Trust me, you CAN do the chic new cowboy boot
WheN it comes to cowboy boots, you either love them or you really don’t.
That’s always been the case. You either think they look cool, or you find them ugly, hard, and at best a rock-chick cliche.
And even if you love cowboy boots, you wouldn’t think of wearing them once you were old enough to have a daughter of cowboy-boot-wearing age, the same way you wouldn’t wear a bandana or fringed suede jacket.
So you can probably guess what’s coming: this is no longer the official position on western boots.
It’s been said before, but it’s worth saying again: never say never in fashion. You might be utterly convinced you’re past wearing something. You might have avoided a few revivals and given away the one you kept in the spare cupboard, just in case.
Then out of the blue, something shifts in the fashion firmament and everything — including the ‘never again’ item — just looks different.
Last year, for example, there were cowboy boots all over the place. Ganni did some muchphotographed white-and-black and pink-and-black tooled boots. Isabel Marant had cropped ones. Zara did a threequarter pair in mock snake.
Cowboy boot fanciers should have been tempted to dive in, but the deal with these boots was clear: you needed to be young to carry them off.
I’ve worn cowboy boots a lot over the years: in the early Nineties it was a black pair from R. Soles with Levi 501s; a decade later, a white-andgold vintage pair with a black slip dress.
I’m a believer in keeping your footwear edgy, whatever your age, because it’s the easiest way to sharpen your look with minimal effort. Just so long as it isn’t cowboy boots. So what’s changed?
FoR one thing, we’re heading into big boot season: it feels like boots are going to be taking over in one form or another. Meanwhile, the cowboy boot has subtly adapted, even in the space of a few months.
These new boots are called ‘western’ boots, which implies a toned down, less authentically ranch style: a boot with a western ‘flavour’, but less fancy, so easier to wear
And from that it follows you don’t wear them in a cowboy-tribute way, which is key to their appeal.
These boots are meant to go with everything — dresses, trousers, under your jeans, too. The length is often shorter, either ankle height or
calf-grazing, all the better for showing off under cropped, wide-leg trousers (another reason they are coming into their own). And they’re more versatile and not so heavy. Cowboy boots lite, if you like.
Starting at entry level — for anyone who loves an Isabel Marant Dicker-style boot (an ankle boot with curved sides and a Cuban heel) — there are plenty of simple designs, ranging from plain black at Massimo Dutti (£149) to faux snake (£179, whistles.com).
These are more rounded at the toe, but generally it’s not a western boot if it isn’t pointy with a distinctive Spanish topstitch (wrinkle and chain lines optional). If you want to go for the full cowboy look, Mango has pulled out all the stops with heavily tooled, cropped, black and grey snakeprint boots, (£129.99, mango.com).
For my money these are on the rich side and you’ll only wear them with jeans.
If you’re going for impact, you would be better off buying Zara’s glossy red cowboy-heel ankle boots with metal-trimmed toe (£99.99, zara.com).
They’re quite out there, but I can picture them with wide cropped trousers or a midi denim skirt and a big jumper.
Getting on to the classic cowboy boot look, there are a couple of options this season: embroidered brown leather (£59.99, stradivarius.com), which is less heavy than black and has a Spanish riding boot feel; or pale tan suede with a hint of embroidered detail (£125, office.co.uk).
For an even plainer version in tan suede, go back to Massimo Dutti (£149).
The blingy, bright cowboy boot is not the look for now, which means you’re more likely to wear these boots the way you used to wear biker boots. That’s the idea.
If you want to know which boots the fashion girls will be wearing, it’s probably Ganni’s ankle boots in pewter and brown mock croc (£390, ganni.
com), or just plain white. And if none of these float your boat then not to worry . . . lots more boots on the way.