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In reading Tex's April Cowboy Chronicle article, I noticed he said "knurled soles" are illegal on boots. Does this mean we all are supposed to be wearing leather soles since rubber soles had not been invented in our time period? Are rubber soles of all types illegal? The soles of my boots have never been checked at any local shoot I've attended. Would I expect to be checked at larger events?

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In reading Tex's April Cowboy Chronicle article, I noticed he said "knurled soles" are illegal on boots. Does this mean we all are supposed to be wearing leather soles since rubber soles had not been invented in our time period? Are rubber soles of all types illegal? The soles of my boots have never been checked at any local shoot I've attended. Would I expect to be checked at larger events?

No, this only applies to the two costume categories, Classic Cowboy and B-Western. Boots are not even required for the other categories, a pair of leather shoes will also work just fine. Good Luck :)

 

SHB page 16 Classic Cowboy

• Boots are required and must be of traditional design with non-grip enhancing (i.e. “NO Lug”) soles. Mocassins are not allowed

 

SNB page 16 B-Western

• Boots are required and must be of traditional design with fancy stitching or multi-color fancy design with with non-grip enhancing (i.e. “NO Lug”) soles. Lace up boots and moccasins are not allowed.

 

Jefro :ph34r: Relax-Enjoy

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No we do not have to use leather soles in general.

I cannot speak for Tex, but I believe he is saying they do not want soles that you can obviously see a tread or knurling on the side of of the soles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knurling

Mild patterns on the bottom of the soles are okay and many times safer, but extreme treads don't look right.

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No we do not have to use leather soles in general.

I cannot speak for Tex, but I believe he is saying they do not want soles that you can obviously see a tread or knurling on the side of of the soles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knurling

Mild patterns on the bottom of the soles are okay and many times safer, but extreme treads don't look right.

 

Yeah, examples of not good: hiking boots, crepe soles, biker boots with the big knobby projections. Lace up boots with super thick knobby soles, etc.

 

I have a pair of mule eared boots that were built especially for historical re-enactors at Lincoln Log Cabin State Park here in Illinois. They are called the "Thomas Lincoln Boot".

 

They had leather soles and heals. When the soles wore through I had smooth rubber half soles, made by Goodyear,put on. Unless I point it out, a person would never know. Now my feet stay drier, as the leather soles soaked water like a sponge. :angry:

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I Looked em' up on their site.

The ones with lugs and cleats would not be proper. The cowboy boot looking ones would be acceptable. In my opinion, and mine only.

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Something to keep in mind is that Tex often writes about what he thinks the rules should be, not what they are. Rubber soles are legal in every category and the fine pattern the term "knurled" suggests are legal too, even in Classic. It is the aggressive lug type soles easily visible from the side that we're not supposed to wear.

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No we do not have to use leather soles in general.

I cannot speak for Tex, but I believe he is saying they do not want soles that you can obviously see a tread or knurling on the side of of the soles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knurling

Mild patterns on the bottom of the soles are okay and many times safer, but extreme treads don't look right.

Tex was clearly wrong in his editorial. Lugs on soles are legal in all but two categories, even Vibram like lugs that can be seen from the side. A few years ago the TGs turned down an effort to ban lugs on soles due to safety concerns.

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I have a pair of Rocky's with the rubber sole. It's tan, and from the side it looks like leather.

 

The only disappointing thing about them is they are no longer made in Nelsonville, Ohio.

A few years back they closed the factory, laid everyone off, and moved their production to China. :angry:

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Tex was clearly wrong in his editorial. Lugs on soles are legal in all but two categories, even Vibram like lugs that can be seen from the side. A few years ago the TGs turned down an effort to ban lugs on soles due to safety concerns.

 

 

Ding/Ding/Ding There ya go!

 

 

RRR

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In reading Tex's April Cowboy Chronicle article, I noticed he said "knurled soles" are illegal on boots. Does this mean we all are supposed to be wearing leather soles since rubber soles had not been invented in our time period? Are rubber soles of all types illegal? The soles of my boots have never been checked at any local shoot I've attended. Would I expect to be checked at larger events?

Hi Clint,

 

You have your answer.

 

However, I must take issue with your statement, "rubber soles had not been invented in our time period." I found an ad for rubber shoes at the NY Public Library that they dated 1891. Look here.

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

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Rubber soled boots

Rubber soled boots

That's what we wear when we go out to shoot

 

Leather soled drovers will slip in the grass

And crash to the ground on their old cowboy a**

 

Big lugs are out, they're outlawed you see

Except for them big lugs who are over six three

 

Nothing wrong with a gumshoe to keep you upright

You have to stay standing when yore in a fight

 

so...

 

Rubber soled boots

Rubber soled boots

That's what we wear when we go out to shoot :lol:

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I have been curious, I have a pair of "Earthwalkers" that I had made several years ago and wondered how they fit for B-Western or Classic.

 

They are nearly exactly like these:

http://earthwalkers.biz/newpics/boot10.JPG

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Yeah, examples of not good: hiking boots, crepe soles, biker boots with the big knobby projections. Lace up boots with super thick knobby soles, etc.

 

I have a pair of mule eared boots that were built especially for historical re-enactors at Lincoln Log Cabin State Park here in Illinois. They are called the "Thomas Lincoln Boot".

 

They had leather soles and heals. When the soles wore through I had smooth rubber half soles, made by Goodyear,put on. Unless I point it out, a person would never know. Now my feet stay drier, as the leather soles soaked water like a sponge. :angry:

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I have been curious, I have a pair of "Earthwalkers" that I had made several years ago and wondered how they fit for B-Western or Classic.

 

They are nearly exactly like these:

http://earthwalkers.biz/newpics/boot10.JPG

I think they might be ok for Classic Cowboy, but don't know if they would cut it for B-Western.

 

Jefro :)

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I think they might be ok for Classic Cowboy, but don't know if they would cut it for B-Western.

 

Jefro :)

I believe that they lace up under that fringe. Also, I do not see, "fancy stitching or multi-color fancy design."

 

That said, I have a friend who has conchos on his black boots. The MD at a State match told him they worked for B-Western at that match.

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

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Sorry Allie Mo, they don't lace up, they are straight pull on.

 

I thought they invented "Fringe" for the B-Westerns :)

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Sorry Allie Mo, they don't lace up, they are straight pull on.

 

I thought they invented "Fringe" for the B-Westerns :)

Daniel,

 

I think fringe is cool in BW clothing. However, the rule says " Boots are required and must be of traditional design with fancy stitching or multi-color fancy design with with non-grip enhancing (i.e. “NO Lug”) soles."

 

I still don't see "fancy stitching or multi-color fancy design" on your boots. Maybe, you could push for an amendment to the rule to allow for fringed boots.

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

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LOL...I ain't pushing for amendments to nothing. The rules are the rules and I ain't gonna ask fer nuttin special fer me.

 

Just lookin to see where my gear fits into the various categories.

 

As fer the moccasin crack...I'm now insulted... :angry:

 

LOL...Well not really, I don't get insulted :D But my boots are sittin in the corner just fuming...:)

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No, this only applies to the two costume categories, Classic Cowboy and B-Western. Boots are not even required for the other categories, a pair of leather shoes will also work just fine. Good Luck :)

 

Howdy,

I believe the correct statement would be no footware required because you can be barefoot or wear mosicans or what ever but still have to be period correct style footware, with the exception of the sole.

 

KK

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LOL...I ain't pushing for amendments to nothing. The rules are the rules and I ain't gonna ask fer nuttin special fer me.

 

Just lookin to see where my gear fits into the various categories.

 

As fer the moccasin crack...I'm now insulted... :angry:

 

LOL...Well not really, I don't get insulted :D But my boots are sittin in the corner just fuming...:)

Tell them to calm down. I called them "really nice." Some Earthwalkers look like a cross between a boot (sole shape and heel) and a moccasin (conchos and fringe) to me.

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Yea...That's like describing the blind date as "Having a great personality" :)

They want me to put them on so they can walk off in disgust...I afeard of what they might do iffin I comply.:)

 

As for the boots, they are a great boot to wear, comfortable and wear nice...a bit of a bugger to get on but well worth the fight.

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Thanks everyone. If anyone is interested in looking at boots, look at the Rockys cowboy style work boot. It does not have the pointy toe and is flatter on the ground so your foot is not pitched forward - which puts many of us in pain.

 

And Allie, thanks for that note about rubber soles. As a Civil War reenactor, I was aware that Charles Goodyear developed his rubber formula for "gum blankets" before The War, but I did not know that the process had become so perfected that they were used for "mass produced" boots. Now that I write this, I remember that George Rains, the Confederate gun powder manufacturer, had rubber soles hand made for the men working in his Augusta, Ga., gun powder factory in 1863-65.

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Disallowing moccasins in B Western eliminates one of my favorite B Western characters, and I don't mean Tonto.

 

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd29/remcclellen/rr7.jpg

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Actually, rubber soled boots and shoes were around in our time. They became practical with the invention of the vulcanization process by Goodyear which he patented in 1844. Natives in various rubber growing regions around the world had been coating their shoes (including the soles) with rubber tree sap for waterproofing for hundreds of years before that. There's a good photo which I can't put my hands on right now of a settler setting in front of his tent in Guthrie the day after the 1889 Oklahoma landrun wearing a pair of knee high rubber boots. Take care.

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