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They aren't for everybody,
but for those that like them, boot tips and heel
caps add a sparkle that makes a "New Boot"
smile become a lot
bigger. They can sometimes hide a nick, scrape or
flaw in your favorite boots too. Not only
protective, but ornamental as well.
In our store, we have a rack of these
additions so that a customer can see them all at
once. They often ask which color tone will look best.
Now, this is a matter of opinion, but sometimes I'll
ask them to open their mouth real wide. They always
look at me funny. I just tell them that it is best
to match a gold front tooth, or the color of
fillings, or ...! (Actually, I will ask what
color most of their jewelry might be.)
(If you think this
dental determination is
terrible, ask us about how to make extra money
raising rattlesnakes. We can sell Rattlesnake Eggs
by the case.)
All right, I've finished
laughing. Have you? (I prefer trimming my eyebrows
so I won't be accused of imitating Andy Rooney style
of dry humor.) Black boots will go
great with any color. Pick the color of jewelry you
most wear. Browns look really good with the gold, or
antique gold finishes. Reds, burnt apple, or
cordovans look good either way. Mixed jewelry?
Several of these
decorations are both silver and gold, like most belt
buckles! But, overall, gold is our better
seller.
Which style do I choose?
The first pair of tips I put on my boot were to
cover a scar I chunked in the toe of my dress boots.
So, if this is the reason for decorating, get the
ones that will cover or distract from the scar. Most
boots look fine with a pair that wrap around the
front of the boot without taking away from what art
is already established. Our current best sellers
on this page are
the AC-19T series because they fit so many of the
Western Fashion narrow toe boots.
Putting an over the toe tip
on a contrasting wingtip boot may or may not be a social no no. Yes, I
have worn the heel caps without the toe tips. Heel
caps are good to protect a boot from all the
grinding that dirty carpet in a car or truck can
inflict on any footwear while driving. No, you can't
get a spur to fit properly with a heel cap on the
boot. No, there is no warrantee on stones
falling out. Check the bezels often to make sure
they are taunt just like with all Turquoise jewelry
you wear.
The over the toe variety of
tips normally stick out past the boot enough to let
grime clear itself from beneath the boot tip. AC 01,
23, 27, 28, 29, 34, 35, 36, often give a more pointed appearance to a J or R Toe boot.
Over the toes do not fit on # 6 or roper toe or wide
square toe boots.
They need a tip that carries around the front
only.
Heel caps do not always hug
the exact lines of the boots' heel counters when you look at them
off your feet. But they must fit closely. They are designed for some flex in
movement. You need that, or a good marching rhythm.
I could probably write ten
pages on our experiences with boot decor. But, the easy
thing is to just call and ask if your favorite tip
or heel will work on your boot style. See, this
isn't always as "cornfusin" as it sounds! We can even
walk ya through installation. Or if the boots and
tips come from
us, we'll install before they ship to you. Or, we
have had people ship their boots to us to fit as
best as possible. You pay the shipping, but it ends
all doubt.
When we install the boot tips
and heels for you, we shape the tips and heels
before we try to attach them. Most are malleable and
will bend for you. Stone trimmed tips and heels have
less flexibility than those without stones, just due
to the reinforcement needed for the bezels. Just go slowly and carefully.
I
like to also add a little tilt angle to the plane of
the attachment area. (This means I twist the hole
about to 45 degrees so the nail or screw goes in at
an angle. This seems to hold better. Some soles,
like the kids soles, need screws for a better hold. I
almost always use nails for the heels because the
nail heads lay more flat and are less likely to
catch on anything than the screws. The tips attach to the top of the
sole with one exception, and won't catch stuff. Use
an awl, or an ice pick to begin a starter hole so
application is easy. When you attach the heels, be
sure you go under the rand of the heel and into the
heel. Some boot styles look like they are in place,
but are between layers. Again, just call if you have
any fears and we'll walk you through them.
We will ship screws and nails for each pair of tips
and nails for each pair of heels for your orders.
Nickel tips get stainless screws, Gold tone get
brass screws. These rust resistant weather resistant
screws are a decent portion of the pricing because
most people are tips and heels top match we kinda
take this in consideration for the pricing (they are
expensive!) We also re-drill tip holes so the
screws fit.
Then, there are boot
bracelets, chains and other fun things!
Kilties too.
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