What Are the Best Cowboy Boots?

Multiple women we spoke to praised these boots from Ariat. Singer-songwriterFrankie Zwick, who spends winters in Nashville and has worked as awranglerfor multiple seasons on ranches in Wyoming and Colorado, says: “I pretty much wear one pair of Ariat boots. A lot of the girls I’ve worked with throughout the years wear them, too. The boots have rubber soles, so if you’re riding or working in the mud, they’re gonna hold up really well.” Zwick wears her distressed-brown Ariats everywhere and likes that she can go from working on a ranch straight to a Honky Tonk in Nashville without having to change her footwear. She says they stand up well to spilled drinks and getting your toes stepped on too.

Other fans of Ariat includeSam Alexander, an avid horseback rider in Alberta, Canada;Amalie MacGowan, creative development manager forTeen Vogue; writerJessie Mooney; rodeo barrel racerKeiara Wade; andNicole Zuelke, a model, actress, and horseback rider. MacGowan likes Ariats as an affordable alternative to higher-end designer pairs. (She also owns a few boots from Ganni and a handmade pair from Brother Vellies). She says Ariat has a ton of great options between $100–$200, all with a genuine cowboy boot look and feel. “If you’re gonna do cowboy, you might as well do it full hog,” she says. Mooney bought her pair of Ariat Heritage boots in Nashville in 2017 “on the recommendation of my little sister and her most Southern friend,” because they hit a sweet spot of comfort and style. Of the options she tried that day, the Ariats were the most comfortable, had a subtle-enough design to wear with lots of differentoutfits, and fell at just the right place on her calf to keep her from looking “stumpy.” Wade, who lives in Los Angeles and has been riding horses since she was 8 months old, wears her Ariats both in and out of the saddle. She says they’re by far the most comfortable boots she’s worn and tells us her young daughter wears them, too. “I had a pair of Justin boots that were okay,” she says. “But after a while, they’d start to hurt my feet. I can wear Ariats for over 12 hours. I might be tired, but my feet don’t hurt.”

Alexander loves that cowboy boots have made making a big comeback in the fashion world. She has several pairs of Ariats, including these in all black, that she wears more than any other brand. She says they last for years, even with a lot of wear, and they come with very comfortable insoles that let her walk, work, and ride all day without discomfort. “I used to work as a wrangler at Texas Longhorn Ranch in Ontario. I’d wear my Ariats all day, rounding up horses from the pasture in the morning and taking guests on multiple rides throughout day. Then I’d wear them working cattle in the chutes for my roping friends and whenever I tagged along to watch the rodeos,” she says. Even if you’re not herding animals, they’re a solid choice for traipsing around New York as well; to keep them from looking too costumey in the city, stylistAemilia Maddenwill break them out with a floaty cotton dress or skirt “for a cottagecore vibe that still feels true to my style,” she says.

When I went hunting for a pair ofcowboy boots last year, I was forced to rule out a majority of options due to the ubiquitous pointy toe — a death knell for my wide, bunion-afflicted feet. But then I discovered Ariat’s Fatbaby line, which features a rounded toe and chunkier silhouette, and I knew I’d found my winner. Fatbabys come in a dizzying array of pattern, color, and material combinations, from gator skin tocheetah print, so you’re sure to find one that suits your style. I picked mine, a dark-brown-and-rust-red style with flashy feather embroidery, on Poshmark, but there are plenty of options floating around Amazon and Zappos.

We heard about this inexpensive pair of Roper boots from influencerLauren Wolfe. “While some all-leather boots can be really expensive, you can buy them secondhand, or there are also synthetic ones that are much more affordable that also look great,” she says. In addition to being affordable, these boots are also vegan.

Another fairly affordable option, these tall western boots from Call It Spring feature a synthetic upper and a foam insole that makes them easy to walk long distances in, according to model Molly D’Amato. “I have really flat feet, so I’m not going to wear a shoe that’s not comfortable for me,” she says. She’s owned them for about a year and reports that they’ve very much held up through trekking miles on gritty Manhattan sidewalks.

Shaley Ham, a content creator focusing on western fashion, says these Idyllwind block-heeled booties pair especially well with cropped straight- leg jeans or long-inseam trousers. Even with their two-and-a-half-inch heel, she’s put some serious miles on these boots, calling them a “durable and reliable go-to in my collection” that are “comfortable enough to wear all day at a country music festival or around Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo.”

Devine Blacksher, a senior fashion editor atEssencewho previously worked at the Cut, describes her Frye boots as super-comfortable and high quality. “I probably wear them three to four times a week, to work and going out at night,” she says. For weekend errands, she’ll often throw them on withyoga pants.

Lucchesebootshave set the industry standard for craftsmanship and design for over a hundred years. The company offers a huge variety of styles, from highly decorative boots you’d wear for a night out to less flashy pairs you could wear to muck stalls. Molly Bedell, founder ofTwo Old Hippiesboutique in Nashville, has a pair of Lucchese boots that were custom-made to her feet, which she says is “the way to do it,” if you can. The non-bespoke options are excellent too, says Zuelke, who wears only Lucchese boots. She likes them for their durability and range of designs. Although the brand is mainly known for its dress boots, Lucchese does make a barn boot, which Zuelke wears whenever she rides. “I’d say I’m on a horse four to five days a week. I wear the barn boots in the snow, the mud, even through muck and manure, and they hold up really well.” Like the Ariatbootsabove, Lucchese’s barn boots have rubber soles, which adds to their comfort and keeps out moisture.

When it comes to fashion boots, Ham is a fan of a taller shaft height, which pairs well with a skirt or dress “to best show off the beautiful design.” They’re also a solid choice when it comes to styling an outfit for a rodeo because “I don’t have to worry about if they get dirty. I just take a rag and wipe the dust off them at the end of the night,” she says, calling out the top-notch quality leather and craftsmanship of these Ranch Road boots, which she says never fail to draw compliments from fellow rodeo attendees.

Libby Rasmussen, founder of home-décor storeLibby & My, has a taste for eye-catching accessories, including her footwear. Sustainable fashion brand Zig Zag Goods sources vintage cowboy boots and gives them a colorful makeover using acrylic leather paint. “The vibrant hand-painted colors are so unexpected and fun,” Rasmussen says. “These boots make me crave a spicy marg!”

Content creatorElla McFadinloves the brand Freda Salvador, recalling how her Loretta boots kept her feet warm during a trip upstate in the freezing cold. The soft suede material has “held up incredibly well” for several months now, even after braving the winter weather, she says. She’s a fan of the Loretta’s mid-calf height, adding that she’ll wear the boots with jeans that just show a peek of the toe and heel, or with a miniskirt in warmer weather to show off the whole boot.

“Lots of cowboy boots cut off women’s legs in exactly the wrong spot, but not these!” saysCheerie Lanefounder and fellow Freda Salvador enthusiast Kate Greer of these knee-high suede boots with a western flair. They’re made from a soft, stain-resistant suede in a neutral fawn color “that goes with everything,” she says, adding that the brand makes shoes that “look really chic but are infinitely practical and match everything in one’s closet.”

Zuelke also wears a pair ofpatent-leather knee-high bootscalled the Priscilla that she saves for nights out — and that she says get her compliments all the time. And although she spends most of her time in Ariats, Zwick has a pair of cream-colored showstopper boots from Lucchese that she wears when performing. “They’re not the kind you would ride in,” she says, “but they’re really high-quality.”

Several of the women we interviewed said either they owned a pair of Old Gringobootsor wanted to own a pair. Bedell recommends these made-in-America boots for their incredible embroidery and the variety of heel heights and toe styles. Andrews also likes their unique designs. “I wear cowboy boots for style and originality, so if I were to shop for a fun and storytelling boot, I’d search for a fun pair of Old Gringos,” she says. Alexander also likes Old Gringo, describing them as the fancy boots that she keeps shined for going out. “I’m not a flashy person, but I love ared boot, high rise, or ankle booties, especially with extra embroidery or a little fringe,” she says.

Three of the women we spoke with wear Ganni cowboybootson a regular basis, noting that they are both comfortable and go with everything. MacGowan has two pairs, andChloe, a stylish 21-year-old with nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram, says her black Ganni cowboy boots are a part of her daily uniform. “Cowboy boots have become pretty ubiquitous, but I love Ganni’s modern, more structured take on them,” she says. Rasmussen says she loves thewhite versionof these boots, calling them “the ultimate cool-girl boot. The stitching and quality are beautiful and they’re great for between seasons.”

Both Hally Seminara and Lauren Vreeland, co-founders ofOMG You Need That, own these Khaite Dallas boots. With three-row stitching, swirling embroidery, and a curved heel, the boots take a swing at the western trend “without doing it in a real cowboy-boot way,” says Vreeland, who appreciates that the minimal heel gives you an extra two inches but is low and wide enough that “it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing heels.” Seminara says the boots’ versatility in pairing well with everything fromjeansto flowy skirts has made them a closet staple for her: “I bought them in a second color, because I love them that much. It is just the best boot,” she declares.

If you really want to splash out for a pair of boots you’ll wear for the rest of your life, writer andThe Love Listeditor Jess Graves says Dallas-based brand Miron Crosby “makes the most beautiful cowboy boots you’ve ever seen.” The boots are fashioned by artisans in Mercedes, Texas, and León, Mexico — every single pair is made by hand. “They’re an investment, but these things are really special. I’m talking heirloom,” Graves says of the Margretta boots, which feature a rich caramel hue embroidered with champagne-colored stars.