11" RUSTLE WESTERN BOOT

Rugged meets refined is the claim, and the boot backs it: a full-grain leather foot under a boldly stitched shaft, square-toed, in the classic western shape.

The vamp is cowhide and the lining is woven. The insole is an Ortholite removable insert, made in open-cell polyurethane foam that is breathable, lightweight and flexible; those inserts are built to retain 95% of their original thickness rather than flatten out, they carry anti-bacterial properties, and they pull out to be washed and put back. Construction is cement with a double row stitch, the shank is metallic, the outsole is rubber, and the heel is a 1 1/8" block.

A block heel that low is the sensible end of western footwear — enough to sit in a stirrup, not enough to tire you out on concrete. That is what makes this one versatile enough for work, for play and for everything in between, which is a phrase most boots do not earn. The stitched shaft is the only loud thing about it, so let it show: hem on top of the shaft, everything else plain.