Cowboy Boot Book, The [Paperback]

Tyler Beard (Author), Jim Arndt (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 1992

It's a "pictorial guide to fancy footgear," states Texas Monthly. THE COWBOY BOOT BOOK has it all--history, anatomy, leathers, fit, care, makers, sellers, and famous wearers--even a glossary of boot terms for the novice. Beard's anecdotes and Texas charm will keep you entertained; Arndt's heart-stopping photos will keep you enthralled. The recent renaissance of artful bootmaking will keep this selling.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Wearing cowboy boots can be a fashionable whimsy or a statement of identification with the American Western tradition. The author and the photographer, both avid wearers and collectors of cowboy boots, have produced an engagingly written introduction to an article of dress that evolved from the strictly utilitarian into a unique American folk art. After a brief nostalgic history, the bootmaking process and a survey of custom and factory manufacturers are presented. Color photographs enhance the descriptions of exotic skins and of intricate leatherworking techniques--overlay, underlay, tooling, stitching, piecing--that combine to make either one-of-a-kind or mass-produced boots. Visits with Western-wear store owners and collectors contribute to the text's enthusiastic tone. The glossary will be helpful for neophytes. Overall, an attractive purchase for many libraries.
- Therese D. Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

From bikers to high-fashion models to buckaroos on the wide open range, people all over the world are wearing cowboy boots and loving them. Ever since the 1920s, when Tom Mix first surfaced as a cowboy hero, boots have gone through surges of popularity. Up till now, the highest point was about 1955, when Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and western music were embraced as icons of the American dream. Boots have always been worn by working cowboys, but now they are a fashion statement. With the wide selection of leathers (cowhide, kangaroo, snake--even armadillo, bullfrog and chicken) and colors available, a renissance of artful boot making has taken place. You can pick your boots righ off the shelf, choosing from the classic tall tops by boot factories such as Justin, Nocona, Tony Lama and Lucchese, or from the nostalgic peewees--colorful reproductions of 1930s and 1940s odels. "But if you really need to let the world know exactly who you are, or if you need to express yourself or take a stand with what you stand in," author Tyler Beard advises, "go to a custom bootmaker. It cost about the same as a few visits toa good therapist but it's a lot more fun." In this book, Beard retells a lively history of the bootmaking industry and introduces today's best bootmakers and their most artistic styles. The artful photography of Jim Arndt, combined with Beard's easy entertaining style makes The Cowboy Boot Book a classic in western Americana.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith; 1ST edition (September 8, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879054719
• ISBN-13: 978-0879054717
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #887,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cowboy boot love affair, June 3, 2000

By 

F. Orion Pozo "Orion Pozo" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cowboy Boot Book, The (Paperback)

This is a book that works on many levels making it a great introduction to the history, art, and craft of cowboy bootmaking. It quotes Jack Reed, the only owner of a one-man boot shop left in Texas, saying it takes 372 steps to make cowboy boots, but is not detailed enough to list them all. Until I read this book, I had no idea that there was a market in vintage cowboy boots. I found out that original ornate tops can be fitted with a replaced foot to bring old boots back to life. Jim Arndt's photographs of boots, bootmakers, and boot collectors are outstanding throughout and really bring the book to life. The beginning of the book does an admirable job tracing the history of cowboy boots back to the old Texas-to-Kansas cattle drives of the post-Civil War era. This is followed by a great A - Z directory of the various skins that have been used to make the boots including characteristics, care, and current availability. The next section is a great history of the major boot making factories and the people behind them with chapters on Justin, Nocona, Tony Lama, Lucchese, and Rocketbuster. The rest of the book covers the rest of the cowboy boot business and personalities. Included are descriptions of individual bootmakers and cowboy boot collectors. Each is lavishly illustrated with pictures of them and their boots. The author and photographer are avid collectors and their collections are covered in this section of the book. The book ends with an outline of the retail side of the industry. Major sellers of new and vintage boots are described and a state-by-state Store Guide is included. Of course, not every state has a custom bootmaker or a vintage cowboy boot store, but you can still find the nearest one if this book has convinced you that you are ready for the next step above looking in the Yellow Pages under Western Apparel. The only place where I felt this book went too far is when they say in the caption to a photograph: "the details of this pair of boots could be compared to a fine oil painting." But if you want a basic knowledge of cowboy boots, or love to look at cowboy boots either in a store or on other people's feet this is the book for you.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blew My Mind!, August 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cowboy Boot Book, The (Paperback)

Yep, I'm a boot wearin' Jewish cowboy! (A doctor, in fact!) I started Country & Western line dancing a couple years ago, and from there I got into boots. Been wearin' 'em ever since!

That said, I was totally blown away by the unbelievable hand-made boots in this book. Spectacularly photographed, they appear as works of art. (I see that the same authors are publishing a book later this year called "The Art of the Boot". You know I'll be buying a copy!). I personally have a couple pairs of wonderful Tony Lama boots that fit like a glove, but the boots in this book are in a different class entirely - we're talking ten times more expensive than anything you might find on the shelf at a western wear store.

It'll be a while before I can afford any of the boots in this book, but it's nice to admire them, and appreciate the craftsmanship and dedication that went into making them.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yee-Haw! A fresh look at iconographic western footwear., August 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cowboy Boot Book, The (Paperback)

Filled with great photographs and lots of info, this book is a visual kick in the butt as well as an interesting look at wearers and makers of boots. (Surprise inside - Imelda wasn't the only one with a problem.) The author's interest in the fancy, short boots of the 40's is apparent in the book; after all, they are fascinating to look at. On the other hand, there is not a lot of history associated with the development of the cowboy boot as an article of working clothing, or how it became a touchstone of American culture. In a nutshell, the book is a magnificent coffee table work that is much too informative to leave in the living room. There is nothing else quite like it in print and it is a must have for anyone into things Western.