Using the traditional Cowboy boot features but blending modern design details to the boots seems to be all of the rage these days as I am starting to see more and more makers getting on board with it. Bestetti having a history in bootmaking as his first dive in handmade footwear, is starting to come stronger and stronger with RTW versions of his old craft. And it’s great, as I think that sometimes traditional makers can be so stuck in doing the same thing that they never budge from the great wide world of opportunities that surround them like making a chelsea�boot version of a cowboy boot. So now you have “shoemakers” who are blending the lines and meshing two different styles to make one, unique piece of footwear.
The Barbanera bros did a great job at taking a traditional cowboy boot look but putting more of a dress shoe last to it, as well as a slightly less exaggerated Cuban heel as to make it more mainstream and that is what I appreciated about it as I was never crazy about two things that Cowboy boots had: 1. Super pointy toes and 2. Beyond insane amounts of toe spring. You take those two things away and you have a lovely piece of footwear. You add those two things and for me, you have the ugliest piece of footwear on the planet.
And now come Taft (highlighted photo) with a cowboy boot-esque�desing on the vamp but going even more in a dress boot fashion with a side zips and a nice classically rounded toe and dress shoe sized heel. As these are quite tame, I could see a lot of people getting into a pair of these as from far away they would simply look like your common side zip boot although it is clear that their inspiration comes from a cowboy boot.
Are we soon going to be seeing a lot more of these on the streets? And underneath suits? Only time will tell!
