11 Cowboy Boot Brands That Prove Western Style Is Here to Stay

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We need to talk about cowboy boots. In my adolescence, I spent half a decade living in Texas—I learned quickly that cowboy boots can be as versatile (and stylish) as sneakers. They're loafers and tennis shoes and slides in one: a shoe you can wear for formal occasions, or to casual occasions, or, if you're any of the boys from my high school, football games and prom and the damn SATs. With bootcut jeans or formal trousers, the cowboy boot is a classic that's eschewed trends for decades to become a mainstay. And you know what? As far as footwear goes, this Western style is one of the coolest looks you can find.

It doesn't matter if you have a Southern drawl, a Western twang, or a full-blown Noo Yawk accent—you can still rock the hell out of a cowboy boot. We're living in a time where the style is more versatile than ever—even the coolest guys in fashion, like A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, and Lil Nas X, are wearing 'em. You can, of course, dress them Southern-style, with bootcut jeans and a big ol' belt, but the silhouette has a distinctively rock 'n' roll look to it, one that pairs well with, I don't know, a big city and your favorite pair of pants, say?

If you’re looking for a crash course, these are the 11 best cowboy boot brands in history. Yes, history.

Lucchese

Lucchese has a leg up on the competition. The El Paso, Texas-based footwear company, founded in 1883, creates a product that is timeless, one that is deeply ingrained in the annals of American history. It makes cowboy boots, ones worn by countless celebrities and U.S. presidents. And by many accounts, including mine, it makes the best cowboy boots—just see their latest collab with Chris Stapleton if you don't believe me.

Ariat

If it's a bona fide Western boot you want, a bona fide Western is what you're going to get when the tag says Ariat. To wit: the brand is the official sponsor of Professional Bull Riders—and it doesn't get any more cowboy than that, folks.

Tony Lama

Another OG in the cowboy boot game is Tony Lama. In the early 1900s, after a stint in U.S. Cavalry, the namesake founder set up a boot repair shop in El Paso, eventually creating his own collections. By the 1950s, the company was celebrated for offering quality styles at prices that most could afford.

Frye

Frye is reputedly the oldest boot company in the United States. Since 1863, the brand has been offering styles, particularly harness boots, that are as sleek as they are durable. Throughout the years, it has also created some mighty fine Western-inspired boots, all made of hard-wearing leathers with some of the most beautiful patinas in the market. It's a brand for those who want to dip the their toes in the style without going whole hog.

Tecovas

Tecovas, a label founded in 2015, could be credited with restoring the Western-inspired footwear to its rightful place of prominence the world over. So much so that we officially endorsed 'em back in 2019. Now, a couple of years later, the brand is still riding high, getting our official seal of approval for a second time.

Justin

Almost a decade before Lucchese set up shop, Herman Joseph Justin opened a shoe repair business, eventually making bespoke boots that featured decorative stitching (a hallmark of cowboy boots) on the shaft so as to stiffen the leather. Over a century later, the brand is still kicking around, offering authentic cowboy boots at the most affordable prices.

Stetson

When it comes to true American labels, it doesn’t get more authentic than Stetson. The brand, for well over a century, has outfitted cowboys, ranchers, and the military, becoming synonymous with a brawny, take-no-prisoners vibe. It may be best-known for offering the best cowboy hats and other accessories, but its boots are also up to snuff.

Thursday Boots

Thursday Boots is the perfect happy medium when it comes to cowboy boots. Notice how a lot of cowboy boots are...expensive? They're excellent quality, don't get me wrong—we wouldn't be recommending them to you if they weren't. But unlike many others, Thursday Boots keeps that high quality with a much more affordable price point. They have classic styles that you can wear for years and years.

RRL

The Western trend tends to fall in and out high fashion regularly. Which is a shame. But there is one designer who consistently keeps the spark alive, especially through his RRL line, and his name is Ralph Lauren. The man, after all, does live on a ranch for most of the year, and therefore knows what it takes to offer real cowboy boots that'll last the long haul.

Alvies

A true Southern brand, Austin-founded Alvies is giving you cowboy boots directly from the source. This is a brand that's a household name in Texas, so you know you're getting authentic, high-quality designs and boots that take you anywhere.

Dan Post

Cowboy boots weren't always known for being comfortable, but Dan Post changed all that. Founded in the 1960s, the brand is regarded for creating the first authentic Western boots with built-in cushioning.

Why You Can Trust Esquire

We’re not about writing how great things are if they aren’t actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups are carefully curated by our fashion and e-commerce teams.

Not only do I, as a former Texan, have firsthand experience on what makes a great cowboy boot (and boy, do I know what doesn't), but when it comes to cowboy boots, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting styles that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved, along with styles that the rest of our stylish colleagues here at Esquire endorse. I'm partial to Tecovas and Lucchese myself (in fact, I'm wearing my Tecovas as I write this), but to get there, I've had to go through a lot of trial and error with other brands. These are the ones that are simply the best.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists!) comes from years of wearing different things, seeing what we love and what we don’t, and going from there. No two feet are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who and care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.

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