Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.
Saddle up, pardner! Charlie is out this week, so I’m taking you through the western boots I’m looking at to up my cowboy cred this summer. Whether you’re an old hand or a tenderfoot, a pair of pull on boots are a great addition to your footwear stable. Heads up these are not full on “cowboy boots” with the pointy toes and leather soles, but their work oriented cousin, the roper, which can blend into your wardrobe a bit more easily than a 10 gallon hat.
1) Red Wing: Nailseat Pull On in Bomber Brown Leather
I miss the Pecos, you miss the Pecos, we all miss the Pecos. Red Wing is keeping it kind of alive with the Nailseat, which is based on their classic 11″ roper but in a smooth pull up leather they call “Boomer”, which I’m hoping is not a dig at their customer base.
Available for $290 at Billy’s Western Wear.
2) Chisos: No. 6 in Roughout
A relative newcomer on the scene, the Texas-based and Mexico-made Chisos is putting out boots that rival many of the more established makers on this list. The No.6 is an easy to swallow silhouette with a flat heel and a rounded toebox.
Available for $545 at Chisos.
3) Viberg: Stallion
No, you won’t find this one on Viberg’s fashion oriented site, but their Stallion is available in all its glory to the working person’s side of their business. It still has their legendary double-stitchdown construction but on a pull-on 11″ upper built with their 1040 last.
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Available for $525CAD (~$412USD) at Workboot.
4) Unmarked: Durango in Ranch Mosto
Unmarked puts out another banger at a very reasonable price. The Mexican in-house makers Durango boot combines the best parts of a rough and tumble workboot with a mini-lug sole with a slightly tapered heel and a 270-degree welt.
Available for $350 at Unmarked.
5) Lucchese: Kennedy Roper
How could we not include Lucchese in any sort of pull-on boot roundup? “Kennedy” is generally not the first name I think of when discussing cowboy boots, but even an Irish Catholic president probably couldn’t resist the call of these 10″, made in Texas booties.
Available for $595 at Lucchese.
Plus One – Dayton: Engineer Western Soft Toe
If you can’t make up your mind between boot styles or have simply skipped leg day too many times to effectively fill any of the other options on this list, Dayton has an option for you! It’s not their famous Black Beauties, but the Canadian maker has combined the bottom of a western boot with the top of an engineer. It all comes in their heavy 7oz. logger leather and a Vibram mini-lug sole.
Available for $795CAD (~$625USD) at Dayton Boots.
