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Why Do Cowboy Boots Have No Tread? Get the Explanation Here
If you’ve ever looked at a cowboy boot and noticed that they don’t have any tread on the bottom, but instead have smooth leather sole you may have wondered “why do cowboy boots have no tread?”. I mean, isn’t the tread on the boot sole going to be important for traction and stability? In this article, we’ll take a look at the reasons why cowboy boots are often designed with smooth soles and without tread.
So, why don’t cowboy boots have tread? The answer lies in the original design criteria of the boots. Cowboy boots grew up out of a use in riding and ranching and were designed with a smooth sole to allow the wearer to more easily slide their foot in and out of the stirrup of a saddle. Cowboy boots also are going to have a heel that prevents the foot from going too far into the stirrup as that could be dangerous if the rider falls from the horse.
In the following sections, we’ll take a dive into a bit of the history and evolution of cowboy boots, as well as the safety considerations that led to their unique design and a bit of what to consider as alternatives or how to deal with the slipperiness.
Key Takeaways
- Cowboy boots come from a design based on spending hours in the saddle in rugged terrain.
- Cowboy boots smooth sole allows the wearer to easily slide their foot in and out of the stirrup of a saddle.
History and Evolution of Cowboy Boots
Cowboy boots have a rich history. The first early modern cowboy boots grew out of and were designed to meet the needs of cowboys who were spending long hours in the saddle. These boots were usually made from leather and featured a raised heel and a pointed toe.
As the popularity of cowboy boots grew over time and became more popular the demand for more stylish and decorative designs grew along with it. Traditional cowboy boots were and still are often adorned with intricate stitching, embroidery, and other colorful designs.
As time passed cowboy boots became a staple of not only western wear for cowboys, but also rodeo performers and country music stars. In our current times cowboy boots are still very popular and have expanded to come in a variety of styles that ranges from traditional, to exotic, to more modern contemporary design features.
Over this time, the lack of tread on cowboy boots has become part of their general design and some consider it to now be a style statement and a hearken back to tradition. It is still extremely common to have a smooth leather sole on a cowboy boot. However, cowboy boot manufacturers have responded to market demand and many modern cowboy boots are available that do come with a rubber sole for better traction on slippery surfaces.
Why Cowboy Boots Have No Tread
As mentioned in the intro, the answer here is straightforward – it’s because they’re originally designed for riding. The smooth leather soles can help you to easily get in and out of the stirrups of a saddle. If you have on thick soles with treads, they could get hung up in a stirrup and cause you to get injured.
The lack of tread on classically designed cowboy boots is intentional whether as a style choice in more modern times or if you are still using them to ride.
In addition to their utility for riding, smooth sole cowboy boots have also become popular for line and country dancing. The lack of tread can be a benefit if you are making sliding dance moves and you still get the benefit of your cowboy boots’ looks, support, and stability.
Using Sandpaper to Rough up Cowboy Boots
One tip that some use on their leather soles is to rough it up with sandpaper to give it a bit more grip. Alternatively, over time with wear on rougher surfaces your leather soles should gain similar roughing up with use.
Safety Considerations for Cowboy Boots
There is no doubt – cowboy boots with no tread and smooth leather soles can be kind of slippery on certain surfaces. If you’ve ever walked in them on wet concrete you’ll know what I mean. If you plan on wearing your cowboy boots on slippery surfaces, you should consider getting a pair that comes with a rubber sole. Cowboy boots with rubber soles can provide more grip and stability compared to smooth leather soles making them safer to wear in slippery conditions.
Modern features of cowboy boots
You can find boots made solely with traditional soles or in more modern materials. As you view the market for boots, the traditional hard leather soles of cowboy boots are continuously evolving, and manufacturers are always utilizing new and more modern materials and technologies to enhance their cowboy boot’s comfort and durability.
One of these innovations has been the integration of flexible, rubber-based soles into some cowboy boots. These rubber soles can provide improved shock absorption and traction when compared to traditional leather soles. Boots with these types of rubber soles often will incorporate treads designed to prevent slips and falls and are a major advancement in cowboy boots’ functionality in the modern world. This is especially true for wearers who wear them in varying terrain or weather conditions.
These continued enhancements to the product have made cowboy boots more versatile while still allowing them to offer timeless style with comfort levels similar to other types of modern footwear.
You can watch a Youtube video that is based on a summary of this article by going here: https://youtu.be/FxbVdqCXGv4
