What it’s like buying your first pair of cowboy boots in the South

Boots are something that every southern kid should have. Whether it’s cowboy boots, work boots, or hiking boots, the “boot” is the perfect shoe for almost any occasion. That’s why this past month, I decided to buy my first pair.

Deciding to get the boots

Being from North Carolina, people wear boots with almost anything. Not me though – I had never owned boots, but the thought of owning a pair had been on my mind for quite a while. The whole point behind the boots was to have something I could wear to church, but also go out and work in.

I had been around some of my friends who have a pair or two and they absolutely love their boots. So I began to ask myself: “Why don’t you have a pair?” I just couldn’t come up with a good reason. I had never been a huge boot fan, but I saw the pros of owning a pair and at that moment, I decided I should buy some.

The Boot Barn of Easley

Walking into a boot store for the first time at the age of 20 was more than intimidating. I walked in and immediately began to get a feeling that I just didn’t belong. As I walked down the first aisle, a very nice southern lady walked around the corner and introduced herself. She asked what I was looking for, and I said: “I have no idea.”

She looked at me confused and then began to ask me questions I thought only the man himself, George Strait, would know. “Do you want them skinny? Do you like the buckled toe? What leather do you want?” All I could say back was that this was my first rodeo, and thankfully, that joke was awarded with a nice little laugh.

At this point, she knew I had no idea what I was doing, so she brought out three pairs for me to look at and in southern fashion, told me I had to pick from only those. This kind lady must have known my style, because there was one pair of Ariats she brought out that were perfect.

I tried them on and for some reason, they just looked weird. Then it hit me. I asked her: “Do you mind if I borrow a pair of jeans to try these boots on with?” Yes, I did go boot shopping with shorts on. How in the world did I think that was a good idea?

I put the jeans on and slipped back into the boots. Oh boy, did they look good. I looked at her with a huge grin expecting her to tell me something along the lines of “those are the ones!” or “perfect,” but all I got was a blank stare. I was looking for some form of reassurance, so she finally said: “Boy, you look darlin’ in those.” At that point, I really felt like a true southerner.

The boots’ first trip

My first time wearing the boots was to work the following Monday. The first thing I realized was it’s hard to drive a car with 1.5” boot heels. So not a great start.

As the day wore on, the boots started to settle in and I began to strut around the office, feeling like I was the big man on campus. I felt like I was finally one of them. The compliments were…well, nonexistent. I guess people just expect southern guys to have boots.

Thankfully, now I do.