Cowboy Boots

[Hamttx 419]

Try this again. I ordered two pair that I had fitted in Nashville last year. These came in first, the others should arrive by the end of the month. 
They do damn good work. 

[tx 3 putt 75,962]

Damn sharp looking boots ! @Hamttx

panty droppers 

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

Should be flicking a scorpion off, with a thick stogie between your fingers.

[Hamttx 419]

7 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Damn sharp looking boots ! @Hamttx

panty droppers 

I’ve heard a lot of negative noise about western diamondback. Apparently they are not as durable as other animal skin, and you have to treat them carefully. Time will tell if I made a poor choice. 

[Dbeasy 14,931]

8 hours ago, Hamttx said:

Try this again. I ordered two pair that I had fitted in Nashville last year. These came in first, the others should arrive by the end of the month. 
They do damn good work. 

Those are some of the best looking boots I’ve ever seen. Amazing. 

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

1 hour ago, Hamttx said:

I’ve heard a lot of negative noise about western diamondback. Apparently they are not as durable as other animal skin, and you have to treat them carefully. Time will tell if I made a poor choice. 

I think the key, as it is with most reptile, is to keep it moisturized.

[Hamttx 419]

4 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

I think the key, as it is with most reptile, is to keep it moisturized.

I believe you’re correct. I was instructed to use Saphir Reptan?
I ordered some from Amazon. When it comes in I’ll try it in a small area just to see what happens. 

[RMac5 1,548]

On 7/20/2024 at 8:13 PM, Hamttx said:

Try this again. I ordered two pair that I had fitted in Nashville last year. These came in first, the others should arrive by the end of the month. 
They do damn good work. 

Damn you! I been pondering a pair of rattler boots, been looking at the Black Jack brand. Great looking boots you got there.

[Aqua Buddha 14,465]

On 7/20/2024 at 8:13 PM, Hamttx said:

Try this again. I ordered two pair that I had fitted in Nashville last year. These came in first, the others should arrive by the end of the month. 
They do damn good work. 

What kind are those?  Snakeskin it looks like?  Do you remember the model name like they have for everything else?

I did the same thing you did.  I got fitted in the store in Oklahoma City, they didn't have the exact size so they just shipped them to my house.  Very easy to deal with.

Their apparel lines are also sharp looking.  I still like the western look.  The problem is most of the people that try it look like bro country dick heads like that ass hat Jason Aldean with his stupid broken straw hat.  They look like some youth minister in some non dom church.

[Hamttx 419]

16 hours ago, Aqua Buddha said:

What kind are those?  Snakeskin it looks like?  Do you remember the model name like they have for everything else?

I did the same thing you did.  I got fitted in the store in Oklahoma City, they didn't have the exact size so they just shipped them to my house.  Very easy to deal with.

Their apparel lines are also sharp looking.  I still like the western look.  The problem is most of the people that try it look like bro country dick heads like that ass hat Jason Aldean with his stupid broken straw hat.  They look like some youth minister in some non dom church.

Western Diamondback. They do have a model name, I’ll post it for you, but I’ll have to dig up the order form. And like you they shipped to my home.

The photo really doesn’t do them justice. These are the first pair I have seen that used the Rattler on the adjacent seems that form the top above your foot. Every other pair I looked at appears as if they used a glue line, or hidden stitch to form the top. Almost like they were trying to hide the seem. 

The problem with doing it that way is your eyes are drawn to the mismatched pattern of the skin. By acknowledging the variation with the use of the rattler, it is far more pleasing to the eye. And the pattern difference becomes irrelevant. That little change makes a huge difference when seen in sunlight. 

I also can’t say enough about the fit. If memory serves me they took 6 measurements not including the standard shoe sizing gizmo. I have worn them 6 or 7 times and they feel better each time I put them on. They are comfortable as hell. 

[Hamttx 419]

On 7/20/2024 at 9:30 PM, tx 3 putt said:

Damn sharp looking boots ! @Hamttx

panty droppers 

I stole your line. I was with a buddy of mine in this little shitty pizza bar tavern that has live music here in town. During the set change a couple walks by me and the guy sees the boots and asks me “what are those?”. Your line just popped into my head and I blurted out “panty droppers”. They busted out laughing and bought my buddy and I a round. From here on out that’s what I’m calling them. 

[elguapo 4,580]

Thought some of y’all would find this interesting 

 

[tx 3 putt 75,962]

The best boot, is the most comfortable boot to you 

buffalo skinned boots is on my to do list 

 

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

4 hours ago, elguapo said:

Thought some of y’all would find this interesting 

 

Lucchese is relying heavily on their name.  The Luccheses that are like old Luccheses, Classics, are probably 1500 for a simple cowhide.

Their lower-tier models are not a ton better than Tecovas or Ariats (exaggeration) or what-have-you.  Certainly not $1000 worth.

Blackjack and Rios/Anderson Bean/Olathe are where it's at for the traditionally made boot at a reasonable cost.  Lucchese is a markup machine.

I mean, look at their friggin website.  It's like Prada or some shit.

To be fair,, Justinlamaconaberkshirehathaway boots are shit, too, and mostly look like shit, but at least they're priced reasonably.  Still, you can get blackjack semi-customs for $100 more in many cases.

Edited August 8 by TwiceHorn

[fattyflattie 4,636]

12 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Their lower-tier models are not a ton better than Tecovas or Ariats (exaggeration) or what-have-you.  Certainly not $1000 worth.

This is one hell of an exaggeration.  Even the delta in Ariats and Tecovas is substantial.  I don’t think Tecovas are measured in years, but times worn.  I’ve got at least one pair of crocs and one pair of ostrich that are on their 3rd sole with the cheap luccheses, both >10 years of consistent wear.  

12 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Blackjack and Rios/Anderson Bean/Olathe are where it's at for the traditionally made boot at a reasonable cost.  Lucchese is a markup machine.

Blackjack is considerably nicer than the last few Beans I’ve handled. Been awhile, but I’d say he same for RoM as well.  My Beans and “cheaper” lucchese’s are indistinguishable imo.  I like the BJ more than Lucc classics. 

[fattyflattie 4,636]

ETA: they are as much marketing or more as quality though, no disagreement there. 

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

1 hour ago, fattyflattie said:

ETA: they are as much marketing or more as quality though, no disagreement there. 

I was actually Ok with it when they had the lower-tier models designated 1883 or whatever they were.  Still pretty decent boots, but not "Lucchese quality" like Classics.  Now it's hard to figure out what's what.

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

So, I wound up browsing around a Cavenders today.  One of the things I intended to do at Cavenders or someplace was to try on some Black Jacks to try to draw a bead on my size when I finally pull the trigger on some MTO elephant.

I was also curious now that most cheaper boots are nothing but D and EE widths, how those fit.  I have always worn a B in boots and quality dress shoes, Alden etc. that used traditional American sizing and lasts.  But, here in my old age, my foot has splayed out some, and a lot of D widths don't seem to be true Ds anymore, but something narrower (which probably explains the proliferation of EE).  Anyway, D width boots did come closer to fitting than they used to and I am probably going to order a C in the Black Jacks.

One thing I didn't expect was I stumbled upon exactly one pair of Hondo boots in the store.  From a distance, they have always looked nice and traditional to me.  And, up close, they compared very favorably with a nearby pair of AB Horsepower boots (their cheaper line).  They didn't seem to have much/any plastic in them and the stitching looked quality, which is not something you can say about most of the lesser boots anymore.  And their pricing is quite reasonable.

Anyone can relate experience with Hondo Boots?

[Herbie Hancock 7,296]

Horsepower by AB are absolute trash. Pay the extra money and get the BlackJack custom fit. If you’re in DFW, shoot me a PM and I’ll connect you with the right person to do the measurements.

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

15 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Horsepower by AB are absolute trash. Pay the extra money and get the BlackJack custom fit. If you’re in DFW, shoot me a PM and I’ll connect you with the right person to do the measurements.

When I said "compared favorably," I meant better.  I'm getting the Black Jack if I get anything.  Was planning to order from Tim's Boots.  Not custom sizing, but standard and pick your features.  About how much more is custom fit?

Was just asking about Hondo, because I was pretty impressed for a budget boot.

Edited August 16 by TwiceHorn

[Herbie Hancock 7,296]

It was $100 fee 15 years ago. Can’t imagine it’s more than $200-ish now. And if you use the right person to make the measurements, it’s an absolute steal

[fattyflattie 4,636]

15 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

It was $100 fee 15 years ago. Can’t imagine it’s more than $200-ish now. And if you use the right person to make the measurements, it’s an absolute steal

Agree. Worth every penny for boots you plan to keep.   

[GenXer 2,766]

I’ve been getting lots of ads for texas boot company in my IG feed. It worked.

I was in austin this weekend and drove over to bastrop to check out a pair of black jack full quills with a distressed goat shaft.

They had an in-store 30% off deal. I’m generally not a fan of boot stores that carry a number of different brands but they had a sizable selection of black jack and rios boots. Enjoyed the experience.

 

[RMac5 1,548]

I have two pair of the Black Jack boots, they are considerably better than any of the AB boots I own. 

[tx 3 putt 75,962]

5 hours ago, GenXer said:

I’ve been getting lots of ads for texas boot company in my IG feed. It worked.

I was in austin this weekend and drove over to bastrop to check out a pair of black jack full quills with a distressed goat shaft.

They had an in-store 30% off deal. I’m generally not a fan of boot stores that carry a number of different brands but they had a sizable selection of black jack and rios boots. Enjoyed the experience.

 

[jdhorn92 1,535]

Newish Tecovas , really liking them and old faithful luccheses, prior to a recent shine.

[jdhorn92 1,535]

On 7/20/2024 at 8:13 PM, Hamttx said:

Try this again. I ordered two pair that I had fitted in Nashville last year. These came in first, the others should arrive by the end of the month. 
They do damn good work. 

those are fuckin sweet

[Steel Shank 9,383]

8 hours ago, jdhorn92 said:

Newish Tecovas , really liking them and old faithful luccheses, prior to a recent shine.

I see what's going on. In the first pic, is that chick named 'Christy'?

[jdhorn92 1,535]

14 hours ago, Steel Shank said:

I see what's going on. In the first pic, is that chick named 'Christy'?

No sir, not Christy.  Mrs. jdhorn92

[bEastTexas 497]

Anybody have any experiences with republic boot company out of Houston?

 

https://republicboothouston.com/products/artemis

[tx 3 putt 75,962]

1 hour ago, bEastTexas said:

Anybody have any experiences with republic boot company out of Houston?

 

https://republicboothouston.com/products/artemis

 

those look nice 

[fattyflattie 4,636]

1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

those look nice 

They do. Don’t know if I want to wear the same shit as Koe, though.   

[Aqua Buddha 14,465]

Was in Nashville recently with the wife and got her birthday present.  Something about a good looking woman in boots.  Lucchese makes a damn nice women’s line….

 

 

[tx 3 putt 75,962]

40 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Was in Nashville recently with the wife and got her birthday present.  Something about a good looking woman in boots.  Lucchese makes a damn nice women’s line….

 

 

 

panty droppers 

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

On 7/20/2024 at 10:25 PM, TwiceHorn said:

Should be flicking a scorpion off, with a thick stogie between your fingers.

 Many of you are too young to remember, but back when Nocona made real boots.

[tx 3 putt 75,962]

they should do a whole college series, these fucking good. imagine a ut burnt orange version ….

 

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

1 minute ago, tx 3 putt said:

they should do a whole college series, these fucking good. imagine a ut burnt orange version ….

 

Only Cougar high would have the Houston skyline as part of that design.

[tx 3 putt 75,962]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

Only Cougar high would have the Houston skyline as part of that design.

 

For the H !

[Chewbacca 7,667]

Thought you guys would have some Rod Patrick or M.L. Leddy's boots in here.  You're slipping.

[GenXer 2,766]

59 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Thought you guys would have some Rod Patrick or M.L. Leddy's boots in here.  You're slipping.

Rod Patrick Pg 26

 

Rod Patrick Pg 27

Leddy’s are too narrow for me.

[TwiceHorn 31,096]

40 minutes ago, GenXer said:

Rod Patrick Pg 26

 

Rod Patrick Pg 27

Leddy’s are too narrow for me.

Aren't most or all of Leddy boots custom made?

[GenXer 2,766]

They have a bunch that are off-the-shelf at their store in the stockyards 

[Chewbacca 7,667]

Rod Patrick Pg 26

 
Rod Patrick Pg 27

Leddy’s are too narrow for me.

My bad. I only read a couple of pages.

[Chewbacca 7,667]

22 hours ago, GenXer said:

Rod Patrick Pg 26

 

Rod Patrick Pg 27

Leddy’s are too narrow for me.

I went over to Rod Patrick in Ft Worth with my business partners in February.  They tried to talk me into getting a pair (they each got a couple for themselves) but I would never wear them.  They are beautiful, though.  Love those ostrich. We also stopped by Leddy's.  I can't imagine they are worth what they charge for them, especially since there aren't any tags for people to know that's what you're wearing.

[Aqua Buddha 14,465]

Since I recently bought myself and m'lady a pair of Lucchese's, I became a bit interested in their business model.  Being the consumer retail nerd that I am, I was curious.  Here are my findings.

1.  The brand image is high end.  Someone on here said it's Western meets Prada.  Bingo.  I started looking at it as a brand like LV rather than just a boot store.  

2.  They're 100% DTC now.  (Direct to Consumer.)  They're not in any other retail channels like back in the day.  (Cavenders and what not.)  Only the website and their owned stores.

3.  They're can't seem to build these stores fast enough.  I follow them on IG and saw they opened a store over the weekend on South Congress.  I knew they already had an Austin store so that made me wonder how many of these they had.  26 stores in seems.  All stores are either in the Central of Mountain time zones.  Nothing coastal or southern.  Makes sense.

4.  That made me wonder if they're over building.  So, I went over to Glassdoor.  (A surprisingly good resource sometimes.)  Almost every one of their internal reviews said they're selling so much product, that they're having trouble tracking the inventory.  Someone specifically called out the Nashville store saying it was the #2 store in the chain (Dallas likely #1), and they were blowing through so much inventory that they didn't know what they had due to a POS/inventory system that wasn't great.  That hit close to home because my wife tried on a pair at the Nashville store and they seemed confused about whether they had her size or not.  Meanwhile, there was a constant stream of people coming in there despite it being under renovation.

5.  There were endless complaints on Glassdoor about it being chaotic because of the growth.  This is common in fast growth brands and companies.  The people there likely don't understand that.  That's not an insult, it's just more common than you think.

6.  Supposedly, as a company, they're selling 750 boots per day and can only make 600.  (Glassdoor.)

7.  Also according to Glassdoor, the major "pro" from the store people was the clientele.  Said they come in with money, don't care about price, and buy lots of stuff.  Western Wear makes a comeback every 15-20 years or so and I knew we were in one of those cycles now thanks to Yellowstone.  I guess I didn't realize there were rich people with gobs of money walking into one of these stores and saying "I'll take five pair."

Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.....

 

[Dbeasy 14,931]

11 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Since I recently bought myself and m'lady a pair of Lucchese's, I became a bit interested in their business model.  Being the consumer retail nerd that I am, I was curious.  Here are my findings.

1.  The brand image is high end.  Someone on here said it's Western meets Prada.  Bingo.  I started looking at it as a brand like LV rather than just a boot store.  

2.  They're 100% DTC now.  (Direct to Consumer.)  They're not in any other retail channels like back in the day.  (Cavenders and what not.)  Only the website and their owned stores.

3.  They're can't seem to build these stores fast enough.  I follow them on IG and saw they opened a store over the weekend on South Congress.  I knew they already had an Austin store so that made me wonder how many of these they had.  26 stores in seems.  All stores are either in the Central of Mountain time zones.  Nothing coastal or southern.  Makes sense.

4.  That made me wonder if they're over building.  So, I went over to Glassdoor.  (A surprisingly good resource sometimes.)  Almost every one of their internal reviews said they're selling so much product, that they're having trouble tracking the inventory.  Someone specifically called out the Nashville store saying it was the #2 store in the chain (Dallas likely #1), and they were blowing through so much inventory that they didn't know what they had due to a POS/inventory system that wasn't great.  That hit close to home because my wife tried on a pair at the Nashville store and they seemed confused about whether they had her size or not.  Meanwhile, there was a constant stream of people coming in there despite it being under renovation.

5.  There were endless complaints on Glassdoor about it being chaotic because of the growth.  This is common in fast growth brands and companies.  The people there likely don't understand that.  That's not an insult, it's just more common than you think.

6.  Supposedly, as a company, they're selling 750 boots per day and can only make 600.  (Glassdoor.)

7.  Also according to Glassdoor, the major "pro" from the store people was the clientele.  Said they come in with money, don't care about price, and buy lots of stuff.  Western Wear makes a comeback every 15-20 years or so and I knew we were in one of those cycles now thanks to Yellowstone.  I guess I didn't realize there were rich people with gobs of money walking into one of these stores and saying "I'll take five pair."

Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.....

 

This was really interesting. Thanks for posting this. It also tells me I need to look for a different brand for me. I never pulled the trigger on their cherry alligator back when it was affordable. Now I’m trying to decide between western diamondback and alligator/crocs and the brand. 

[Aqua Buddha 14,465]

11 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

This was really interesting. Thanks for posting this. It also tells me I need to look for a different brand for me. I never pulled the trigger on their cherry alligator back when it was affordable. Now I’m trying to decide between western diamondback and alligator/crocs and the brand. 

They may be pricey but I highly recommend them.  They fit great and hold up excellent over time.  Also a gorgeous design.  Some are like works of art, particularly the women's line.  (They're a woman's boot designed by a woman.  They have a femininity to them, whereas other lines are just a boot painted white or red or something.)

[Aqua Buddha 14,465]

1 hour ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Since I recently bought myself and m'lady a pair of Lucchese's, I became a bit interested in their business model.  Being the consumer retail nerd that I am, I was curious.  Here are my findings.

1.  The brand image is high end.  Someone on here said it's Western meets Prada.  Bingo.  I started looking at it as a brand like LV rather than just a boot store.  

2.  They're 100% DTC now.  (Direct to Consumer.)  They're not in any other retail channels like back in the day.  (Cavenders and what not.)  Only the website and their owned stores.

3.  They're can't seem to build these stores fast enough.  I follow them on IG and saw they opened a store over the weekend on South Congress.  I knew they already had an Austin store so that made me wonder how many of these they had.  26 stores in seems.  All stores are either in the Central of Mountain time zones.  Nothing coastal or southern.  Makes sense.

4.  That made me wonder if they're over building.  So, I went over to Glassdoor.  (A surprisingly good resource sometimes.)  Almost every one of their internal reviews said they're selling so much product, that they're having trouble tracking the inventory.  Someone specifically called out the Nashville store saying it was the #2 store in the chain (Dallas likely #1), and they were blowing through so much inventory that they didn't know what they had due to a POS/inventory system that wasn't great.  That hit close to home because my wife tried on a pair at the Nashville store and they seemed confused about whether they had her size or not.  Meanwhile, there was a constant stream of people coming in there despite it being under renovation.

5.  There were endless complaints on Glassdoor about it being chaotic because of the growth.  This is common in fast growth brands and companies.  The people there likely don't understand that.  That's not an insult, it's just more common than you think.

6.  Supposedly, as a company, they're selling 750 boots per day and can only make 600.  (Glassdoor.)

7.  Also according to Glassdoor, the major "pro" from the store people was the clientele.  Said they come in with money, don't care about price, and buy lots of stuff.  Western Wear makes a comeback every 15-20 years or so and I knew we were in one of those cycles now thanks to Yellowstone.  I guess I didn't realize there were rich people with gobs of money walking into one of these stores and saying "I'll take five pair."

Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.....

 

8.  The problem with being a fast growth luxury brand like this is that they CANNOT compromise brand quality.  I know nothing about their production process but if they increase production to meet demand, it has to be the same.  No exceptions.  If that means price goes up then the price goes up.  (A lot of brands make this mistake.)  

9.  They have to be litigious assholes when it comes to knock offs.  (Burberry is well known for this.)  There doesn't seem to be a knock off problem now but often times luxury brands have this problem and the knock offs show up in the diverted market at Costco, Sam's, TJ Max, whatever the fuck.  They need to be on top of this before it becomes a problem.

 

Thanks for coming to Part II of my Ted Talk.

[fattyflattie 4,636]

On 9/2/2024 at 6:05 PM, Aqua Buddha said:

Since I recently bought myself and m'lady a pair of Lucchese's, I became a bit interested in their business model.  Being the consumer retail nerd that I am, I was curious.  Here are my findings.

1.  The brand image is high end.  Someone on here said it's Western meets Prada.  Bingo.  I started looking at it as a brand like LV rather than just a boot store.  

2.  They're 100% DTC now.  (Direct to Consumer.)  They're not in any other retail channels like back in the day.  (Cavenders and what not.)  Only the website and their owned stores.

3.  They're can't seem to build these stores fast enough.  I follow them on IG and saw they opened a store over the weekend on South Congress.  I knew they already had an Austin store so that made me wonder how many of these they had.  26 stores in seems.  All stores are either in the Central of Mountain time zones.  Nothing coastal or southern.  Makes sense.

4.  That made me wonder if they're over building.  So, I went over to Glassdoor.  (A surprisingly good resource sometimes.)  Almost every one of their internal reviews said they're selling so much product, that they're having trouble tracking the inventory.  Someone specifically called out the Nashville store saying it was the #2 store in the chain (Dallas likely #1), and they were blowing through so much inventory that they didn't know what they had due to a POS/inventory system that wasn't great.  That hit close to home because my wife tried on a pair at the Nashville store and they seemed confused about whether they had her size or not.  Meanwhile, there was a constant stream of people coming in there despite it being under renovation.

5.  There were endless complaints on Glassdoor about it being chaotic because of the growth.  This is common in fast growth brands and companies.  The people there likely don't understand that.  That's not an insult, it's just more common than you think.

6.  Supposedly, as a company, they're selling 750 boots per day and can only make 600.  (Glassdoor.)

7.  Also according to Glassdoor, the major "pro" from the store people was the clientele.  Said they come in with money, don't care about price, and buy lots of stuff.  Western Wear makes a comeback every 15-20 years or so and I knew we were in one of those cycles now thanks to Yellowstone.  I guess I didn't realize there were rich people with gobs of money walking into one of these stores and saying "I'll take five pair."

Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.....

 

Wait, you can no longer get Lucchese’s from Cavenders?  I only go in there once a year or so when I need some new jeans but they had them last time I was there (~year ago).  They didn’t have as many as 10 years ago but it was the entire outside of the last wall between the boots and the women’s clothes or something.   I specifically remember everything being $750 and up now.  Probably mistaken but I thought I’ve seen the pinto ranch sign at IAH advertise them not terribly long ago.   The $750-1000 pairs are in an odd spot for me.  I have boots I like better on both sides of that range, and ftr I’m far from a Lucc hater. 

[Herbie Hancock 7,296]

Wait, you can no longer get Lucchese’s from Cavenders?  I only go in there once a year or so when I need some new jeans but they had them last time I was there (~year ago).  They didn’t have as many as 10 years ago but it was the entire outside of the last wall between the boots and the women’s clothes or something.   I specifically remember everything being $750 and up now.  Probably mistaken but I thought I’ve seen the pinto ranch sign at IAH advertise them not terribly long ago.   The $750-1000 pairs are in an odd spot for me.  I have boots I like better on both sides of that range, and ftr I’m far from a Lucc hater. 

Mid 2022 Lucchese began “allocating” their product as they sought to build their own stores out. It wont end well for them as I saw this before from others years ago, but they have significant financial back so it will take time for them to realize their losses.

Currently Cavender’s is allocated 200 pairs of boots per month for the entire chain with no more special orders. Cavender’s no longer carry Lucchese shirts or belts either, and it’s a damn shame because I am not a fan of Lucchese but outside of my Double J belts I think Lucchese makes the best.

All that said, Lucchese was overpriced 20 years ago, I’m sure their new store model combined with their wildly inflated prices will lead to very unfavorable times in the not too distant future.