Even though we make and sell work boots and cowboy boots, We pride ourselves in being non biased and to the point in the reviews and videos we produce. This is because we understand that everyone’s needs and budgets are different.
We try to be straight to the point, so that we don’t waste your time. We ourselves stay busy and understand that many of our viewers are too.
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I grew up riding and have always wore Ariat. I wear my boots mainly these days for photography and video production. Tecovas I would say makes boots for everyone. They have a line of riding boots and a line of ranch boots then they have boots you wear to the office.
You’re misleading a lot people who know nothing about the craftsmanship of traditionally made cowboy boots. There certainly is a purpose for wood pegs over the use of brass nails. Know your history about the craftsmanship of traditionally made boots. Historically, the use of pegs was out of design for those that rode horses…as in cowboys & horse riders. It was preferred because wood pegs won’t damage the leather stirrups with wear, and also expanded & shrunk with the leather, unlike brass nails that tended to fall out. What you’re not explaining to your viewers is the difference between traditionally made boots that are made by hand in small quantities versus those mass produced & “handcrafted” in Mexico or worse, machine made in China/Asia like sneakers. From a craftsmanship perspective that has existed for centuries for horse riders, a proper traditionally made cowboy boot is ideally handmade with all leather construction, Goodyear/hand channeled welts, stainless steel shank, hard leather insole, full leather outsole, full leather counters, full leather lined interior, lemonwood pegging, and leather stacked heels. Now depending on the bootmaker and which product line you’re comparing…because all the major bootmakers have several product lines geared toward certain budget levels. Though Rios of Mercedes are sister companies to Anderson Bean, Olathe, Macie Bean and others, the level of craftsmanship and how traditionally made are vastly different…and it’s reflected in their craftsmanship. Bootmakers like Tecovas was born out of a mass marketing juggernaut. Their boots are not traditionally made, and are made to look high end, exhibiting high end features like one piece vamps on their exotic hides. However, as you had explained, they use a synthetic composite insole, requiring them to use brass nails and shallow pegging for appearances. This is not quality wood pegging by any means. They also use britex material throughout the their boots’ construction, especially in their counters instead of full leather. According to their customer service, they use britex material to “save weight in their counters”. Seriously, how much weight advantage will one notice by using full leather like true traditionally made cowboy boots? You won’t because the reality is it’s a cost cutting measure. If you look into the craftsmanship of a Rios if Mercedes boot model, I’ll guarantee you won’t see any of Tecovas’ cost cutting measures. The pegging on Rios boots aren’t for looks and will not fall out after a year’s use. For those that don’t ride horses, functionally, wood pegs won’t make a difference, anymore than a Bugatti is capable of driving you down the street like a Nissan Yaris can. However, in terms of quality, lemonwood pegging speaks to the quality of craftsmanship of a traditionally made cowboy boot. The amount of wood pegging generally indicated a higher quality craftsmanship…the more pegs, the higher the quality of the boot. High end boots made by legendary bootmaker, Ray “King of Pegs” Jones, used no nails in his boots, and had triple rows of lemonwood pegging along each side of the waist of the leather soles…absolute works of art. The quality of the boots’ pegging is the basis of the integrity of a boot since it holds the outsole and insole together. Is it necessary to have wood pegging to make a decent cowboy boot…? Depends how traditional and high quality you want your boots to be…and not all wood pegging quality is the same as evidenced by that used on Tecovas and other boot models that don’t have traditional hard leather insoles. What challenges a lot of boot shoppers, buying off-the-shelf boots who want decent quality boots, but can’t afford the higher end models or customs is knowing what attributes to look for. Understanding what makes a quality traditionally made boot will help people understand what level quality of boot they’re wanting and what purpose they intend to use them for. You don’t ride horses, brass nails functionally may not matter to you, but it may also indicate that the bootmaker uses cheaper quality insoles as mentioned.
Thank you for the comment. This videos does need an update, but as someone who makes custom boots for a living as well as train horses professionally, I would have to disagree with some of your points. As for the wood pegs and riding, most people who ride horses now a days, don’t have wood pegs. This is because the boots they are buying are off the shelf with low quality footbeds. I’ll have to do an update on this topic to clarify a few things lol.. I just don’t have that much time to reply to your lengthy comment. I do appreciate your input. :)
I too used to ride & train horses…decades ago. I also worked with textiles & the fashion industry, and have some decent knowledge of cowboy boot craftsmanship, having worked with several bootmakers. My point though is that there was an actual purpose to the peggjng, though it no longer applies functionally in modern society, it’s really about craftsmanship. You don’t need cowboy boots to work with horses either…hell, I’ve had some ranch hands wrangler our animals in their crocs. Yes, I agree, most farm/ranch hands just buy Chinese made Ariats. Having high end luxury boots is for the collectors & connoisseurs of vintage western wear. Though I do know folks who invest in higher end or custom boots even for work, they’re the minority. You can also argue it’s pointless to have leather stacked heels or have a stainless steel shank, and other features that make up a traditional boot. They all had their origins & purpose in the traditional craftsmanship of cowboy boots.
The heel is already rubber and dissent really need one. There are taps that can be added for longer wear, but I don’t personally like them. I do have many customers that swear by them.
HI, depends on what all you want done. Check out this package on my website. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. mannysboots.com/products/the-logger
In my opinion thorogood is the best entry level, budget moc toe heritage boot. I like them more than Thursday boots. I think it's a good start for someone that wants to upgrade from mall boots like timberland or Doc Martin. But also don't want to commit to a 700$ boot like jk or nicks. I owned my thorogood for 6 years, haven't resole yet and now with the patina looks better than ever. I don't work in them but seems to be able to take a beating. I been wearing boots in the army most days since 2010, I am familiar with tough boots.
@@MannyTheBootmaker Inexpensive footwear has it's place. I own lower price boots and shoes so that I don't ruin expensive boots and shoes. Nothing like brake fluid and roofing material on expensive shoes.
It’s funny that the people that ask about quality are the ones that don’t do manual labor in boots. So it doesn’t matter for them. If you work manual labor, you’ll know what boots are good.
I have been watching your videos for a couple months and live the work you do. Now I follow you. You do a great job and make me want to experience your profession, love from the 661.
Haven’t had sole guards put on…my Los Altos have a smooth leather sole that I really like the look of. My Nocona pair came with a rubber sole that as started to wear smooth..
Them light and bright colors of blue are the only ones I care for. I wonder if it's anything to do with the colors in my eyes... I just had that thought cross my mind.
@@MannyTheBootmaker yeah I showed the video to my girlfriend minutes after I watched it. I couldn't figure out if it was red or pink at the top. I think I would look weird wearing them but that doesn't make them ugly. I don't know how they dyed them that color but they are very beautiful.
sole guards. the added grip but with comfort with the leather sole. Plus I save money in the long run by replacing the sole guard instead of the sole ;) P.s. youtube be doing dumb stuff by not showing the button to "send" the comment on desktop. I fixed it by pressing the tab button.
but those aren't made for hay season or any other rough out. those are dress boots, so of course the sole is not effective. Thank goodness they can be replaced.
You’d be surprised 😂 goes to show you don’t know much about the world of boots and who the main customer base is. It’s all good though. Thank you for watching.
