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 the Barbanera Cowboy boots and it all changed for me.
They took nearly everything that 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 into a ‘dress cowboy boot.’ And now I was intrigued. Especially when you have someone as cool as Sergio and Sebastiano (the Guardi bros) rocking them with their half-Western-half-Italian look: A dash of Rock n’ Roll mixed with ‘Sprezzatura.’ 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, or at least I thought so. I pretty much exclusively wear slim jeans and either buttoned-up oxford shirts, popover jersey shirts, or short-sleeve polo shirts. But then I watched Yellowstone and thought, “Wait, they all wear slim-ish jeans and buttoned-up shirts.” Maybe, in fact, my style was exactly the look?
Getting a pair of Cowboy boots, I have to try and adapt them to my style. I didn’t really own any jean jackets at the time and when you think of the original Cowboy 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 Barbanera cowboy 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 is leather too. Everything is very top-notch in terms of quality of materials and making.
The only thing that was throwing me off was the slant from the heel to the ball of the foot. I am not used to that at all, but I guess like anything new, it just takes time to get used 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 have always been impressed with what Barbanera is doing. They are one of the few brands really doing things differently. They are not afraid to go into the complete opposite direction of what is common. Their brand is their own personal style. It is not made without artistic thought, and that is truly setting themselves apart from the crowd. This takes a lot of courage to do. And I respect it. And even better, all of the owners are great guys!
Learn more about the Barbanera cowboy boots here
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
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Ha! Very nice indeed…they really work on the pics and on you… Hmmm… not sure they would on me, but… anyway, a great iteration!
Awesome article.
If I’m a US 8 D what size in these boots would you recommend would you recommend? Thanks!
Thank you Peter. I would size down to US7.5, at least. Maybe even US7 depending on what sock you intend to wear with them
According to Barbanera’s size conversion, there’s a half-size difference between UK and US sizes, deviating from the standard full size difference. With my US size being 10.5, their guide suggests a UK 10. However, considering the general advice to size down by half, would that mean I should opt for a UK 9.5? In contrast, following the traditional conversion, should I consider a UK 9 instead, which is half a size down from the usual UK 9.5 equivalent for my US size? I appreciate any help or clarification.
Hey Jessie, to be honest, I cannot even remember what size they sent me in these but they were huge. If I recall correctly, in one of their dress boots, I took a UK6.5, my normal size, and in these they sent me UK6 but they will were still big. It is hard for me to say for sure. I would air on the side of the UK9, a US10.
Great Story and Barbanera fan a while.
It‘s all a personal taste but I‘m never cuffing my (slim, 60’s) Jeans when wearing boots. Much cleaner, sharper look.
lol, all good, I never wear cowboy boots and those were already cuffed and what I was just wearing when doing the photoshoot. I didn’t actually wear them that day 🙂
For the average middle class man, a cowboy boot was/is the only affordable footwear with a beveled waist, slight fiddleback, and wooden pegs.
never looked at it like that, but you are probably right!