• Boot & Shoe Widths
• Getting the Right Fit in Boots
• How Boots Are Made
• International Size Conversion Chart - Footwear
• Product Care - How to care for your boots

Recommending Sizes

1. Whenever possible get your foot measured. Most boots and shoe stores use a foot-measuring device called a Brannock, which offers the most accurate foot measurements.
2. If you are familiar with the brand, order the same size you usually wear in that brand.
3. If you own another brand of boots, this size will usually do! If you don't remember the size, look inside the shaft of the boots or on the inside bottom.
4. If you are between sizes, order a 1/2 size up.
5. Some Brands tend to run slightly small or big. If this is the case, we note this in the boot's description. Yet, this is only a guideline and we can't guarantee that this recommendation will work for you.
   
   

Finding the Right Fit


1. Try your boots on inside on carpeted floor first. Give them a try. This will allow you to feel how they fit without showing any signs of wear on the boots.
2. Remember to wear the socks that you plan to wear with the boots.
3. With non-lace boots, the boot must slip slightly in the heel. When a boot is new, the sole is stiff. As you wear the boot, the sole is "flexed". With time most of the slippage you feel will disappear. If the slip feels excessive you may want to wear a thicker sock or you may need a narrower fit. Note though that slight slippage is necessary to obtain a proper fit.
4. With leather boots remember, that as you continue to wear the boots they will stretch slightly and soften over time.

** Note, this is the Standard Generic International Size Conversion Chart that should be used for a guideline only. This chart is not a guarantee for all footwear brands or a guarantee for fit. Sizes on our Web site are U.S. Sizes Only and we can only guarantee that this is the size that will be "stamped" on the footwear item. Currently, there is no set agreed upon standard conversion and you may find that many charts available differ slightly by a 1/2 size.

Lengthen the life of your boots and improve their appearance by following these easy steps:

1. Wipe Off Dust

Remember that leather is skin and will react the way skin does, so the most important thing you can do in caring for any piece of leather footwear is to KEEP IT FREE OF DUST. Dust will settle in the creases of boots and shoes. It acts like sandpaper; cutting at the finish with every step you take. Sooner or later, it will cut through not only the finish but the fiber itself and the leather will split. WIPE YOUR BOOTS OFTEN, not just before you shine them, but also every time you take them off. You don't need a special cloth or brush. Make it a habit to wipe them off with anything you have handy. You can't wipe boots too often.

2. Wash Off Loose Dirt

After you wipe them, clean your boots. You can use leather cleaner that cleans boots just as well as saddle soap. What's more, this cleaner has an oil base and is good for the leather.

3. Condition Your Boots

Leather conditioning is a lot like skin conditioning. You put in oils and conditioners to replace those that have dried up since the leather was originally tanned. Some leathers will need more than others. It needs to be done more often in dry climates or when leather is subjected to repeated dryings. If you shine your boots regularly, you don't have to use conditioner EVERY time you shine them. Try every other time. Apply the conditioner right after you clean them while the boots are still damp because moist leather absorbs more conditioner. Keep in mind, though, that the leather can only absorb so much. If you put too much on it, it just gets sticky and dull, a case of too much of a good thing.

4. Apply A Coat of Shoe Cream (Polish)

This is different from wash or liquid polish. It should match the color of the boot and should be rubbed into boots. Give the cream a few moments to dry and then brush or buff the boots to a shine.

Additional General Hints On The Care & Feeding of Boots

(Be sure & check a small area with each treatment before you proceed to clean & condition your boots)

• Many spots and marks on leather can be cleaned off with an ordinary pencil eraser. This is true especially on white leather.
• Many spots can be cleaned with a solution of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water. This treatment is particularly effective on "sugar" or "alcohol" spots.
• Oil and grease can be cleaned off leather with a spray-on spot remover.
• Rubber cement is another good "oil spot" remover. Put it over the spot and let it dry. Rub it off and the spot is gone. (DO NOT USE THIS TREATMENT ON SUEDE BOOTS).
• Never put wet boots near heat to dry.
• Unless you sit at a desk in an air-conditioned office, never wear the same pair of boots every day. They need to rest and air out.

Care of Special Leathers

Distressed Leather (Apache Leather)

Distressed leathers have extra oils added just like oil-tanned leathers. Brush the boots off to get them clean, then apply a Distressed Leather Cleaner and Conditioner.

Nubuck Leather

A good wire brush and nubuck cleaner is all you need to care for nubuck leather. Not all stains and dirt will come out of nubuck leather.

Oiled Tanned Leathers

These boots have a lot of extra oils put into them at the start, but because of where and when they're usually worn, it gets pulled out. These boots will work hard for you but you have to care for them. Unlike the other leathers, you can use a HEAVY coat of oil on work boots. These leathers are prepared to soak it up. Pecard's oil is probably the best but there are many others. If work boots really get soaked in snow or water, clean them and oil them immediately. It slows the drying process, but helps get the oils down deep into the leather where they belong. Be sure to allow them to dry at room temperature -- speeding up the process will cause cracking. Oil tanned leather work boots are not purchased for their looks. The tanner has prepared them for rough wear and very little care. Boots made of this leather can withstand almost anything short of outright abuse.

Regardless of the style, boots are far from simple. Boots have a lengthy construction time, often necessitating dozens (if not hundreds) of individual steps until they are fully made. For instance, high quality hand crafted leather western boots can have about 300 individual steps from the time the leather is cut for the boot until the boots are inspected and boxed. This can mean dozens and hundreds of people are often involved in the production of every single boot. From stitching up vamp (front) of the boot to the counters (back) of the boot to attaching the outsole (bottom) of the boot: boots take teams of specialists. This can make the labor costs of producing a boot quite high. But, the cliche "you get what you pay for" really applies when it comes to boots.

Material
Except for rubber boots, all the footwear we sell is leather. Leather is prepared in a number of different ways from nubuck to oil tanned. Each prepared style gives the boot quite a different look and feel. Some boots are also made with a combination of leather and strong Cordura nylon which makes the boots lighter and more breathable.

The Outsole is simply the bottom of the boot and gives your feet some "grip". The kind of work you do and the surfaces you walk on will determine the type of outsoles you need. Most outsoles are made of rubber or polyurethane or a combination of the two.

Insole

Insoles give your feet a little cushion to add some extra comfort. Different brands use different insoles. Each brand offers the latest technology and patented designs for their insoles. Sometimes insoles will be just a light EVA pad to cushion and form to your feet or it will be a multi-layered signature system by a leading brand name.

Construction often refers to how the outsole is attached to the boot. Outsoles are generally either pegged (or nailed), down or cemented onto the bottom of the boot. Outsoles that have been cemented or directly attached to the boot are generally more flexible to begin with, but often these boots can not be resoled. Outsoles that have been welted or pegged can usually be resoled.