That’s not to say the cowboy boot hasn’t always been a fashion favourite. With Western roots dating back to the 19th century, the style features small heels originally meant for stirrup support and high shafts to protect a working cowboy’s legs.
Supermodel Bella Hadid and ex-boyfriend Adan Banuelos, both spotted wearing boots in New York’s Meatpacking District in 2024. Photo: Gotham/GC Images
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Anybody who still has an image of Sienna Miller circa 2004 in a minidress, Balenciaga City bag and cowboy boots or Princess Diana in the 90s pinned to their vision board would understand this. So too Marc Jacobs’ spring 1993 Perry Ellis show, when Naomi Campbell owned the spotlight in Doc Martens and lace-up cowboy boots were also in the mix, and any time Ralph Lauren – patron saint of an idealised kind of Americana – has used them in his collections.
In recent seasons, however, cowboy boots have appeared everywhere from Meryll Rogge’s debut collection for Marni – paired with zipped nylon midi-dresses and leather trousers – to Rabanne, where they were styled with sequins and florals. At Chloé, the dreamy boho woman wore them with tiered, floating chiffon skirts and check blazers, while at Fendi, cowboy boots were paired with leopard-print coats and white denim.
Marni fall/winter 2026. Photo: Handout
Celebrities can’t get enough of them either. Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski are often spotted in them, while Margot Robbie recently wore a pair with a black minidress to a movie premiere, and Lana Del Rey sat front row at the Ralph Lauren show in New York earlier this year in a brown pair styled with a floaty white dress.
While fashion brands like Ganni and Khaite offer their own renditions of the Western style, heritage bootmakers such as Texas-based Tecovas and Lucchese remain the go-to choices. And not just for professional cowboys: Lucchese recently collaborated with American fashion designer Lela Rose on a capsule of floral appliqué styles, while Tecovas teamed up with rising country music star Ella Langley for a collection.
Rabanne embroidered cowboy boots. Photo: Handout
For Amy Barnes, head of footwear, accessories, and lifestyle design at Australian heritage bootmaker R.M. Williams, the craft and purpose of the boots remain essential. It’s not that the brand – known for elastic-sided boots that serve as the uniform for big-city bankers and farmers alike – has changed its styles to adapt to fashion, but rather that fashion has come to the brand.
“While Western-inspired boots have enjoyed a resurgence over the past few years, for R.M. Williams this aesthetic has always been part of our story,” says Barnes. “Our heritage is deeply connected to Australia’s rural landscape, where our iconic elastic-sided boots were originally designed for horse riding and life in the outback. They were created for Australian stockmen, the local equivalent of the cowboy, and that connection has shaped our design philosophy for almost 95 years.
