Can You Line Dance in Cowboy Boots? How to Pick a Pair That Slides

The difference has been measured. A University of Wyoming team put 15 country swing dancers on force plates and had them turn in leather-soled boots, rubber-soled boots, running shoes, and bare feet (Perala, Wilson and Dai 2018). The leather-soled boots had less friction against the plate than the rubber-soled boots or the running shoes, and the smallest twisting load on the turning leg. The authors suggest leather soles may lower twisting loads and call for longer-term studies before linking any of it to injury. Western boots were built with slick, treadless leather soles in the first place so a rider’s foot could slide in and out of a stirrup, as Wikipedia’s history of the cowboy boot notes, which is why the classic boot happens to suit a dance floor.

So the honest answer to “can I wear my boots” is: flip them over. A smooth leather sole means yes, indoors. A deep lug sole means save them for the outdoor festival.

Boots to leave at home: heavy work boots, safety-toe boots, and anything with a deep lug or slip-resistant work sole. They are built to grip and protect, which is the opposite of what a pivot needs, and their weight tires your legs by the second hour. A brand-new pair with a stiff sole belongs in the same pile until it is broken in.

Cowboy boots come with distinct heel shapes, and for dancing the shape matters as much as the height:

The heel descriptions come from the same Wikipedia cowboy boot entry, which explains that the tall riding heel exists to stop the foot sliding forward through a stirrup: useful on a horse, less useful on a flat floor. For dancing, keep the heel low, no more than about two inches, because every extra bit of height makes shuffles and turns harder to balance. If your favorite boots sit on a tall, angled riding heel, they can still dance; you will just feel it on fast turns.

A boot that fits for walking can still be wrong for dancing, because dancing asks the foot to flex, roll, and pivot inside the boot. Boot maker Vaccari’s fit guidance is a sound baseline (Vaccari Boots):

Add a dance check before you buy. In the socks you will dance in, rise onto the balls of your feet and pivot a quarter turn each way. The heel should follow the foot rather than lifting out, and the forefoot should bend where your foot bends. Fit the boot with your dance socks, since a thin sock and a thick boot sock change the fit noticeably. And check the shaft against your calf: it should move with your leg without choking it. Shaft height itself is mostly a style choice. Classic western boots rise at least to mid-calf, while ropers stop between the ankle and mid-calf, and lace-up ropers hold the ankle more securely (Wikipedia: Cowboy boot).

Toe shape is the feature buyers pick with their eyes and regret with their feet. Wikipedia lists snip, wide snip, square, and round as the popular toe styles, and notes that the extremely pointed toe is a 1940s stylization that “adds no practical benefit and can be uncomfortable.” The wider the toe box, the more comfortable a long night:

The fastest way to ruin a first night in new boots is to wear them for the first time at the dance. Vaccari’s break-in advice, adapted for dancers:

Vaccari also warns against the shortcuts: do not soak boots, and never put them in an oven or microwave, which melts glue and ruins the structure. A new leather sole needs its own break-in. Fresh from the box it can feel either slick or oddly grabby, and it settles into a proper glide after a few nights of dancing. If it stays grabby, lightly scuffing the factory finish with fine sandpaper helps. If it is too slick for your floor, a cobbler can fit a thin rubber heel cap so the forefoot slides while the heel brakes.

Pavement grit grinds into a leather sole and turns a smooth glide into a sticky drag, so the boots you dance in should not be the boots you run errands in. If you dance regularly, keep one pair for the floor and brush the sole clean before you dance; if you only own one pair, clean the sole each time and accept that it will wear faster. Wipe the boots down after a dusty night, condition the leather now and then, and store them away from direct sun and heat so the leather does not crack.

Boots are the look and the tradition, but they are not the only option:

• Boots win when the country look is the point, when your venue’s floor is polished wood or vinyl and your boots have leather soles, or when a team or competition asks for them.
• Dance sneakers or smooth-soled shoes win when nights run long, when you want more cushioning, or when the floor is unpredictable. That route, from what to look for in a sole to how to fix a shoe that sticks, is covered in the best shoes for line dancing.

Line dance boots are one branch of a bigger footwear family. Flamenco shoes solve a different problem, sound rather than slide, with nailed soles, as covered in how to choose flamenco shoes, and contemporary dancers often skip shoes entirely, as explained in what shoes to wear for contemporary dance. The whole family, from ballroom heels to tap plates, is mapped in how to choose dance shoes.

1. 1
   Where do you dance most? Wood or vinyl: smooth leather sole. Concrete, barn, or grass: rubber or a heel cap.
2. 2
   What heel do your boots have? A roper or walking heel is ideal; a tall riding heel works but feels less steady on turns.
3. 3
   Do they pass the fit test? Instep secure, toes free, heel slipping only slightly.
4. 4
   Are they broken in? If not, give them several days of wear at home first.

The same honky-tonk floors host the country two-step, so if you are heading out to learn the partner dances as well as the line dances, start with the two-step.