The Enduring Appeal of the Cowboy Boot

That mythology has had countless revivals in fashion. Americana resurfaces every few years, from Ralph Lauren’s enduring western references to Marc Jacobs’s 1992 Perry Ellis show, where Naomi Campbell stormed the runway in a pair of black cowboy boots. The same year, Thierry Mugler unveiled his iconic Western-themed collection, complete with cowgirl chaps and heeled booties modeled by nightlife icon Connie Fleming. Raf Simons’s tenure at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC offered another influential reimagining, with sharp steel-toed iterations in patent crimson, aqua, and gold. More recently, brands from Isabel Marant and Schiaparelli, to Khaite and Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton menswear, have all taken their turn with the cowboy boot.

Pop culture has been just as pivotal. The boot is immortalized in images of Marlon Brando, Dolly Parton, and Jimi Hendrix; in the art of Andy Warhol, Ernie Barnes, and Billy Schenck; and in the wardrobes of 2000’s music festival fixtures like Vanessa Hudgens—dubbed the “queen of Coachella”—and Kendall Jenner, who became synonymous with denim cutoffs and boots in the 2010s. This October, Jenner and Gigi Hadid, lifelong friends and current Vogue cover stars, embody the modern Western spirit in an editorial complete with horses and boots. Taylor Swift, meanwhile, has made the silhouette a core part of her on- and off-stage wardrobe (like the Louboutin cowboy boots and Kansas City Chiefs leather jacket she wore last year to support her fiance Travis Kelce), from her early country days to her Eras tour. Let us not forget the impact of Beyonce’s tour de force, Cowboy Carter—it was a global retail phenomenon that sent boots flying off shelves and online stockists.

Lucchese, the 143-year-old Texas bootmaking institution, was among the most in-demand labels during that surge. Founded in 1883 by Sicilian immigrants, the brand has fitted everyone from U.S. presidents and movie stars to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. And there’s a reason why so many people seek them out. “They’re made the same way they’ve been made for generations. We haven’t changed that,” Doug Hogue, vice president of product at Lucchese, tells Vogue. Each boot is still crafted by 180 to 200 artisans in a meticulous, hands-on process. “You could wear our boots at the rodeo, working on the ranch how they were originally designed—or wear them from a fashion perspective, or a style perspective.” That adaptability, he noted, is what makes them timeless.

For westernwear influencer Justina Sharp, cowboy boots are more than utility. “Cowboy boots are art,” she says. “And when you start to get into a certain level of cowboy boots, you start looking for things in the craftsmanship of the boot that really tells you something about the boot and the person.” To legions of diehard cowboy boot aficionados, the shoe is exactly that; an artisanal, moniker of craftsmanship. Different stitching, shaft heights, toe shape, materials etc.

Cutting leather.

Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov

Hand tooling a decorative design.

Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov

Artisan bootmaker Pedro “Pete” Lopez.

Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov

Artisan bootmaker Inocenta Espinoza.

Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov

A visit to the Lucchese factory in El Paso, Texas offers a rare glimpse into cowboy boot production. Each pair blends old-world craftsmanship and modern precision: hides are carefully matched, cut with steel-rule dies, and hand-stitched into intricate patterns. Uppers are hand-lasted, some pairs fully-tooled by hand—each one unique—and then stained to a finish that ranges from soft matte to high-gloss, each with its own patina.