What are the most expensive cowboy boots in the world?
Using the finest alligator leather and adorned with precious metals and jewels, expensive cowboy boots are a work of art.
Read on to discover the cowboy boots that cost the most, from Stallion’s black American alligator boots to Jack Armstrong’s one-of-a-kind art masterpiece.
The Most Expensive Cowboy Boots in the World
We’ve explored the construction methods and man-hours of these expensive cowboy boots, as well as the iconic artists and designers responsible for their creation.
Here’s our list of the 10 most expensive cowboy boots in the world:
10. Stallion Black American Alligator Cowboy Boots – $3,000
The legendary folk singer Bob Dylan once said of the Stallion brand of cowboy boots, “Man, I love your boots”, and it’s not hard to see why.
Stallion has been making high-quality cowboy boots since 1980, and while they don’t have the same pedigree as more established boot makers, they make up for it in quality and style.
Their black American Alligator leather boots are clean, simple, and exceptionally well-made, with an all-black look guaranteed to move with the times.
They’re constructed from a calfskin shaft that tapers down effortlessly into the stacked leather heel, with the alligator pulls adding a finishing touch.
With a traditional round toe and 1 1/2″ cowboy heel, the Stallion black American Alligator leather boots are cowboy boots noted for their understated elegance.
At $5,000 per pair, they’re in the same ballpark as the most expensive sneakers you can buy, and certainly more stylish.
9. Lucchese Forde Black Alligator Cowboy Boot – $5,000
Like the Stallion black American Alligator leather boots, the Lucchese Forde black Alligator cowboy boots are entirely black in color for a sleek and minimalist aesthetic.
These expensive cowboy boots feature more details than the Stallion range, with intricate hand-embossed patterns stretching the length of the boot’s tall shaft.
Additional patterns can be seen around the foot area of the boot, which comes from the alligator skin itself, adding a pleasing variety to the overall appearance.
As with many other Lucchese boots, these are handmade cowboy boots using only the finest material, including premium leather.
The boot’s interior is put together using a hung vamp, which is a technique that cobblers used many years ago, allowing the leather in the front of the boot to mold to the foot.
A pair of the Lucchese Forde black Alligator cowboy boots come in at $5,000, with the rich and luxurious feel you get from the brand’s handmade boots.
While cowboy boots are usually associated with country and western singers, their appeal is broader than you might think, with Kendrick Lamar spotted wearing cowboy boots at Coachella in 2022.
8. Philipp Plein Embellished Women’s Cowboy Boots – $5,000
Philipp Plein is a German fashion designer who started his career designing luxury dog beds, before moving on to vintage-style clothing and accessories.
One of the richest people in Switzerland, Plein has produced a range of luxury quality cowboy boots, including the Embellished Women’s cowboy boots.
Selling for $5,000, around the same price as some of the most expensive wines you can buy, these boots are a bold and brash addition to any boot collection.
They’re decorated with elaborate embroidery that gives them a truly lavish appearance, with a black and white pattern and tassels draped on the back of the boot.
Another design element that makes the Philipp Plein Embellished Women’s Cowboy Boots stand out from the crowd are the stilettos, which are rarely featured on women’s cowboy boots.
It’s a pull-on boot with a neat, pointed toe, with the fringe detailing on the back making the Philipp Plein Embellished Women’s cowboy boots ooze a rock and roll vibe.
7. Lucchese Romia Cowboy Boots – $6,000
Returning once again to iconic shoemaker Lucchese for their Romia cowboy boots, another black boot with a clean and simplified silhouette.
The Lucchese Romia cowboy boots are inspired by the old designs of U. S. cavalry boots from the late 1800s, almost entirely back except for the leather soles, which take on a patina-brown hue.
These are high-end handmade cowboy boots made in Texas, hand-lasted for an elegant fit, and constructed from Nile crocodile skin for a more unique finish.
While the $6,000 price tag is the kind of hefty price you’d expect to pay for a pair of bespoke, customized boots, it’s a reflection of Lucchese’s reputation as one of the premier boot makers you can find.
Even the leather used to line the inside of the boot is of the very best quality, and genuine lemonwood pegs are used to secure the boot’s steel shank to the sole.
Exquisitely hand-stitched and held together with a three-quarter welt, these expensive cowboy boots will last their wearer a lifetime.
6. Lucchese Colton Cowboy Boots – $6,500
Taking a step back from the all-black cowboy boots with another Lucchese classic, the Colton, which comes in warm brown leather made from American Alligator leather.
With a price tag equivalent to some of the most expensive alcoholic drinks you can buy, the Lucchese Colton cowboy boots are another exotic addition to their impressive range of boots.
Featuring beautiful cording across the shaft and alligator leather pull straps, the Colton boots stand out with finely detailed stitching from the ankle up to the calf.
They’re made from a single stitch welt, with a sturdy leather sole to help keep the boots secure when worn.
The American alligator leather has been cut to give this expensive pair of cowboy boots a gorgeous spiral effect, with a smooth and soft appearance adding to their appeal,
As with the other handmade boots from Lucchese, these are all constructed in their Texas workshops with the hung vamp technique to ensure a snug fit and carefully crafted inlays for a refined finish.
5. Lucchese Baron Cowboy Boots – $14,995
The final cowboy boots featured here from Lucchese are their Baron cowboy boots, one of their best-selling products that come in deep brown leather with a wonderful patina.
These boots are more expensive than their other products, partly because the entire boot is made from prized American alligator leather, from the shaft down to the heels.
There’s more work going into their construction, too, with a bias cut and a covered side seam giving these handmade boots a degree of finesse you won’t see on boots sold on the high street.
They also feature original pull straps, hand-crafted inlays, premium alligator leather stacked heels, and an outsole and insole held together with three-quarter welt and lemonwood pegs.
The leather gives off a hint of red thanks to the black cherry color staining process, making them stand out even more when worn alongside plainer brown leather cowboy boots.
A staple pair of boots from an iconic cowboy boot brand, the Lucchese Baron cowboy boots offer exemplary handcrafted quality for those who can afford the price.
4. Wheeler Boot Company Football-Themed Cowboy Boots – $17,000
Paul Wheeler has been producing ready-to-wear and bespoke shoes and boots for his exclusive customers since 1960, with some of his designs a far cry from the classic traditionalism of the boots from Lucchese.
This expensive brand is highly regarded by its customers, with a long list of legacy members who are required to purchase a minimum of fifteen boots to gain their membership status.
While his designs are based around the classic cowboy boot, he often takes things to the next level, with painted boots designed for everyone from wine lovers to NASA boots fans and Texan residents.
As the name implies, the Wheeler Boot Company’s football-themed cowboy boots are a celebration of baseball and were made for an intense fan of the sport.
Wheeler made use of 16 ticket stubs as part of the design of these expensive cowboy boots, with the Houston Texans logo also featured on the side of the boots.
Paul Wheeler sold these one-of-a-kind bespoke cowboy boots for an outrageous $17,000, making them among the most expensive pair of cowboy boots ever sold.
3. Tres Outlaws Cowboy Boots – $75,000
Another high-end cowboy boot brand that is based in Texas is the Tres Outlaws Boot Company, with their workshop in the heart of El Paso.
Established in 1995, the Tres Outlaws Boot Company has built up a solid reputation over the years for its luxury boots made with the finest materials and constructed by some of the best shoemakers in the world.
Their bespoke boots, costing $75,000, were designed to reflect the rich and beautiful history of Mexico, featuring Aztec-inspired patterns and other ornate features.
Their exceptionally high asking price was in part due to the inclusion of some of the most expensive precious metals you can buy, with thousands of dollars worth of gold and silver coins included in the boots.
These are not simply gold and silver; the coins the Tres Outlaws Boot Company used for these unique boots are historical coins that date from different time periods.
The boots took an estimated one hundred hours to design, with an additional three hundred hours for the handcrafting elements, and two hundred hours just for dyeing the final product.
The result is a one-of-a-kind expensive cowboy boot that merges quality with the historical significance of Mexico.
2. Howard H. Knight’s Cowboy Boots – $106,000
Howard H. Knight’s cowboy boots are another masterpiece of boot design, and perhaps the most beautiful-looking pair of cowboy boots of all time.
Featuring gorgeous flower patterns scattered over the entire surface of the boots, with some ridiculously expensive material used to make them, these are incredibly made boots from a true master of the craft.
Howard Knight spent around 800 hours working on the construction of this pair of cowboy boots, which is an astounding amount of time for a shoemaker to dedicate to a single pair.
Costing $106,000, that means the artisan was earning approximately $132.50 for each hour he spent working on their construction, an impressive salary for anyone to take home.
Knight has been passionate about shoes and boots since a young age and was designing “over the top” cowboy boots in his teens.
These expensive cowboy boots use an 18-karat white gold flower in the center, which accounts for much of their extremely high price tag.
1. Jack Armstrong Cosmic Cowboy Boots – $6 Million
Last but by no means least are the Jack Armstrong Cosmic cowboy boots, which sold for a price rivaling the most expensive watches you can buy, fetching a whopping $6 million.
Jack Armstrong, who founded the modern art style “Cosmic Extensionalism”, created the Cosmic boots in 2018, painting the design on his own pristine Tony Lama boots.
The Tony Lama brand boots were worn by a list of American presidents including Harry S. Truman, with Armstrong’s design a splash of vibrant colors around the bottom of the boots.
These extreme colors and textures are combined with words that intertwine among them, and Armstrong included them in his Cosmic X collection.
The New York-based artist made a vow to create only 100 pieces of art throughout his lifetime, a fact likely to increase the long-term value of his Cosmic cowboy boots.
Summary
That brings us to the end of this guide to the most expensive cowboy boots ever sold.
We hope it inspires your next shopping trip, so you can pick up a pair that matches your taste.
We’ll update this list in the future, so it reflects the most accurate information available.
Here’s a quick recap of the 10 most expensive cowboy boots in the world:
- Jack Armstrong Cosmic Cowboy Boots – $6 Million
- Howard H. Knight’s Cowboy Boots – $106,000
- Tres Outlaws’ Cowboy Boots – $75,000
- Wheeler Boot Company Football-Themed Cowboy Boots – $17,000
- Lucchese Baron Cowboy Boots – $14,995
- Lucchese Colton Cowboy Boots – $6,500
- Lucchese Romia Cowboy Boots – $6,000
- Philipp Plein Embellished Women’s Cowboy Boots – $5,000
- Lucchese Forde Black Alligator Cowboy Boot – $5,000
- Stallion Black American Alligator Cowboy Boots – $3,000
