They were earlier than that!
During the cattle drive era of 1866–1884, the cowboy was apt to ruin a good pair of dress boots while working, so some owned more decorative dress boots to wear in town. The basic style elements permeated working boots as well. Fashion magazines from 1850 and 1860 show the cowboy boot with top stitching, geometric or other natural elements cutouts, and underslung heel.[citation needed]