13" BURCHETT WESTERN

Thirteen inches of shaft, a square toe, and no fastening on it anywhere. This is a cowboy boot in the full sense — the tall kind, the kind that goes under a jean and stays there all day.

The record for the style stops at those facts, so the rest of this page will stay honest and talk about what they mean. Height is a real decision: a tall shaft protects the calf, holds its shape rather than slumping at the ankle, and gives the boot the line that makes a western boot look like one from across a room. A square toe balances that height, because a narrow toe under a tall shaft reads top-heavy.

Buy it if you want the traditional silhouette rather than the convenient one. It will take longer to get into than a roper and longer to break in than something short, and it will look better than either for the next decade. Pull it on late in the day when your feet are largest, take the pair that grips the heel, and wear the jean straight over the top.