What more do you need than cowboy boots and hats? Okay, okay — so there may be some necessary items besides these two things… like food and water. But it’s hard to contain our excitement about all things western wear. If you’ve visited Allens Boots — online or at one of our two Austin stores — you know just how fun it can be to shop our expansive inventory, whether it’s to find something for yourself or a gift for a friend.

Cowboy Boots: Wear ‘Em Right

Cowboy boots protect hard-working feet and are meant to withstand tough wear, whether you’re on horseback, at the ranch or on the range. But cowboy boots aren’t just for the country — they add earthy flavor to the city as well. Make a big statement with your footwear and wear cowboy boots. Just be sure you’re wearing them right: They should fit comfortably and last a lifetime with the right boot care. Remember the four steps for proper care of your cowboy boots: clean, condition, polish and protect. Don’t store your boots in a cold or damp place, as mildew can destroy them. And use boot trees to help them maintain their shape.

As for the right boot fit, a cowboy boot should fit snug to the foot. Too loose or tight, and things could get uncomfortable. Always remember that your socks affect the fit, too. We recommend Western Boot Thorlo socks, as they provide maximum comfort and protection against blisters and corns.

Don’t Forget Cowboy Hats

Cowboy boots and hats go together like hay and horses, brisket and beans, and Brooks & Dunn: You’ve just gotta have a cowboy hat to complete your look. In the hot summer sun, there’s nothing handier to shield your head and face from getting burned, and a hat can also help keep you dry in a downpour. For just about any occasion, you can’t go wrong with a cowboy hat.

At Allens Boots, we’re happy to help you pick out the perfect cowboy boots and hats. Stop by one of our Austin stores, or shop online. Thanks for shopping with us!

Thinking of putting some cowboy boots under the tree this year? Allens Boots is proud to offer free shipping (within the contiguous United States) on all orders over $100 until Christmas! No special code is required — the free shipping will automatically be calculated when you place an order over $100.

This deal isn’t just limited to cowboy boots: Get free shipping on orders over $100 that include anything else we have in stock, like Cruel Girl shirts, cowboy hats, Wrangler jeans, children’s Accoutrements gifts and more.

Cowboy Boots Make Great Christmas Gifts

We admit that we may be a little biased, but we have a hard time coming up with a cooler Christmas gift than cowboy boots. Great for women, men and kids, cowboy boots come in all kinds of styles and colors. Let your loved one pick out a pair at one of our stores, or surprise them. Some of our most popular women’s cowboy boots include the Frye Harness, which come in tan, black or dark brown. These stylish, durable boots have a cushioned Poron insole and were made in the USA. For men, Lucchese Mad Dog boots are a favorite. For little cowgirls, it doesn’t get much cuter than pink Ariat Heritage cowboy boots.

Another Christmas gift idea: cowboy hats. Classic, stylish and oh-so-useful, cowboy hats are an essential part of any cowboy or cowgirl’s wardrobe. They’re perfect away from the ranch, too — cowboy hats come in useful here in Austin during hot summer days and even during the Austin City Limits music festival. You just can’t beat cowboy hats, and we’re proud to carry a diverse selection of ‘em. Don’t miss Stetson hats or our selection of children’s cowboy hats.

We sure do hope this holiday season is wonderful for you. Remember, up until Christmas, orders over $100 will get free shipping within the US — no checkout code required. Thanks for shopping Allens Boots!

We think it’s safe to say that when most people think of a cowboy, they picture him wearing a cowboy hat. It’s an integral part of Western lore, and it’s essential part of Western wear. Not only stylish, cowboy hats shield their wearers from the sun and rain and can fan air when it’s hot out. For countless cowboys and cowgirls all over the world, Stetson cowboy hats are the hat to wear.

History of Stetson Cowboy Hats

Simple and classic, Stetson cowboy hats have an interesting history that starts in 1865 with John B. Stetson, who started his own hat company after renting a small room. Mr. Stetson was very good at making hats, owing some of his skills to his father, who trained him. Over 130 years later, Stetson cowboy hats are still made — and they continue to be just as functional and durable as John B. Stetson set out to make them.

Garland, Texas is home to the Stetson cowboy hat factory, and it’s one of the largest in America. Mr. Stetson’s hard work resulted in Stetson cowboy hats being very well known today. They’re no doubt iconic.

Stetson Cowboy Hats at Allens Boots

We’re proud to carry a wide variety of Stetson cowboy hats here at Allens Boots. We invite you to stop by one of our Austin stores, or just shop online. As for men’s Stetson cowboy hats, don’t miss the Stetson Royal Flush hat. This felt cowboy hat has a 3 1/4″ brim. There’s also the Stetson Shiner hat, also made of felt.

Women’s Stetson cowboy hats at Allens Boots include the Stetson 4X Kissimmee Felt Hat and more. Don’t forget the kids: Stetson even has children’s cowboy hats like the Rodeo Jr. Straw Hat or the Rodeo Jr. Felt Hat. These are perfect for little cowboys and cowgirls, whether it’s for a birthday gift, holiday gift or just because.

Great news for Garth Brooks fans: the country singer has announced that he’s coming out of retirement. And at 8am this Saturday, October 24, tickets will go on sale for his show at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas. Starting this December and going through the end of February, he’ll be performing three nights per week at the resort’s Encore Theater. He made the announcement last week with Steve Wynn, both of them dressed in cowboy boots.

Now forty-seven years old, Garth Brooks retired in 2001, giving the explanation that he wanted to spend more time with his family. What apparently helped him decide to come out of retirement and perform at the Wynn was their agreement to buy him a private jet so that he can easily and quickly travel to and from home. Since the shows are going to be Friday through Sunday, he’ll still be able to be back home to Owasso, Oklahoma in time to take his three daughters to school on weekday mornings and taking them to activities like soccer practice.

Fans are no doubt excited about seeing Garth Brooks onstage in his cowboy boots and cowboy hat, hopefully performing favorites like “Friends in Low Places.” A story in the Las Vegas Sun talks about how Steve Wynn and Brooks made the announcement last week, both of them dressed in Western wear. Wynn was the one who asked Brooks to perform, and he said in the Sun that since seeing The Rat Pak in 1965, he hadn’t seen “an artist create such a love for an audience” — until he saw Garth Brooks at a private performance earlier this year.

Though it took several months of negotiating, Garth Brooks is now signed on to do the show. Plans are to have him perform with just a guitarist and no band, and there may be special guest acts.

No word yet on whether Brooks’ alter-ego Chris Gaines will be coming out of retirement as well. To get tickets to his Las Vegas show, call 702-770-7469 (again, they go on sale at 8am this Saturday).

Okay, okay — so it’s not even October yet. But each year, we feel like Halloween just sort of creeps up, and before we know it, we’re scrambling to put together a decent costume. So by planning ahead this year, we were hoping to put together the Perfect Cowboy Costume this Halloween. After all, going as a cowboy is fun, and it makes use of some great gear that can be worn all year ’round. It’s a great Halloween costume idea for boys, girls, men and women of all ages, really.

First things first: If you’re going to be a cowboy, you’ve got to wear some cowboy boots. Ariat, Lucchese, Justin, Frye — these are all nice choices for your cowboy costume. But, like we mentioned, these cowboy boots can be worn all year long. Heck, we’d hate to think such quality footwear were only enjoyed one day of the year. We’re pretty sure you’ll want to make cowboy boots a part of your “everyday costume” once you get a pair. Those who know, know: cowboy boots are just plain awesome. Whether you want a classic-looking pair like the Lucchese 1883 Mad Dog boots, or get playful with the women’s Justin Black Vintage boots, Allens Boots has something for you.

Next up: a Western shirt. There sure are a lot of Western shirts to choose from at Allens Boots, both men’s and women’s styles. These comfy long-sleeve shirts are great for fall and winter weather, too, and look incredible paired with jeans. Don’t miss women’s Cruel Girl Western shirts or men’s Southern Thread Western shirts.

Didn’t think we’d leave out cowboy hats, did ya? ‘Course not! Cowboy hats are absolutely essential to any good cowboy get-up. Come to Allens Boots, pick out your favorite and wear it proudly. Western headwear is stylish and ultra-cool. Find cowboy hats from Stetson, Resistol, Bailey, Southern Thread and Montecarlo. You just can’t go wrong with a cowboy hat.

Happy early Halloween! We sure hope this has inspired you to put together the perfect cowboy costume for Halloween! And not only that, but maybe pick up some quality Western wear to show off all year ’round. Visit one of our Austin stores, or shop online at Allens Boots today.

Calgary police officers working in the city’s downtown area are about to get a change to their uniform: cowboy hats!

A friend of ours forwarded us an article from CTV.ca that talks about this exciting bit of news and explains why they decided to make cowboy hats part of the uniform. Officers up until now used to wear cowboy hats during the Calgary Stampede, but now they’ll be wearing them year round.

City officials, according to the article, said that the cowboy hats are “both fashionable and user-friendly.” And Calgary’s mayor, Dave Bronconnier, remarked that the hats will be good for the city’s image — and they’ll make officers appear more approachable, as wearing a cowboy hat is “very inviting.”

Since the temperature ranges quite a bit in Calgary, officers really needed something versatile that would work on both hot summer days and freezing winter nights. What better to handle that than a cowboy hat?

The city of Calgary will be ordering 65 hats for the police officers. The particular cowboy hats they’ll be ordering aren’t mentioned in the article, though they note that they are very durable and are expected to last a decade.

Cowboy Hats Year Round

Cowboy hats really do offer an amazing amount of protection all year round. During intense summer heat, they can shield you from the sun — and they can also shield you during bad weather. When it’s hot out, they can also fan air. Plus, they’re incredibly stylish. Allens Boots is proud to offer an impressive selection of cowboy boots, from Stetson and Montecarlo cowboy hats to Bailey and Resistol cowboy hats. We even have children’s cowboy hats.

Here in Austin, it sure has been hot! We can’t tell you how useful cowboy hats have been in shielding our eyes from the sun on these scorching summer days. So we all know how handy cowboy hats can be when it comes to protecting yourself from the weather, but what about other summer western wear? The great thing about western wear like blue jeans and hats is that it’s perfect all year long and is incredibly durable and useful whether you’re working on the ranch or out on the town.

Summer Western Wear: Accessories

You can never have too many western wear accessories. Western belt buckles are always in style. We offer belt buckles from Montana Silversmiths and Vogt. There are belt buckles for both men and women.

Summer Western Wear: Blue Jeans

How great are blue jeans? They go with just about anything and protect your legs from dirt and sun. You’ll look and feel comfortable in blue jeans from Wrangler. And don’t miss Cruel Girl Jeans or Southern Thread Jeans. With a cowboy hat, blue jeans really complete the western wear look.

Cowboy Hats

Of course we mentioned cowboy hats earlier, but we just have to mention ‘em again since they’re so essential. You can’t beat the selection of cowboy hats at Allens Boots. From different colors to different materials and styles, you’ll surely find the perfect summer cowboy hat at our store.

Find all this and more at Allens Boots! We have everything you need to dress to impress when it comes to western wear. From cowboy boots to belt buckles to blue jeans, Allens Boots is the place to shop for western wear.

Texas sharpshooter Joe Bowman was known all over America for his amazing skills. Typically dressed in a cowboy hat and cowboy boots that he hand-made, he called himself the “Master of Triggernometry” and the “Straight Shooter.” Sadly, he passed away on June 29 at the age of 84.

Bowman was legendary when it came to sharpshooting, performing in countless gun shows and rodeos as well as teaching Hollywood actors how to properly handle a gun. He even taught law enforcement officers and FBI agents about guns, specifically “instinct shooting.” In an LA Times article from a few days ago, they note that he “could blast an aspirin to powder at 30 paces and split a playing card edgewise at 20.”

He was so good at shooting that he would sometimes shoot holes in sheets of metals to create portraits.

The LA Times article also talks about Bowman’s childhood and how much watching Westerns influenced him. Born in Tennessee, Bowman started shooting when he was six years old. He and his older brother watched Westerns at their local theater’s Saturday-morning matinees and were in awe of the on-screen cowboys. Several years ago, he told the Houston Chronicle that so much of what he did involved reminding adults of their childhood. He pointed out that Westerns are morality plays about good and evil.

Bowman had an extremely interesting life, serving in the Army during World War II where he was injured in a land mine accident. He was given a Purple Heart and three bronze stars. He went to the University of Houston for two years but wound up opening a cowboy boots shop in Houston called the Bowman and DeGeorge Boot Shop, which he sold in the ’60s.

Joe Bowman, you won’t be forgotten.

A Wichita Falls, Texas western wear store closed in 2006 after being open since 1953, and the owner’s amazing collection of over 500 cowboy hats will be preserved at the Museum of North Texas History. Great news indeed for such a legendary part of Wichita Falls history.

The store was Cow Lot Western Wear, and its owner, Nat Fleming, wound up with so many cowboy hats because whenever a customer bought a new one, they were invited to leave their old cowboy hat to hang on the wall. These cowboy hats have the owners’ names on labels, and some even tell the ranch at which the owner worked.

From pretty new condition to “absolutely worn to a frazzle,” and all different colors and even adornments, the collection of cowboy hats is truly special.

Don’t miss this great new display at the Museum of North Texas History’s Heritage Hall. It opens on July 25.

Cowboy Hats at Allens Boots

Looking to start your own collection of cowboy hats, or maybe you just need another to add to your collection? Allens Boots is the place for cowboy hats. We have children’s cowboy hats, men’s cowboy hats and women’s cowboy hats in an impressive selection of colors and styles. You’ll find just what you’re looking for.

We really enjoyed the recent Colorado Springs Country Living Examiner article about country fashion, appropriately titled “Country Fashion.” The writer talks about how country fashion took some getting used to when she moved from the city to the country, but now she truly appreciates what drives fashion in Colorado Springs. For others who may be moving from the city to the country, she offers some great tips:

First on the list is cowboy boots, of course. “Fashion grows from the ground up” in the country, says the writer — and we totally agree with this witty statement. Not only farmers and ranchers have to walk through dirt and gravel roads, but typical folk do, too, so cowboy boots can really come in handy. She recommends you keep your Manolos in the box and put on some cowboy boots when you get to the country.

Next up is flats. Another type of shoe, flats are a part of country fashion that help you dress up without wearing heels, which typically don’t do too well in dirt and gravel roads.

And then there’s denim, another country fashion essential. It’s classic, durable and always in style. We carry a ton of different denim jeans at Allens Boots. Don’t miss our great selection of Wrangler jeans.

The last two tips are to pack washable fabrics and plenty of accessories. We love western wear accessories like belts, cowboy hats and buckles.

All great tips, definitely. Thanks, Examiner! Find all things country fashion, from cowboy boots to cowboy hats, at Allens Boots.