Cowboy Boots Done Differently – Barbanera’s Cormac Boot

I was never into cowboy boots. Like ever. In fact, I hated them. I hated the toe spring, the pointy toe, the high heel. They were pretty much everything I couldn’t stand about a pair of shoes/boots, all in one. And I am not exaggerating at all. And then I saw Barbanera’s Cowboy boots and it all changed for me. They took nearly everything I didn’t like and altered it. They put a dress shoe last on them. They took away the toe spring and put a shorter than normal Cuban style heel. They made a cowboy boot in a dress cowboy boot. And now I was intrigued. Especially when you have someone as cool as Sergio rocking them with his half Western-half Italian look, with a  dash of Rock n’ Roll. You put all of that together and it finally completes a look for me that made Cowboy style boots acceptable. So now I had to try one.

The problem with getting/wearing a pair of Cowboy boots was that my personal style does not so much cater to them. I pretty much exclusively wear slim jeans and either buttoned up oxfords shirts, popover jersey shirts and short sleeve polo shirts. And of course, when casual I wear t-shirts. So in getting a pair of Cowboy boots, I have to try and adapt them to my style. I don’t really own any real jean jackets and when you think of original Cowboy’s or the Marlboro man, you see them in jeans, either a white t-shirt or western style button shirt and a jean jacket. I have the white-shirt so can easily go that route but don’t really have the haircut that goes with it. So, I decided to give it my best alternative with a denim style shirt and of course my slim jeans. And for me, it went relatively well. A modern day take on ‘western style.’

The boots themselves are phenomenal. They are well made with a flexible yet sturdy sole. The finishing on them is exceptional. No sloppy finishes like you can see on some cowboy boots. The suede is very supple and comfortable. The lining leather too. Everything is very top notch in terms of quality of materials and making. The only thing that was throwing me off is the slant from heel to ball of foot. I am not used to that at all, but I guess like anything new, it just takes time to get use to. I do have to say though that the boots run HUMONGOUS. I am typically a UK7D (US8 narrow). If there is no narrow then I take UK6.5E or US7.5D. These were a UK6 and still feel voluminous in my forefoot. So be wary of sizing if ordering online. If you have a standard foot, I would take a half size down to what you typically wear.

I am very impressed with what Barbanera are doing these days. They are one of the few brands really doing things differently that is not common, that is not made without artistic thought, that is truly setting themselves apart from the crowd. Which takes a lot of courage to do. And I respect it. Even if I wouldn’t wear it all, I respect it. And for those of you that feel the same you will be happy to know that they have a huge sale going on right now! Happy Shopping!

Sincerely,

Justin, ‘The Shoe Snob’

https://www.barbanerastyle.com/