How To Fix Heel Slippage In Cowboy Boots

For many centuries cowboy boots, otherwise known as riding boots, have been known to be foot ware in equestrian activities. Do you know what equestrianism is?  Equestrianism is horse riding which includes several activities such as dressage, a disciple of riding, vaulting, endurance, and other activities.

Before the industrial age, cowboy boots were handmade, which greatly enabled creativity which we witnessed in the different styles available that varied foreign cultures. The Vaquero greatly influenced historical riding boots alongside other leather accessories. Do you know who a vaquero is? Vaquero is the name used to call an animal harder that took care of cattle on Ranches in North America. This tradition originated from Spain, and it dates close to the 16^th century.

Additional influence to this fashion trend also developed the designs of calvary riders. The most significant impact on the movement was the Mexicans, who designed their boots based on the Spanish design. The Mexico riding boots are mainly designed in three styles: tribal, round, and pointed toes. The American innovation of cowboy boot s provided more variety in their design. In contemporary society, Mexicans are primarily credited with the trend of wearing boots. They were the first people to incorporate skin on the shoes and the commonly seen color today. The color inspiration was derived from the color of Mexico ranches.

With the advent of the industrial revolution, the development of boots was greatly influenced where you could now produce boots through machines that allowed them to be made in large quantities. The Wellington boot got great recognition during this time, and the boot got mass-produced, and it became trendy in the United States until the late 1800s.

What is the best design of boots you know? The American-made boot design was adopted by many bootmakers who owned or had access to cattle ranches in areas of Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Since the Industrial Revolution, the best bootmakers were Justin boots in Spanish fort and Charles Hyer of Hyer Brothers Boots brand.

What are Cowboy Boots?

Cowboy boots is a name used to refer specifically to the historical style of riding boots that cowboys initially wore. The boot is distinguished by a tall shaft, a historically long lace, and a high heel usually made of stacked leather, rounded to form a pointed toe.

Riding boots are generally made from leather obtained from cows passed through several processed to bring out a decorated product. The process of making the boots can help me human-made or mechanical.  Other designs that you may have seen of cowboy boots may have been made from ostrich skin, snakeskin, alligator skin, elephant, and eel skins.

The most common types of cowboy boots are classic, originating from the western hemisphere and the roper. A tall shaft identifies the traditional design, then spans close to the mid-calf accompanied by an angled cowboy heel, usually above a d ich in height. The technique can also adopt a slightly shorter heel, which is a still angled walking heel.

Toes that are squared or rounded in shape are characteristic of traditional boots, which first appeared in the 1940s. The roper is a more modern style with a short boot shaft that reaches just above the foot, a shallow and squared-off roper heel shaped on the boot’s sole, and a heel height of less than an inch.

Ropers typically have rounded toes, but the squared toe design is becoming more common. The roper style also comes with a lace-up pattern that is more comfortable and fits around the ankle and some stitching decoration.

Heel slippage: what is it?

The truth is, if you’re wearing cowboy boots and your heel slips off too many times or for too long during the day then there’s a good chance that you’re going to end up with blisters on your feet. This can be really painful and make an otherwise enjoyable day into a nightmare!

The following are the most common causes of heel slippage:

• Cowboy boots that are brand new.
• There is too much room on the heel and instep of cowboy boots.
• This boot has an excessively long tip.
• Boots that are wet.

This will make it unbearably uncomfortable and difficult to walk in cowboy boots.

Issue of boot slippage

Is cowboy boot slippage average? When you buy a new boot, you will often find that your heel slips. It is known that for a new boot, the heel will slip to about half an inch until the cowboy boots are stretched out to the length of your foot. Once the searching process is done, the heel is not expected to move more than an eighth of an inch. Note that boots that do not allow your heel movement are probably too tight and you will feel discomfort wearing them.

What Is The Normal Amount Of Heel Slip?

In order to deal with heel slippage of your boots, it is important to understand when action should be taken. At the apex of your foot, the heel of your boot should fit firmly around your instep.

There should be a small amount of wiggle room. One to one and a half inches must be left from the tip of your boot. As a result, you’ll be able to walk comfortably.

The initial friction and slippage that comes with a new boot will diminish once you break it in and use it for a few weeks.

Especially if you don’t want to hurt your ankle for more than two weeks because your boots heel slippage is in our range, here are a few tips you might find useful. If you follow the tips below, you will have no problems getting through the first two weeks with your new boot.

• The first thing you should do is apply boot conditioner to the areas you are experiencing the most friction. The leather will be softer and the friction will be reduced.
• It is also recommended to wear thick socks to prevent slippage.
• To fill some of the empty spaces, thirdly, you can use cotton. This is a tricky way to use cotton. A lot of swelling can cause it to displace. The two first methods will be recommended.

How to fix heel slippages in cowboy boots

It is prevalent for you to experience situations of slight slippage on your first wear. Once the sole flex the boot will fit perfectly. To fix the issue of heel slippage in cowboy boots, you can use the following recommendations.

Walking style change

It might be your walking style! Boots are not designed for activities such as running. If you walk as if you are running, your feel will often slip. If your walking style makes the balls on the feet touch the ground first, you have a terrible walking style. Ideally, the best walking style when wearing boots is to ensure your heel touches the ground first. When you are moving forward, make sure to roll your feet and push off with the front of your feet as you raise your foot.

Dry Boots fit perfectly.

It goes without saying that if your cowboy boot is wet, your foot will occasionally slip out, leading to a situation of heel slippage. How do you dry your boot? It is a human error to first think of heat as the best drying tool for cowboy boots. However, the main issue with using hair dryers is that the heat can ruin the boot material.

The best way to dry your cowboy boot without inflicting any damage is by using a proper boot dryer. The dryers do not produce as much heat as a hairdryer; the process will take too you roughly one or two hours. Sun drying, newspapers, and rice are the other methods you can use to dry tour boots.

Lace Locks

Are you experiencing boot slippage? To fix this issue, you can use lace locks. These are devices that might be known as lace anchors or lock laces. The mechanism might come naturally on some boot designs, while they might also lack other boot designs. Lace locks are used to fasten your cowboy boot into a perfect fit.

Proper shoe lacing

Not lacing up your cowboy boot right will make the shoe loos, leading to the heel of the shoe slipping since it will not match the rise of your heel as you walk. The loose laces allow your feet to have too much space. To fix this problem, you need to lace up your boot appropriately. The best lacing style for boots is the rabbit hole method, the hiking booth lacing method, and the runner’s tie method.

Try different socks

You can change your socks selection to help you control the situation of slippages. Socks that have unique patterns at the bottom give the socks a tight grip on shoes. In addition to reducing slippages, the special pattern socks will help control how fast the boot’s lining will wear out.

Heel grips and Hel liner cushions

These are cushions that are made with soft leather. They function by attaching them at the back of the heels and along the sides of the shoe back. This material significantly reduces the space between your foot and the lining of the boot. It will create a situation where there are more minor heel slips when walking or running.

Guide to Choosing the Right Boot

Most of the time, we miss vital points to check out while buying boots that are the perfect size. It is not the appearance of a boot that defines its fit; the fit of a boot is determined by its inner compatibility.
Then, you must understand whether the boot you are trailing fits you or not.

Here are a few tips that might be helpful to you.

• Feels snug in the foot: I really like the way the feet feel. New shoes will slide off the heel because it is really casual. However, the most important thing is to feel relaxed after breaking in your new boot. It does not feel pressured or uncomfortable.
• Wiggle room is needed: Boots should fit our feet perfectly, and we usually try to buy them. It may be different for each person to define a perfect fit, as I have already mentioned. You must however spare enough room for the toes and the front end of the boots. Do not forget that this space is very small, just for handling the swell that occurs in the evenings.
• Lift your heels: An adjustment of the heel height is necessary for proper fit. By placing the foot at the exact center of the outsole, you can ensure a proper fit.
• Remember to wear socks: Many times, when we trail a new boot, we forget how thick the socks are. The best fit depends on it. If you want to wear your boots comfortably, be sure to always wear a fresh pair of boot socks. You can prevent severe blisters by wearing socks.

Tips on How to Prevent Heel Slippages

The best solution to the issue is getting a boot that fits you. Getting a cowboy boot that fits helps prevent the problem of boot slippage from the start. Often the subject of heel slippage is caused by your boot being too big for your feet.

Secondly, you can also look for cowboys that have non-slip insole features. Such boots are characterized by extra lining located at the back of the inside of the boot. By getting rid of the extra space using insole, ensure your feet fit perfectly into the boot, significantly reducing slippage

Take charge! Heel slippage is a common occurrence which you can tolerate; however, if the situation is causing you discomfort, do not hesitate to use the heel slippage fix suggestions mentioned above. Ignorance may lead to injuries or the fast wear-out of your boot lining.

Conclusion

We all know how frustrating it can be to buy a new pair of shoes or boots that don’t fit right. It is more common than you might think for your first wear experience with cowboy boots to involve slight slippage when walking in them, but this will not happen after the sole flexes and they adjust to the contours of your feet. 

This blog post has provided you with the information to fix heel slippage in cowboy boots, and we hope it helps!