Category Archives: Design & Materials

Cowboy Boots, Design & Materials

Bootmaker Round-Up 2006

The 18th Annual Boot & Saddlemakers Trade Show Round Up will be held October 6-7, 2006 in Wichita Falls, Texas.

I look forward to the Round Up every year.

Here’s the informal schedule…Friday morning, you get a quick nod, hug, or handshake from even your closest friends… ‘cuz everybody is staring down at the asphalt searching around for the good swapmeet stuff. After 3pm on Saturday everybody’s too busy looking for last minute deals on leather, no time for long goodbyes.

Ahhh… but in all that time in-between, there’s plenty of room for drinking coffee and catching up with all the folks you haven’t seen since last year.

For more information visit www.bootandsaddlemakertradeshow.com. To pre-register contact Kathy Kimmel at kimmels@comanchetx.com, or (325) 356-3197.

(Bootmakers will want to keep their eye on the customcowboybootsandshoesforum.com for more updates and photos.)

Here’s some 2005 photos:

Thirty-two saddles were entered in this year’s contest.

Boots by Brian Thomas (Abilene, TX)

Cowboy boots on display. Photo by Carrlyn Miller.

Bootmaker Duck Menzies (Temple, TX)

Jeff Farmer from Sun City Leather (El Paso,TX)

Design & Materials

“Countrypolitan”

In the last couple of weeks I’ve heard the word “Countrypolitan” maybe five times, even found myself using it in casual conversation at a party last night.

What is “Countrypolitan?” The term has often been used to describe “pop”ular country music. I just saw Ray Price perform (more on this later)…Mr. Price is old school “Countrypolitan”. Singing songs about misery and love gone wrong…no longer with yodels or twangs of his early days, but a nice looking suit and a smooth voice and style…still improving with age at 79.

You can see “Countrypolitan” now emerging in cowboy boot design. Country music has always supplied Western glamour. “Countrypolitan” is glamour without the “bling.” The new Lucchese Stiletto Boots are a good example. These cowboy boots have tall tops, collars, pointy toes, wrinkles and toebugs, but they take a fashion detour with their 3 1/2 inch heels, and sleek stage soles. They are “cowboy boots” only upon second glance….at first they look are mainstream…that’s countrypolitan. Even without exotic hides, rhinestones or metal tips these new boots takes sides with form not function. They pay tribute to their country roots, but from a safe distance.