How to Buy Cowboy Boots
07/21/2026 09:14AM ● By Ski Town Media Staff
Cowboy boots are a popular Steamboat Springs souvenir. Try on a pair at F.M. Light & Sons. Photo by Kenny McCarthy.
Cowboy boots aren’t just for the rodeo in Steamboat Springs. They show up at summer concerts, downtown dinners, and just about anywhere locals gather. For visitors curious about bringing a little piece of the West home, many people start at F.M. Light & Sons, a downtown landmark that has been helping customers find the right boots for generations.
Ruth Peterson, one of the store’s boot experts, regularly helps visitors navigate the selection. She often starts by pulling a few different styles – square toes, round toes and classic Western shapes – to help customers see the differences. The first lesson comes quickly: cowboy boots are not meant to slide on easily. Using the pull straps at the top of the shaft, wearers guide their foot through a snug instep before it settles into place, sometimes with a soft little pop. That sound means the foot has seated correctly inside the boot.
Customers are often encouraged to walk a few laps around the store to test the fit. A small amount of heel movement may feel surprising at first, but it’s completely normal in a new boot and typically disappears as the leather softens and the sole begins to flex.
Ruth also introduces many first-time buyers to a few classic boot-shop tools. Wood-handled boot pulls can make getting into a snug pair easier, while a boot jack helps remove them without a balancing act. These tools have been part of the boot-buying experience for generations.
F.M. Light, many quality leather boots start around $150–$250, while popular everyday styles often fall in the $250-$400 range. Handmade boots or exotic leathers, like ostrich or snakeskin, can climb higher, but a well-crafted pair is built to last for years and often becomes more comfortable with time.
Chris Dillenbeck, the store’s owner, shares one practical tip for anyone struggling to get a properly fitted boot on: “Sometimes the right fitted boot is hard to put on. You can put a plastic bag around your foot and it’ll slide right into the boot, then you just slip the plastic bag out.” It’s a simple trick that has helped many first-time buyers get past that snug instep.
Like most good leather goods, cowboy boots get better with age. At first, they may feel stiff, but as the leather breaks in, the boot slowly molds to the shape of the foot. Before long, the creases and scuffs begin to tell a story – one that often starts on a wooden bench in a boot shop in Steamboat.
Cowboy boots aren’t just for the rodeo in Steamboat Springs. They show up at summer concerts, downtown dinners, and just about anywhere locals gather. For visitors curious about bringing a little piece of the West home, many people start at F.M. Light & Sons, a downtown landmark that has been helping customers find the right boots for generations.
Ruth Peterson, one of the store’s boot experts, regularly helps visitors navigate the selection. She often starts by pulling a few different styles – square toes, round toes and classic Western shapes – to help customers see the differences. The first lesson comes quickly: cowboy boots are not meant to slide on easily. Using the pull straps at the top of the shaft, wearers guide their foot through a snug instep before it settles into place, sometimes with a soft little pop. That sound means the foot has seated correctly inside the boot.
Customers are often encouraged to walk a few laps around the store to test the fit. A small amount of heel movement may feel surprising at first, but it’s completely normal in a new boot and typically disappears as the leather softens and the sole begins to flex.
Ruth also introduces many first-time buyers to a few classic boot-shop tools. Wood-handled boot pulls can make getting into a snug pair easier, while a boot jack helps remove them without a balancing act. These tools have been part of the boot-buying experience for generations.
F.M. Light, many quality leather boots start around $150–$250, while popular everyday styles often fall in the $250-$400 range. Handmade boots or exotic leathers, like ostrich or snakeskin, can climb higher, but a well-crafted pair is built to last for years and often becomes more comfortable with time.
Chris Dillenbeck, the store’s owner, shares one practical tip for anyone struggling to get a properly fitted boot on: “Sometimes the right fitted boot is hard to put on. You can put a plastic bag around your foot and it’ll slide right into the boot, then you just slip the plastic bag out.” It’s a simple trick that has helped many first-time buyers get past that snug instep.
Like most good leather goods, cowboy boots get better with age. At first, they may feel stiff, but as the leather breaks in, the boot slowly molds to the shape of the foot. Before long, the creases and scuffs begin to tell a story – one that often starts on a wooden bench in a boot shop in Steamboat.