folds wreck the detail of the beak and eye.
• The row of yellow stitiching provides a nice sharp outline. Even after all these years.

Remember! An eagle on a toe of a boot does not need to be an exact match for the eagle on your boot top.

On this pair, the bird on the toe has narrow wings that reach high over his head. The eagle on the top has widespead veined wings, almost like a butterfly.

(* You get to see the entire boot in April 2007 when my book comes out.)

Photos by Jennifer June.
Boots belong to Karen Robinson.

Vintage Cowboy Boots at "Cowboy Legends"

Buying vintage cowboy boots at Cowboy Legends couldn't be any easier. Hundreds of pairs of "pre-enjoyed" boots... and all but a handful in wearable condition.

The only mystery is where did they came from? Row by row, they sit ...lookin' like their owners may be back for them anytime, these aren't your thrift store cast-offs.

I literally spent hours enjoying the hospitality of shop owners, Lynné and Larry Jennings. Cowboy Legends is full of vintage boots, and overflowing with stories.

Get to the shop early, bring your coffee cup, and if you're lucky there'll still be an empty seat near the front desk. Cowboy Legends is a unique kind of "clubhouse" attracting boot collectors and more than a few other local "characters."

Benefits of buying vintage cowboy boots:

• Good prices.
• Better materials and craftsmanship then today's ready-made boots.
• Toe styles, leather colors & types you can't find anymore except by ordering a custom pair.
• Fit and color fading are known quantities.
• ... you will look sexy, cool and wise beyond your years.

Hanging on the wall are paintings (zoom) by longtime boot collector, Jack Pressler (see the Cowboy Boot Book, p. 116). Many of Jack's paintings inspired classic Rocketbuster boot designs. Do you remember the old "True Love" boots?

Jack stopped in during my visit to Cowboy Legends ...so I got to ask him, "Why there are so many vintage cowboy boots in Santa Fe?" He explained it's because for all of history Santa Fe has been a trade route...first for the Indians, then for the Spanish... the Mexicans ...and now for the Anglos.

I heard boot stories at almost every stop I made in Santa Fe, so many that a few pairs began to take on personalities of their own.

I heard about one pair of boots designed and worn by Tyler Beard (made by Kimmel Boots), which were spotted and bought back (mostly in jest) by Jim Arndt more than a two decades after the Tyler and the boots had parted ways. Then there was another pair of size 12's that I swear were worn by nearly every man I talked to ...past back and forth ...until the boots were eventually bought back by their original owner years later. Wacky.

Lynné and Larry do their best to keep a selection of "collectible" boots on hand...but those hard-to-find makers' labels, fancy inlays and "cloth pulls" will cost you extra. And there are always few boots in the corner, not for sale...but as ever-changing collection of conversation starters.

Cowboy Legends
227 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (map)
www.cowboylegendsofsantafe.com
(505) 989-1554

— Click here to see more cowboy boots in Santa Fe, NM.