Nashville’s reputation precedes us. We’re a cowboy-boot town: rhinestones on the red carpet; booties to a Preds game; snip tips for a meeting.
Except, sometimes it can be hard to find good boots. You can head to one of the Buy Two, Get One Free shops downtown, sure. But maybe you don’t need three new pairs. Maybe you want more service than rifling through the racks on your own. Maybe you crave a quality boot that will last longer than a bro-country anthem on the Billboard chart. Maybe you want somewhere that will teach you how to care for the leather, how to find the right fit for your foot. Here’s the lowdown for men’s and women’s local boot shopping.
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Music City Leather
From his private studio in Brentwood, Wes Shugart crafts custom boots with colors, styles and heel-height just for you after taking eight different measurements of your foot. Want a dogwood blossom hand stitched onto your boot because it reminds you of your late mama? Shugart can do that. It’ll cost you, of course, somewhere between $2,600 to $5,000. The process takes about a year and once you wear them Shugart is available to do tweaks (stretches for bunions and that sort of thing) as your foot shape changes. When you schedule your appointment, Shugart will send you the location of his private studio. (615-533-4882, musiccityleather.com)
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Dixon Rock ‘N’ Roll,Natural Tan,10036017,
Ariat Nashville
One of two boot shops in the new Fifth and Broadway complex, Ariat is a well-known, woman-owned brand available at many other stores around town. This pretty alcove is only the brand’s third standalone shop, and they’ve gone all out. The dressing room wall is a bright red art element, made of leather and hand stitched just like their boots. Ariat’s strength is a wide selection of styles, colors, and prices, including lightweight boots with a flexible, rubber sole, and boots with elastic to accommodate wider calves. The folks at Ariat will measure your foot and talk to you about how and where you wear boots, so you end up with the boots of your dreams. Don’t miss the life-size horse sculpture made of vinyl records, instruments, guitar strings and belt buckles; it is sure to become an Instagram fave. (Fifth and Broadway, 5034 Broadway Pl., 615-701-6445, ariat.com)
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Planet Cowboy
Jaylin Ramer was 12 years old when she got her first pair of red boots. It’s been a love affair since, leading her to open a Western boot-and-clothing shop in New York. It was a success, but when the pandemic hit, she wanted out of town. She packed it all up, moved to Nashville, and rented a 12 South storefront (where Ceri Hoover used to be). About 30 percent of Planet Cowboy’s stock is custom-made. She can take your measurements by video if you don’t feel comfortable in person yet. Custom pairs start around $900, but she is committed to stocking pairs at lower prices, too, because she doesn’t want anyone to not be able to get their first pair of red boots. Other brands stocked included Rios of Mercedes and Stallion. (2905 12th Ave. S., 615-730-5789, planetcowboy.com)
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Tecovas
Texan Paul Hedrick started his Tecovas boot brand in 2015 because he wanted to take out the middleman and sell quality boots direct to his customers. His classic styles—such as Ropers in browns and blacks—are on display in the brand’s new Fifth and Broadway store. The shop is not just a place to try on and buy boots. The showroom feels like a friend’s living room and, in fact, features furniture that the thirty-two-year-old Hedrick has in his apartment. There’s a free boot shine station, so you can get cleaned up, regardless of whose boots you wear when you walk in. Enjoy a beer or Topo Chico while you browse. An in-store debosser will imprint your initials on the boots or belts you buy. Most boots are in the $225-$395 range, and the brand will do restoration of worn Tecovas for $150. You’ll carry your purchase out in a complementary oversized canvas bag, which will be your Ascend/Arrington/picnic-gear-hauler all summer long. (Fifth and Broadway, 5011 Broadway Pl., 615-787-8027, tecovas.com)