Since cowboy boots are a part of up-to-date outfits, whether you are a woman or a man, you will always pay a lot of attention to how your feet will look when you put them on. And whether they make your overall outfits unattractive or not.
Some of my friends complain that their legs and feet look big in cowboy boots, even though they have a rather petite and toned figure. This certainly does not come from their body shape but from the choice of cowboy boot designs that make them look too wide for the feet, giving the illusion that their feet look noticeably bigger.
I have worn cowboy boots to almost every event in my 30 years of life, from graduations, weddings, parties, and to the office. But I’ve never felt like cowboy boots made my legs look bigger.
In contrast, the deep scallop even helps you fit thick, muscular calves without revealing these flaws in an unsightly way. As a result, they create a slimmer, longer, and smaller look for your feet and legs.
I’ve rounded up some interesting reasons why cowboy boots make your feet look noticeably smaller and bigger as well.
Let’s dive in!
Key takeaways
1. Boot Design Affects Appearance:
The design of cowboy boots plays a significant role in how big your feet appear.
Traditional cowboy boots with snip or pointed toes tend to make feet look smaller and slimmer, while broad-shaped toes, either round or square, can make feet look wider and bigger.
2. Shaft Width Influences Perception:
Wide-shaft cowboy boots might give the impression of larger feet due to the human brain’s associative thinking.
Narrow-shaft boots are recommended for those seeking a more petite and sophisticated look.
3. Impact of Heels and Colors:
Stockman or Roper heels, which are low and square-off, can create the illusion of larger feet.
Additionally, boots in extremely light-toned and metallic shades can also make feet appear bigger. For a smaller foot appearance, darker tones are advisable.
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Do Cowboy Boots make your Feet look Big?
I would say Yes and No since it mainly depends on the shape of the toes, the height of the heels and how cowboy boots fit your legs.
Let’s figure out how cowboy boots can shape your feet and what you should go with.
What type of cowboy boots makes your feet look small?
1. Snip toes/pointed toes
Traditional cowboy boots have snip/pointed toes that are elongated and slightly upward. This can’t make your feet look bigger.
The design will definitely make your feet look noticeably smaller and slimmer. Snip toes and pointed toes are meant to fill up gaps at the tip of your toes which will create a more fitting and thinner look.
You can see extra space in these areas that extend the length of soles as long as dress shoes or sneakers do. If you have wide feet and want them to appear longer, you can choose this type of toe.
However, keep in mind that they are not born to bring up heaven’s comfort. They can cause your feet to quickly fatigue because they are pinched in the tight space of the snip toes.
2. Square receding toes
If snip/pointed toes are something too narrow to handle for wide feet, you have another option of square receding toes.
They offer a wider range of snip toes but aren’t so different that they make you feel like your feet are drowning inside the toes.
Additionally, they come with short cutters at the top of the toes and have an elongated front shape. This still ensures your feet look small and slim without putting too much pressure on the tips of your toes.
However, if you have a slightly wider foot than usual, you should go 1 size up when it comes to wearing square receding cowboy boots.
3. Slim-fit boot shaft
Many people (especially women) ask me why they wear snip toes and cowboy heels, but their feet look like they are swimming in cowboy boots.
The reason is that they went with a too wide boot shaft.
The truth is, the more snugly the cowboy boot shaft fits around your ankles and calves, the slimmer and smaller your feet and legs will look.
Wide boot shafts make you look fairly sloppy and untidy, so they will give the illusion that your feet look bigger than usual.
For men, a slim-fit boot shaft is not so important as they often leave the boots inside their pants. But for women, when wearing cowboy boots with skirts, you should always choose slim-fit cowboy boots to make your feet and legs appear slimmer and longer.
4. Ankle cowboy boots
This line of cowboy boots is exclusively for women.
Their design is just ankle-high or a little bit lower. Most of them also integrate pointed toes or square receding toes along with cowboy heels.
Also, they usually fit snugly and don’t show the wide boot shaft. Therefore, we will always find them petite and adorable.
As a result, your legs and feet will also look thinner and slimmer.
Ankle cowboy boots are also wonderfully suitable for people with thick, muscular calves and small feet. You don’t have to size up your mid-calf cowboy boots to fit your thick calves while making small feet drown inside the boots anymore.
5. Cowboy/undershot heels
It is undeniable that narrow, small and proper high heels will make your legs and feet look longer and smaller than square-off heels.
They are subtle and neat designs, so they also make your feet look neater and more elegant. This is especially true for women.
For men, undershot heels may make you look a bit lack of masculine, but cowboy heels are a relatively suitable choice to look more stylish and courteous.
6. Darker tones
Another thumb rule of fashion is, dark tones are slimness’s best friends. Yep, black cowboy boots with a slight sheen can give the illusion that your feet are fairly small.
This effect will be even more effective when you combine it with cowboy heels and snip/square toes.
In addition to black, deep dark tones like deep green, deep red (Burgundy) and deep navy blue are also wonderful choices.
Besides, don’t go with too many visible and artificial light-toned decorative motifs in the toes and vamp area, they tend to give an illusion of narrower toes and sole length.
However, it’s totally fine to have natural skin patterns like those from real crocodile, ostrich or shark leather.
What type of cowboy boots makes your feet look big?
1. Broad-shaped toes
Yes, broad-shaped toes, either round or square, all make your feet look significantly wider and bigger.
This certainly comes from their comfortable and spacious design.
The width of the top of broad square toes and broad round toes can be 2-3 times larger than the ones from snip toes or square receding toes, making them undesirable features to wear if you expect your feet to look small.
In addition, this design also makes your feet look shorter. This is even worse if the toe area is padded with protective toe caps.
So, if comfort is your goal, feel free to trade the petite image of your feet for broad-shaped toe cowboy boots. Regardless of whether you have slender legs and small feet, when wearing broad-shaped toe cowboy boots, they will definitely look a lot bigger.
If you are a die-hard fan of Ariat brands, consider carefully before choosing to wear Fatbaby cowboy boots if you want your feet to look pretty and petite.
They feature thick and super round toes along with Roper heels. The design makes it impossible for the legs and feet to look small and dedicated.
2. Super wide boot shaft
A lot of my friends like to wear wide-shaft cowboy boots. They admit that they’re comfortable and add a wild vintage touch to their style. I agree with this.
But if you’re looking for a more petite and sophisticated foot look, you should opt for narrow-shaft cowboy boots.
The human brain usually has the ability to associate and imagine quite well. If you see a person wearing wide-shaft cowboy boots, you may think their legs should be bigger to fit that size shaft.
Therefore, you would also imagine that the foot would also look larger because it is a seamless block with legs. Of course, that’s just a hallucination. But that is the clue to the question of why a foot looks big in cowboy boots!
3. Stockman/Roper heels
Low and square-off heels always make you look shorter and less sophisticated. These heel designs are also 2 times wider than cowboy heels or undershot heels.
This spaciousness will give the impression that your feet will be larger to fit the shape of the heels. In addition, when you wear footwear that looks shorter and less compact, you will notice that your feet look significantly larger.
4. Extreme light-toned and metallic shades
A lot of people are obsessed with colorful metallic exotic leather cowboy boots. These boots are even treated to be ivory white, golden yellow or light green.
Trust me, aside from giving you fashion and class, your feet look totally bigger and tremendous in these boots, even if they are shaped with snip toes and cowboy heels.
Bright and metallic tones both create a sense of spaciousness in the brain’s analysis. Therefore, if you want your feet to look small and neat, you should go with darker tones.
Before you leave
I know it’s hard for some people to find a balance between making their feet look small and being comfortable when it comes to wearing cowboy boots.
If you have super wide and thick feet and if square receding toes don’t make it too difficult for your feet to breathe underneath, you can choose this design.
Either way, I hope you feel most comfortable wearing cowboy boots since this experience is a lot of fun.
That way, this will shape your confidence, passion, and love every time you think about wearing them. You also shouldn’t obsess over the fact that you have to make your feet look small when wearing cowboy boots to be attractive.
We are all beautiful in our own way. I hope this article is helpful to you.
Howdy y’all, and welcome to From The Guest Room, your ultimate guide to all things Western! I’m Jay Gatz, a lifelong cowboy boot enthusiast with over 5 years of experience in the Western style world. I’m excited to share my knowledge with you and help you discover the perfect cowboy boots and western gear to elevate your style. Let’s explore the rich history and timeless appeal of Western fashion together!