Western boots are an iconic style. That’s why girls wear them these days in all sorts of ways. Guys, on the other hand, tend to only wear them when they’re dressing up in more traditional cowboy fare (tight shirt, tighter jeans, and Stetson hat), since, let’s be honest, they don’t really go well with a whole lot of contemporary outfits. The Tecovas Knox takes the classic silhouette of cowboy boots and turns it into a shoe you can pair with a good chunk of your wardrobe.
No, it’s not the slanted heel cowboy boots your grandpa used to wear when he’d take you to the ranch. Instead, it ditches the slanted heel completely, opting to pair the traditional cowboy silhouette with a modern Vibram outsole, creating a shoe that still retains the cowboy flavor of the classic Western footwear but somehow looks a whole lot better with contemporary outfits.
The Tecovas Knox has plenty of the hallmarks of the traditional cowboy footwear. For instance, it’s really tall, with a full 10-inch shaft, while sporting that familiar shapely collar found in nearly every Western boot. It’s got large pull straps on each side to help you squeeze your feet into the shoe, as well as some basic embroidery and hand-laid cording that bring to mind that rugged cowboy aesthetic. A lined shaft ensures it comfortably wears around your leg, while dual footbeds use shock-absorbing PU insoles and leather lining to support your feet even through extended excursions on foot.
What it doesn’t have are those pointy toe boxes that characterized the Western boot, instead getting a roper profile. To the unfamiliar, that’s a version of the Western boot with a rounded toe and a shorter shaft, making it as suitable for going on foot as it is for riding on horseback. More importantly, it gets a Vibram 4014 Cristy outsole, a one-inch wedge sole with low profile lugs that makes it look like a more modern footwear. According to the outfit, this outsole will give it great traction on indoor surface and provide a stable platform, all while preventing the collection of mud and dirt throughout the day.
The Tecovas Knox is made with full grain bovine leather that’s been treated for strong resistance to both water and stain, which is paired with weatherproof seams that allow you to simply hose them off for cleaning. That means, you can get them covered in mud and dirt after a long day of gallivanting and simply hose them down to get the muck off. It’s convenient.
With its roper profile and wedge sole, the shoe should wear nicely with contemporary outfits as your favorite pair of Chelsea or motorcycle boots, making it a suitable shoe for wearing in your everyday pursuits, whether you’re hitting the office, visiting the shops, or grabbing some food at a downtown spot. It’s got a Goodyear welt, too, so you can have the shoe resoled as needed, ensuring long-lasting function.
The Tecovas Knox is available now, priced at $215.