Category Archives: Vintage Boots

Vintage Boots

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.)

Vintage Boots

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!)

Art & Culture, Vintage Boots

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: