When I went down to SXSW last week, I left my cowboy boots at home.
My thought process: I am not checking a bag. I’m bringing a carry on. My boots won’t fit. There are already four (very necessary) pairs of shoes in there. I’ll have to wear my boots to the airport. Hell no am I wearing cowboy boots to the airport and sitting at the Austin gate. It’s like sitting in a grass skirt and coconut bra at the Hawaii gate. Well, how would anyone really know I wasn’t from Austin? They just would. Weather.com says it’ll be 83 degrees. Okay, definitely not bringing them.
I asked a few locals to validate my concerns once I arrived. I was met with, “Nope, everyone who lives here wears them.” Turns out it’s not touristy at all. Forgive me, my beautiful Luccheses. Next year you’re coming.
Between shows I discovered a great cowboy boot store on South Congress St. called Allen’s Boots. The large shop is packed floor-to-ceiling with boots, and is categorized by gender and size. It’s worth checking out if you’re in the area (there are a ton of fantastic boutiques on the same strip), but you don’t need to head South to find an authetic pair. These five Spreedia boutiques will hook you up, and rival Texas’ selections:
Cowboy Boots in Boston and Cambridge:
Exotic skins at Helen’s Leather
1. Helen’s Leather: Where you’ll find everything from a classic black pair, to fancier skins like croc, ostrich, sting ray and rattlesnake. The small shop is located on Charles St. (hard to miss with a big wooden boot hanging outside), and sells only new pairs by brands like Lucchese, Justin, Frye and Tony Lama.
2. Rick Walker’s: This Western shop sells everything cowboy, but only carries vintage boots. Most of them come from the Southwest and are in mint condition. New pairs arrive constantly, so be sure to call or check in.
3. Oona’s: The vintage boutique in Cambridge provides a small men’s and women’s selection, mostly from the ’60s and ’70s. Right now they carry a pair made by Marlboro. Who knew they made boots?
4. The Garment District: The Garment District recently received an enormous shipment of consignment boots for men and women spanning all different time periods. Head to the second floor.
5. Bobby From Boston: Bobby’s is a mostly-men’s shop, so the majority of the vintage boots are for guys. Some are one-of-a-kind, and some were bought in bulk with plenty of sizes to choose from.
