1870's Period Correct Cowboy Boot Source

[James Hunt]

I am no boot expert - my bona fides declared I'll proceed.

My period is the mid to late 1870's and I have long wondered about the boots I have. I understand that the boots of the period may not, most likely did not have a difference between rt and lft until you wore them enough, they were usually one piece fronts or 3/4 vamp, the soles were often not re-enforced as today's, and until the late 19th century the heel only extended to the side seam - not ahead of it as today's boots do. the soles were pegged.

So I look at the boot(s) I have for that period and wonder. I know that an exact description of the above boot is not available unless you find a custom maker who will fullfill your wishes. Mine look OK from a distance, and I don't have to soak them in a horse trough and then wear them for three day's without removal to establish lft and rt. But I also notice that on the bottom of the leather heel there is a synthetic material dyed the same as the leather. I suppose it is there becuase it wears better. I'm not sure I understand what pegged means.

Anyway - I came across the following boot being sold by David Corrico. He is well respected in the CW an early west saddle making field and a nice fellow to talk with. He has just started selling these and I submit the following address if you are interested in an early cowboy boot, It is supposed to be copied from one in the Cowboy Hall of Fame. I would be interested in your comments on it.

http://www.carricoleather.com/home/boots.html

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Jim,
You  can get the same boot for under $200.00 ($180.00) at Fall Creek Suttlery in Lebanon Indiana...thats the same boot that French Jack wears...

Bill

[Books OToole]

The higher heel &/or riding heel I believe comes in in the mid-seventies.  The boots that I wear with a walking heel are from the Thomas Lincoln Historic Site.   Their web adress is  tlbootsnbrogans.org  The tall stovepipe boot run $ 150.00 + shipping.

Books

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[Deadeye Don]

Fall Creek Sutlery In Lebanon, Indiana is a fine establishment owned and operated by Andy Fulks and staff.  Andy is my FFL dealer who I get all of my firearms from as well as various other items including fine crafted custom made boots that are period correct.  They actually have two qualities available.  The more expensive boot  (210.00) in stove top or calvary style is the period correct model.  They also have a less expensive boot (175.00)  using a two piece front (not period correct) that still looks great.  Phone number is 765-482-1861.  He has a great web site also that you should check out.  www.fcsutler.com.

[River City John]

www.fugawee.com
 has some good footwear. I have a pair of their ankle boots, what some call Artillery Boots.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy James!

I have the less-expensive boots from Fall Creek.  They are a sure thumbs up!  Unless you plan on wearing them on slick floors or on ice, DO have them install the heel plates at purchase time.  I didn't, and wore down a surprising amount of leather heel material while at the NCOWS Nationals which, I think you'll remember, had no pavement, but lots of gravel.  Again, 'tho, they're VERY nice boots and well worth the $$$s.

By the way, I have read - but can't quote, that there WERE in fact, different lasts, therefore separate R&L patterns used since the Rev. War, 'tho the single last was most common , except for the well-to-do.  By the (un)Civil War, R&L shoes and boots were pretty common.  Also, there were 2-piece fronts available, but as Deadeye Don (sorta) said, the 1-piece front was much more common.  (If you go to the Fugawee site, I THINK they have information and history about times and styles.)

[Captain John Jarrett]

Pard,

 Try theses guys:

http://civilwarboots.com/enter.html?target=dept_1.html&lang=en-us

http://missouribootandshoe.tripod.com/id34.htm

http://www.robertlandhistoricshoes.com/servlet/Categories?category=1861-65+Men%27s+Boots

Regards, John.

[Mogorilla]

I concur with Steel Horse, while I have never seen a 19th century boot made as a right-left, I have seen several examples of Roman boots (the caligae-sandals) that were made on the right left system.   I can't imagine that 2000 years ago, they had the intelligence to do it, and forgot until the 20th century.  I also concur on the heel plates, boots will last a long time if the heel and sole stay in decent shape.

[Frenchie]

www.fugawee.com has some good footwear. I have a pair of their ankle boots, what some call Artillery Boots.

I second RCJ's recommendation. Fugawee artillery driver boots are very close copies of the only CW government issue boots and are an excellent value.

James, you mentioned not being sure what pegged means. Some shoes and boots had wooden pegs holding the sole to the welt instead of thread. The advantage over stitching is that the pegs wear down with the leather instead of being worn through, but the army didn't think much of them and accepted them only when they had to.

Here's where Fugawee talks about pegged soles and the machine that made them http://www.fugawee.com/Jefferson_boots.htm and http://www.fugawee.com/Civil%20War%20Shoes.htm

Hope this helps!

[James Hunt]

THANKS for all the good information!

Frenchie, thanks for the explanation of pegged, I thought that is what it meant but was unsure.

Bill: actually I bought a pair of cavalry boots from Fall Creek Sutlery late 90's - the cheaper pair - with two piece fronts. They are nice boots, but when I got a little more into NCOWS I thought they were not correct, so I bought a pair of stovepipes with one piece fronts for a teamster/hunter/scout persona mid 1870. When I got a little more into NCOWS I realized that "uncommon" might be a better term. I have recently purchased another with "cowboy" heel that has a 3/4 vamp (I believe that is what is ment when you have a second piece located high on the boot) as locally our "association" appears to be moving in the direction of late 1870 early 1880 cowboy persona and I always thought that was a pretty nifty look. It is people like me that keep the consumer index respectable.

Regarding two piece fronts: Friedman in his coffee table picture book "Cowboy Culture" shows a pair of boots with fancy two piece fronts looking very Tony Lama with red uppers and black lowers. They have a fairly broad sq. toe and appear to have a reasonably flat heel. They also have what appear to be pulls of some cloth material. He dates them 1860! Interesting photo.

Regarding the instep/sole not being as reinforced as current boots AND the heel not coming foward of the side seam (from Ward's "The Cowboy at Work") which supposedly made the boot inherently week when used afoot: anybody have further information on that? Does anybody make a boot that is absolutely correct with regard to these issues (and I guess who would buy an inferior boot)?

[French Jack]

James, the two piece front on the boots from Fall Creek duplicates the U.S. Pattern of 1873.  I have seen the pattern, and it is a two piece front.  So, your two piece front boots are correct for our time frame.  The shift in the relationship of the side seam to the front of the heel became an issue AFTER higher heels were introduced.  With a  low heel as found on the military issue and most work boots, it is not a problem.  The higher heels such as the Cubane heel put more stress on the side seams and caused premature separation there.  To prevent this, the seam was moved to the rear to have support of the heel under the seam.

Just my 2 cents.
FJ

[James Hunt]

Bob: very interesting. I have a book documenting apache wars (1880's) military clothing and accoutrement and I noticed the two piece front boots there, but did not know that common issue was as early as 1873 - looks like I can hall my boots out of retirement. Rutledge's two books "Fieled Uniforms of the Indian War Army" 1866-1871 and 1872 - 1886 are excellent reviews but both fail to document foot wear. What is your source? I'd like to be able to document mine. Thanks Jim.

[Delmonico]

My understanding some 2 piece pre-date the Civil War.  Folks considered them less quality because they cost less.  You can get more boots out of a hide than a full vamp one.  As leather got more expensive the style shifted to the 2 piece vamp.

[Delmonico]

I'm looking for more pictures, but have  2 pairs of very pointed boots in a picture from about the same time.

[O.T. Buchannan]

Actually, I did a study on 1870s boots quite a few years ago, and I'm not sure where it is now, but I will have to find it.

However, to say that all boots of the era were of one pattern is not correct...both straight last AND rights and left were used.

As far as two piece fronts are concerned, the 1897 Sears Catalog illustrates a pair on pg. 202, and the 1895 Montgomery Ward Catalog illustrates pairs on pgs. 520 & 521.  In 'Commanders of the Civil War', it shows Civil War Era (1861-1865) boots with two piece fronts.  One pair, on pg. 52, belonged to Confederate Officer J.T. McKenna, whereas pg. 18 shows a pair belonging to Union General George Meade.  Another pair of Union Officer's boots on pg. 219 also have two piece fronts.

These are only a few brief examples...but there are MANY.  Particularly, some of the so called 'Napoleon' style of boots used during and after the Civil War have these fronts.

Like James Hunt, I'm also in the market to purchase a new pair of boots.  This is a part of my outfit that has needed improvement for some time.  The one piece is more common, but the two piece is still correct, and I'm leaning towards Fall Creek Sutlery......

So, we will see....

[Guns Garrett]

I believe Hyer Boot of Olathe, Kansas first marketed what we would refer to as the "modern" cowboy boot, with the more rounded or pointed toe and higher heel, in the 1870's.  The undercut "cuban" heel (a corruption of the name "Cubine') was introduced by a bootmaker/drygoodsman here in Coffeyville, KS, also in the 1870's.  The "Coffeyville Boot" also included different-colored leather for the vamp and tops, and cutout stars.  I found a few links with some interesting stuff:

http://www.kshs.org/cool/coolboot.htm
http://www.texasmonthly.com/mag/issues/hot/2000-01-01/artoftheboot.html
http://www.cjournal.com/local/local_story_277001537.html

OBTW,
A younger relative of Cubine (son, brother, nephew - I can't remember) was killed here in Coffeyville by the Daltons during their (final and fatal) double-bank roberry fiasco in 1892.

[Delmonico]

Nolan, correct me if I'm wrong, but what I know as a 2 piece vamp is the shaped on like the modern ones.  The others I know as a Full Vamp and a 3/4 Vamp where the leather is either 1 piece from to to top or broke about 3/4 the way to the top.

I scanned as good as I could and here are two showing what seems to be pointed toe boots or as some call them cockroach kickers.

The first one is from page 210 of The Peacemakers by R. L. Wilson  The date is given a c.a. 1870's.



It is real clear on the on boot of the guy with the glass and bottle.

The next is from page 235 of the same book, no date but by here age and such I'd say Miiz Canary had this photo taken in the 1870's.  Now this is a guess but I say dressed as a man she did not have on ladies shoes.

[James Hunt]

Interesting picture of male wearing pointed toe boots Delmonico: Appear to be Mexican - would it have been a regional fashion?

By "two piece" I think most of us refer to the modern boot design and not the 3/4 vamp. Was the purpose of the 3/4 vamp fashion or economy?

[Delmonico]

My understanding is is used smaller leather pieces.  I don't know about the pointed toe boots yet, just ran across that a couple of months ago, got more picture searching to do, means I have to look at every damned one of them again for pointed boots, shouldn't take to many years.

[Delmonico]

Found this one last night in R.L. Wilson's Winchester book on page 53, listed as Wells Fago angents ca 1890.  Don't know if that is a shoe or boot because his pants are on the outside, but it is more pointed than we normally expect in this period.




And although these appear to be lace up boots this fella out in Custer Countyin 1887 has pegged boots on.