Have you ever just sat around and thought to yourself a question that seemed pretty ridiculous, but then the more you thought about it, it actually made sense. That is what happened to me the other day. I was looking at a pair of cowboy boots and I thought to myself, are cowboy boots snake proof? I let out a little chuckle and then I really started to think about it. Well maybe, is that why the shaft of the boot is so tall? That’s a legit question that I had to answer.
When it comes right down to it, cowboy boots will definitely help from becoming a casualty of a snake bite. Poisonous snakes use sharp fangs to transfer their poison into it’s victim. Cowboy boots with their tall leather shafts are really good protection against this. Very few snake fangs can penetrate leather. With that being said, it doesn’t mean that some fangs won’t penetrate. It’s also a good idea to be wearing jeans because the denim will provide extra protection. So I wouldn’t exactly use the word “proof” here, but they will definitely help and may or may not prevent the fang from piercing your skin.
What Kind Of Snakes Are We Talking About Here
For the sake of our readers, I’m mainly talking about rattlesnakes in this article. I’m not familiar with other snakes in say places like Australia, but I would have to imagine cowboy boots would provide the same sort of protection that I mention below. The U.S. has over 20 species of venomous snakes, but I would have to imagine rattlesnakes are what you may encounter more frequently and are the more abundant type of venomous snake. Rattlesnakes, Copperhead and cottonmouths are all pit vipers. These are the most frequent and the 3 types you are most likely to be bitten by. Every state in the United States has at least one venomous snake except Alaska.
Venomous snakes really bite humans. When they do, it’s not out of aggression, but out of fear. Snakes really don’t want to waste their venom on you because for them it’s about food. They don’t attack an animal unless they can swallow it or unless they feel threatened. I know that probably doesn’t make you feel better better because nobody is out trying to get bitten. Most bites happen when a person unintentionally steps on one hiking or walking through their back yard. Keeping your eyes open and being aware of your surrounding is about the best thing you can do to avoid being bitten.
Types Of Material That Will Help Protect You
As we stated, wearing cowboy boots definitely offers protection against snake bites and rattlesnakes are definitely what we are talking about here (maybe python boots would work lol) (maybe python boots would work lol). Loose fitting trousers that extend the top of the boot. You really want the jeans to be on the outside of the boot just so long as they go as far down as possible offering maximum protection. You want your trousers to be loose fitting. It’s best to have a cushion of air in between the pants and the boot or even the jeans and your skin. This will help to lessen the chances of the fangs actually puncturing your skin.
The trousers should be made from either denim or some other from of heavy / dense material. I mean who are we kidding, they will most likely be a pair of blue jeans, but something strong / dense is preferred.
Besides these 2 layers of protection, you can also wear with anti-snake gaiters or chaps. Gaiters are a lower leg covering that strap over the lower portion of your leg. They kind of resemble what a baseball catcher would wear, but instead of just the front of your leg, they encircle the entire portion of your leg below the knee. A pair of snake gaiters are definitely “snake proof” and will cost you around $150.
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Isn’t That Why Cowboy Boots Have Tall Shafts?
This actually isn’t a bad question if you think about it. When you think of cowboy boots, you think of cowboys out west right smack dab in the middle of rattlesnake country. It makes sense they would design clothing or footwear to help protect them from a potentially deadly bite from a snake. Boom, Case closed!
Well, not so fast. The design of the cowboy boot with a tall shaft actually has nothing to do with protecting from a snake bite. The shaft actually helps keep the boot in place while you are wearing it. Basically it helps to keep them balanced on your foot since they don’t have laces. Why don’t they have laces you ask? Well that is to help the boot slide on and off easily.
After all this though, it’s very easy to conclude that the shaft is definitely beneficial in helping to protect a person from a snake bite. Maybe the shaft wasn’t intended for this purpose, but it has definitely proven to help. I guarantee you at some point there were some cowboys sitting around a campfire at night discussing the activities of the day. One of them said “you know what happened to me today? I was bitten by a rattler right on the top of my boot!”. As his buddies looked in bewilderment, he had a grin on his face because he didn’t even have a scratch on him. This is a perfect example when something is made for one thing, and ends up being useful for another.
Just Another Reason To Wear Cowboy Boots
After writing this, this is just another reason to wear cowboy boots. For that matter, cowboy boots and jeans! I mean I do love cowboy boots and there are several reasons I wear them. In no particular order they are just cool as hell (this really is my main reason). Cowboy boots are stylish. They can go with just about any type of jeans or slacks that I may want or need to wear. The girls love them (wait a minute, this might be my main reason)! Now I have to add to my list “snake bite protection”. Funny how I never thought about wearing cowboy boots when I go in the woods. For some reason hiking boots or work boots are the first thing I think of. I guess my priorities are a little out of whack, but oh well. Doesn’t this just make you want to go out and get a pair of Snake Skin Cowboy Boots!
Conclusion
Well, I think we learned something new about cowboy boots today. Actually cowboy boots and rattlesnakes. There’s a lot more poisonous snakes in the states than I thought. Though cowboy boots aren’t snake proof, they definitely add a lot of protection and may stop a bit completely. I guess it depends on the strike of the snake, distance of the strike, how big it is, etc… Here is to hoping you never have to find out.
We also learned even though the shaft of a boot wasn’t designed to protect from snake bites, it is definitely a welcome feature of its design.
Wear jeans or other thick dense slacks with your boots that are loose fitting and go over your boots, not tucked in. This is just another added layer of protection.
If you have any experience or stories about a run in with a snake wearing cowboy boots, let us know below in the comment section. Any other question or remarks about cowboy boots is always welcome. I hope we’ve answered any questions or maybe put your mind to rest if cowboy boots are snake proof or not. Keep your eyes open and be safe!
