Opinions on Botte Gardiane as a cowboy boot alternative
I’ve been looking at these Botte Gardiane boots as a chunky and possibly less obvious alternative to the cowboy boot, which I don’t feel is quite me.
What’s y’all’s opinion about on those? The customizable sizing is a plus for my difficult feet, but I’m not fully sold on the style yet.
35 Replies
To me they kinda read as leather wellingtons
But i am a cowboy boot enjoyer so I think i personally just don't really get why you would want a cowboy boot that does not look like a cowboy boot.
With which I want to say maybe you should disregard my opinion on this
Hey that’s an interesting POV! I can see the Wellington aspect definitely and maybe that’s part of what I didn’t love about them.
For me it’s that I definitely don’t lean into the whole western thing as much as you do for one. I just don’t think I’m a cowboy at heart haha
But I really enjoy everything that’s „Europe’s answer to cowboys“ - like these boots that are worn by French „cowboys“ in the Camargue, and Maremma Jackets that are worn by „cowboys“ in Tuscany. So that’s why I’m interested in these instead of traditional cowboy boots.
Interesting position
Personally I feel like boots of that height and without laces really profit from some decorative stitching or something to give them more visual interest.
Thats an interesting perspective!
Definitely! My feeling is that these will get a nice patina creating visual interest over time, but that’s a good point.
It seems there’s really a few things that are „odd“ about these and I’m still somewhat torn. I’m definitely not one for classic pointy cowboy boots, but maybe there’s something else out there as well.
I don't think these look good in all honesty, not a fan of the leather, it's looks very plastic
I've said it before consider some of the more rugged chelsea boots
I’ve handled their material before, it is far far better irl fwiw
I would honestly recommend browsing the memed favourite that is the german tecovas seller on ebay and seeing if anything stands out there. There were quite a diverse range of models with some being very cowboy (toe bugs etc) and some less in your face
that's good to know then
Either that or I would consider the ebay tecovas outlet. There are plenty of relatively understated, round toed boots with next to no stitching and only a low heel there. They even do returns.
Beat me to it
Got a link for the german ebay fella?
Yeah
Asking for a friend (me)
the ebay link Leo is going to share does have some variety on this. Quite a few square toed and rounder less pointy ones. Something to consider
pj-outlet auf eBay
pj-outlet in eBay-Profilen folgen. Kaufen, Verkaufen und Sammeln auf eBay war noch nie so aufregend!
Good point! I have a pair of solovair Chelseas that I like and wear a lot, but I’ve been looking for something higher too.
They don't do UK anymore unfortunately
fackin brexit
Yeah
I think Leo might have nailed it above actually, the thing that looks off about those boots is the lack of anything to draw attention, it's a very simple design for a long shafted boot
Oh I hadn’t heard about this before! Good to know! I’m notoriously difficult to size but I’ll see if I find something!
what's the upper end of your budget?
With custom sizing the Gardians would’ve run me close to 600€, so I guess that lol
But that’s a hefty chunk of money, which is why I’ve been debating this for like half a year.
What about an Engineer boot as an alternative? They are similar (not in colour) to the ones your shared originally but I find that the addition of the buckles adds something visually interesting to the boot overall
for example https://brightshoemakers.com/collections/casual-suiting/products/uncle-bright-engineer-boot-cyclone-black
Bright Shoemakers
Bright Shoemakers, Engineer Boot, Cyclone Black
Want to invest in a shoe to last decades in both quality and style?This might just be what you are looking for.The Engineer Boot is a new silhouette introduced for AW22.The style is clean and iconic - just how it should be!The boot is crafted in a luxurious combination chrome/ vegetabe tanned pull-up hide featuring 270
I shared those as they are from a Danish company so would be easier to source/try on for fit within the EU than any US options
https://www.ariat.com/gb/en/men-western-footwear-western_fashion?sz=14 Ariat make a bunch of different styles and from asking about are solid for the price
Ariat International
Men's Western Fashion Footwear | Cowboy Boots | Ariat UK
Whether you're working hard or dressing your best on a weekend, discover men's Western footwear from Ariat UK. Explore our fashion cowboy boots for men.
These are very nice, thanks for the rec! I like the brown ones a lot.
These brown ones I mean
Yeah, i could see you rocking them
Thanks for the rec - I like that these lean more western as well. I’ll check them out a bit more!
(Meanwhile my issue with tecovas is that they are not pointy and embroidered enough for my taste :xd: )
(Which is why I ordered that stupid brannock device, bc if I end up ordering something fancy from the US I want to ideally get it right the first time bc returns are a pain)
And my feet are also difficult
I should really get mine measured properly
I assume you also have pretty wide feet and thats the main issue @Holfram ?
They’re wide and I have very high instep , making shoes without lacing esp difficult to size
I feel your pain
Yeah it sucks sometimes. It’s also why I mainly wear sneakers.