I wanted to take a moment and talk about a problem some people have when buying boots, shoes, flip-flops, whatever. For the average person, buying a pair of boots really isn’t a problem. For a select group though, buying men’s large size cowboy boots or any type of footwear is a real nightmare.
Limited Options – Limited Styles
Imagine if you wore say a size 9 or 10 cowboy boot. You go into a place that sold boots or you were shopping online for boots and you started to look around at all their options. A bunch of different brand names, different styles of boots, different colors and leathers to choose from. Your biggest problem at this point is actually picking out a pair out of the hundreds of options you have.
Now imagine going in the same shop or visiting the same website and you can only look at large sized cowboy boots because you have a size 14 or 15 foot. If you want to add insult to injury, you need a EE or EW because you have a really wide foot. Well the good thing is you just solved the problem of having to go through hundreds of options. Now you are down to just a handful.
Luckily I have found a couple places online that has a pretty good selection for guys that need larger size cowboy boots. The first is Hat Country. Don’t let the name fool you, they specialize in western boots, western wear, accessories, etc…
Hat Country Boots & More – Men’s large size cowboy boots through size 18. Regular width and wide width (EE & EW) available.
Pinto Ranch Name Brand Cowboy Boots – Also has a select few of super named brand boots that go up to size 14. They also have some wide widths available throughout their selection. These are pretty high quality boots by names like Lucchese, Tony Lama, Stallion, Rios of Mercedes, etc… Their customer service is also spectacular and I wouldn’t be surprised if you need a larger size you could actually call them and make arrangements.
Settling For A Smaller Boot – Not A Good Idea
You would think that people (me included) would know this already, but guess what, some don’t. To be truthful, I used to do this a lot when I was a kid. Basically it was just to get out of the shoe store with my mom. I hated trying on anything i.e. jeans, shirts, and of course shoes.
But, I do remember a couple years back I did it again as an adult. I was shopping for a pair of work type looking boots that I could wear out with a pair of jeans. Doc Marten’s or something similar. I normally wear a 12 1/2 to 13 and I like a wide boot. The boot I wanted only came as high as a 12 and there really wasn’t anything else that looked appealing. I somehow talked myself into buying the 12 and went on my way. I think I wore them 3 or 4 times and after that I got rid of them. They were just way to uncomfortable.
Comfort isn’t the only thing you have to worry about when wearing an improperly fitting shoe or boot. Make sure you fit your boot correctly or you may end up with a whole lot of foot problems. Fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, bunions, corns, hammer toes, heel spurs and ingrown toenails are to name a few. If you have had some of these, I know your pain. Some of them sound so inconsequential, but trust me, you don’t want them. Ever heard of a football player having “turf toe” and you kind of laugh about it. Turf toe isn’t a joke and either are the things I mentioned above. You would be amazed how a simple foot injury can have you down-and-out for weeks.
One last thing about your feet that I want to mention. When I was in the Marines and left for Desert Storm, the first and last thing my grandpa (WW2 vet) said to me was “Take care of your feet!”. Do yourself a favor and get a pair of cowboy boots that fit correctly.
Boot Width Just As Important As Length
When getting a larger size cowboy boot or shoe, width is just as important as length. When you are tying on a pair of boots, you have to judge it by what these boots will feel like after wearing them for 7 or 8 hours, not right when you put them on. I’ve tried on boots where the length was perfect, but they were too narrow. I’ve also tried boots on where the width was too wide. Trust me, you don’t want either of those things happening in a pair of boots or shoes for that matter.
The average width for men is “D”. Usually if a pair of boots are marked size 10 or size 12 and there isn’t anything after the number, that is a standard “D” width. If you see size 10 EE, then you know it’s wide.
Having the incorrect width can have just as many problems as having the incorrect length. Once problem some people have is they have one foot slightly bigger than the other. If that is the case, get a size boot that matches to the bigger foot in both length and width. Your feet will thank you later.
You Know The Drill, But You Do Have Options
At least now you have a couple places that give “men’s large size cowboy boot” wearers an option. Hey, with options come style, great looks, and of course gratification. With these newly found options, it’s time for the pain of having to pick out just exactly what great looking pair of boots you really want. I bet some of you have walked into a place and never had that problem. Trust me, it’s a good thing.
You can now also put your foot into a boot you like and be comfortable at the same time. With the advantage of having options like I mentioned above, you get the best of both worlds. Comfortable feet mean healthy feet! Remember, don’t settle. I guarantee you can find the pair of boots you want that fit correctly. It’s worth the search
I hope you enjoyed this article and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to comment below. As always, I hope we have helped you find your new favorite pair of men’s large size cowboy boots!
