Share your stories about Texas boots.

Boots are made for walking. Boots are a cowpoke’s best friend. Boots are a fashion statement.

There are snakeskin boots, ostrich boots, vegan boots, boots with spurs, boots with floral designs, plain brown boots, red boots, black boots, Mexican pointy-toe boots, dress boots and so much more. But all boots have one thing in common: they all have stories behind them. Texas Standard wants to share the tales behind these iconic southern shoes.

Do you have a story to share? Use the survey below to tell us all about your favorite pair.

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Matt Tumlinson’s Boots Are A Reflection Of His Art

The artist wears his boots in the studio and when he’s painting murals out in West Texas.

Boots Give The Gazillionaires A Sense Of Place

Gazillionaires’ founders say that like their parents before them, they proudly wear boots, but with their own personal twist.

For Country Musician Jon Wolfe, His Boots Are Merely A Conversation Starter

The Austin-based artist released a live album and a five-song EP last year, and recently launched a tequila brand.

How An Old Pair Of Boots Gave Marci Robertson A Reason To Dance

For years she hesitated to wear her mother’s beloved boots.

After A Fateful Knee Injury, This Musician Traded His Tennis Shoes For Cowboy Boots

John Arthur Martinez dreamed of playing professional tennis but ended up becoming a boot-wearin’ singer-songwriter instead.

How An Old Pair Of Boots Gave Marci Robertson A Reason To Dance

For years she hesitated to wear her mother’s beloved boots.

The Untold Origins Of The American Cowboy

What the Black Cowboy Museum can tell us about the people who tamed the West.

When Cindy Cashdollar Got To Texas, She Was Already Wearing Boots

The pedal steel player for Asleep at the Wheel hails from New York, where Texas barbecue is rarely on the menu.

At The Capitol, Boots Represent Self-Expression, Comfort And Even Local Pride

“You can never have too many boots, guns or Bibles.”

This Lawyer’s Boots Go With Her From The Courtroom To The Farm

Stephanie Russo Baca, who helps border regions negotiate shared resources, wears her boots all day, including when she’s riding her donkey.

Kay Bailey Hutchison Loves Her Rocky Carroll Cowboy Boots

The U.S. ambassador to NATO talks about her boots made by the late Houstonian boot-maker.

When Boots Help You Heal

A Texas man’s boots help him walk after a head injury, and his physical therapist finds relief when she buys her own pair.

Embroidered Boots And A Reminder To Not Give Up On Love

Connie Robinson had given up on love at the age of 49, until she met a man who had one month to live.

Picture Book Author is Never Fully Dressed Without Her Smile Boots

Kat Kronenberg deeply believes in the the power of a smile – so much so that there are smiles on her boots.

How A Baby’s First Boots Represent What It Means To Be A Texan

Rachel Chang, who grew up in China, says her daughter’s first boots are a reminder of the “cowgirl spirit … strong-willed, independent, happy.”

Charlie Dunn’s Bootmaking Tradition Lives On At His Original Austin Shop

Lee Miller now runs Texas Traditions, but started as an apprentice for hot-tempered Dunn, who made boots for famous musicians and celebrities. 

How Legendary Boot Maker Charlie Dunn Spooked A Young Trick-Or-Treater

Dunn said, “Just a minute. I’m gonna go get my gun.” But he returned with nothing more than candy.

Standing Tall In A Pair Of Comfortable Boots

“This is what I’m worth.”

A Dad Helps His Daughter Through Rough Times With A Pair Of Boots

“I was so proud of those boots I wore them til they actually pinched my feet.”

Meet A Pair of Red Wing Boots With Sock Flair

“Sometimes we forget about people that wear other boots. There’s construction, there’s oil workers, there’s police – a lot of different kinds of boots.”

Why One Man Travelled From Germany To Texas for His Cowboy Boots

“Texas was the synonym of cowboys and country music.”

Boots Are The Favorite Footwear For Most Texans, Even The Littlest Ones

These cowboys and cowgirls have a serious appreciation for shoes.

Two Texas Kids Create And Star In Their Own Comic Book

The tell the adventures of super genius Hat Boy and tech mastermind Boot Girl.

A Job Made Easier With Boots

Baltimore native Tom Greco didn’t think he needed cowboy boots for work – until he stepped on a rat.

‘If You Live In Texas, You Get To Own Ridiculous Boots’ 

n adoptive Texan shares his pride in wearing cowboy boots everywhere he goes

Making Boots Behind Bars: A Huntsville Inmate’s Creations Made Him A Celebrity

Arnold Darby made boots for lawmakers and other state personalities.

Performing Songs About Texas Requires Just The Right Cowboy Boots

“My mother’s music and a friend’s generosity gave me the boots that I will wear the rest of my life.”

A Lucky Encounter Brought One Pair Of Chicago Boot Home To Texas

The boots with Texas longhorns on them were destined for dance halls in the Lone Star State.

This Attorney’s Red Cowboy Boots Say She Means Business

The boots helped her fight for families – until the boots went missing.

A Byword For Troubled Times: ‘Don’t Walk In Fear’

Lisa Lyons takes the message stitched on the back of her boots literally.

In The 1970s, One Student Wore Her Favorite Pair Of Boots To March For Change

Boots as a means of protest.

Half A Pair Of Boots

Martha Benevelli grew up playing with leather scraps in her father’s Rosenberg boot shop.

From A Dutch Immigrant To A Texas Musician, One Pair Of Boots Has Traveled Through Generations

Singer-songwriter Rachel Laven tells the story of her grandmother’s worn-in boots.

A Horse Lover’s Old Boots Carry Memories

Liz Barrow still remembers buying her first pair of boots.

How The World’s Biggest Cowboy Boots Came To Be

Austin artist Bob “Daddy-O” Wade shares the story behind San Antonio’s giant boot sculpture.

A Heritage Of Custom Boot-Making Hangs On in Mercedes, Texas

The boom-and-bust cycles of the oil industry have taken their toll on local boot-makers, but Rios Mercedes keeps finding new ways to survive.

Cowgirl Boots Made One Woman’s Wedding Miracle Possible

Sometimes boots are more than fashion. This pair helped a woman stand up at the wedding she’d always wanted.

This Guy’s Boots Are The Same As Trisha Yearwood’s

He fell in love with a snazzy pair that happened to also be custom-made for the country singer.

‘El Doctor Con Botas’ Is Known For Wearing Boots – And Saving Lives

A doctor, known by his boots, tells his story.

The Boots That Wouldn’t Break In

Singer-songwriter Bob Livingston was inspired by a musical hero, Jerry Jeff Walker, to buy a pair of special boots. But Livingston never quite got his money’s worth. But maybe, just maybe, someone else did.

The Boot Whisperer 

A German transplant to Wimberley has a special knack for finding customers the perfect fit.

Giving Animal Products The Boot: ‘Texas Is Going Vegan, Y’all’

A city woman with a country soul sells non-leather boots, belts and other accessories, custom designed with Texas flair.

Typewriter Rodeo: City Girls In Cowboy Boots

Texan ladies love a good pair of cowboy boots, even if they’ve never seen a horse. That was the inspiration for Typewriter Rodeo’s Jodi Egerton as she wrote this poem.

It may not look like I need to be wearing/These cowboy boots/for work/But that’s just because I haven’t yet/Gotten the chance/to ride

Texans At The State Capitol Wear Their Pride On Their Feet

We met legislators, tour guides and firefighters. They all love their boots, and most have a story to tell.

The Narco’s Bootmaker

When John Burnett went to a Neuvo Laredo shop in search of the perfect pair of custom boots, he met someone he didn’t count on.

Check out more stories about boots and the Texans who wear them.

Project by Molly Smith, Morgan O’Hanlon and Joy Diaz.

Page design and graphics by Beth Cortez-Neavel.