Tyler Man Shows Off Cowboy Boots Collection

A great recent article in the Houston Chronicle puts the spotlight on D.M. Edwards, a man in Tyler, Texas who has an amazing collection of cowboy boots.

Mr. Edwards’ collection includes 126 pairs of cowboy boots, ranging in styles and materials, and he’s still looking for more to add to his collection. More specifically, he’s looking for exotic skinned boots — for the last 30 years, he’s made it a goal to have at least one pair of cowboy boots in every exotic skin that’s made.

The writer of the article noted that the rarest boots in Mr. Edwards’ collection are the ones that seem to appear the plainest. Some of the rarest cowboy boots he owns are made of Texas deer skin, African tree-toads, hippo, rhino and Texas turkey skin.

In addition to collecting cowboy boots, Edwards also collects western wear. Part of his collection: western ties, western belts and buckles, color-coodinated western jackets. So why collect cowboy boots and western wear? Simple: Edwards says he’s a native Texas who’s always enjoyed Texas heritage. And because, he says, his family has always had Texas ranches, he’s found that cowboy boots are simply the “natural thing to wear” when you’re working with ranch animals like horses and cattles.

When the writer asked Edwards about his favorite cowboy boots, Edwards pointed out the importance of comfort rather than aesthetic. His favorite cowboy boot makers include Lucchese, Tony Lama and Justin, three cowboy boot makers found at Allens Boots.