Initially cowboy boots were only custom-made for those who required them, but as they became an increasingly popular item of footwear a mail-order company was established during the 1880's. However, it was their frequent appearances in silent films and the ease of obtaining a pair through the growing railways that saw cowboy boots become incredibly popular during the beginning of the 1900's.

When it comes to the actual construction of the cowboy boots, they can either be cemented or welted. When a cowboy boot undergoes cemented construction, this means that the sole is glued to the upper of the shoe; whilst welted construction means that the sole and upper have been stitched together. These two construction methods are equally as solid and will provide you with a hard-wearing, practical pair of cowboy boots.

During the manufacturing process, there will be many different specialists along the chain of construction, with each ensuring that the cowboy boot is perfected to an art. The boot starts in the cutting department where the animal skins are cut out to the shape of the cowboy boots and the uppers can also be treated and split (if required).

There are three key parts to the main part of cowboy boots and these are the uppers, the counter and the vamp. The uppers cover the front and back of the boot, often being joined down the sides; the vamp is the front piece of the boot, where the laces and eyelets would normally be in a normal shoe, and the counter reaches those parts that the vamp does not; i.e. the back of the heel. The linings of the boot will also be cut out and attached at this stage.

The boot may also be sent into a special stitching department at this stage where it's distinguished style can be added in the form of fancy stitching and patterns. Equally, if there are any colourful parts to the boot, the leathers will be dyed at this stage.

If you can imagine the boot coming in two halves to start with, with the vamp (covering the front of the foot) attached the the front upper, before the counter (covering the heel of the foot) is attached to the back upper. Any leftover leather that remains at this point will then be removed, whilst a strip of leather will be attached to the counter; this is the welt, which will be used to attach the sole to the boot later on.

The front and back of the boot are then glued/sewn together and will be sewn together on the inside first, before the boot is turned the right way round and the leather upper is stitched together.

The bottom of the boot is then put together by attaching the insole to the counter and vamp (the insole covers the bottom of the boot). A last will be used during this stage of manufacturing, which is a model foot that can be used to ensure the correct fit is obtained for each size. To ensure this fit is achieved, the insole is tacked to the last before the counter and vamp are nailed into the last, over the insole. A stiff piece of leather will then be attached to the front of the vamp to add durability and reinforcement to the boot's toe.

The welt that has been left at the back of the boot is then sewn into the vamp and insole, binding all of these together so that the nails can be removed. However, the last does still remain inside the boot to continue to ensure the best fit. To reinforce the high arch that is needed within the cowboy boots, a metal shank is used in the insole, attached by a leather piece.

The sole is then shaped, mirroring the shape of the insole, before being stitched to the welt. The heel is then attached using nails, before the sole and heel are shaped through sanding.

The final elements ensure that the boot is perfect for customers, with the last being removed, seams and threads cut, any additional dyes added and a good polish and wax. The boots will then be subject to quality control to ensure they are of the highest quality.

*Please note: this construction is for a traditional cowboy boot and may differ for different styles/manufacturers of cowboy boots.