I always have been intrigued with trying a pair of cowboy boots out and I found a pair of Double H USA made ones in good shape at a local thrift store for $35. They look like these but in a lighter shade:
http://www.doublehboots.com/Product?stockNo=2555
These would just be for general use (wear to work as cube warrior, working in the yard/garage, putting around). Do they take awhile to break in? Anybody wear cowboy boots around here?
Depending on your shape, it may be required to wear the boots with shorts, no shirt, but suspenders. And a cowboy hat.
As for usage, I'm not sure of how good they would be in the yard- all the boots I've ever worn or seen had smooth soles. Good for horses, but not good for mud. As a kid, we used to wear them to slide down snow banks. I think they would be great work work shoes, if they are comfortable enough. Some style that one normally doesn't see (I'm not making fun here- some people they look good on- just INSIDE your pant cuffs).
But I did witness the guy I described a long time ago in a campground just outside of Smokey Mt. in NC. I was laughing quite hard internally.
I've got a pair I wear occasionally that I've had for....wow, 20 years. They're Dan Post handmades.
They do take a little while to break in, but thrift store may be mostly there if pre-worn. These days there are a lot of good boots that have rubber soles that are textured so the mud issue is slightly better, but traditional boots still have leather soles. In most regards the break in and traction is similar to dress shoes - the thin-rubber soled ones or the leather soled type. They take some adjustment to walk in without looking like an idiot, and you'll feel it in your ankles/ calves while you adjust. Once you adjust they're really comfortable.
For $35, if they fit, grab em. The leather will conform to your feet as you wear them, but if they're hella uncomfortable to start with they won't get much better.
I tried them on and they fit pretty well compared to other ones I have tried on.
Grab em. I like Double H's. If they're in good condition it is worth it, even if you don't end up using it as you intended.
yeah, if they fit pretty well on the first try they'll be great after a couple weeks. Or one really long hot day.
At $35, you've added another notch to your lipstick case. 
Many times cowboy boots and even Wellingtons (which are not cowboy boots) are a lot more comfortable than you'd ever expect.
And hey, you'll finally be wearing high(ish) heels!
Back in the day (1982) I bought a nice pair of Tony Llama boots. Really comfortable but I don't see a lot of overweight middle aged guys wearing boots in the Chicago Suburbs any more.
Shoot - all the sales guys stopped wearing the kiltie tassel loafers too. I hate these narrow slick shoes we all wear.
I'm from Texas so of course I wear cowboy boots. About 30 percent of the adult males around here are wearing cowboy boots at any given time. Even fat, middle aged ones. Myself, I'm a Justin or Tony Lama guy.
Don't ever try on a pair of Lucchese boots. https://www.lucchese.com/ You will hate yourself because no other boot will ever do.
Dr. Hess wrote: Don't ever try on a pair of Lucchese boots. https://www.lucchese.com/ You will hate yourself because no other boot will ever do.
I bought a pair at a garage sale for $50. You're right.
Too bad my brother stole them 
Good boots should last you a looooooooooooooooong time. They can usually be resoled so the only limiting factor is the upper. I have a tub of mink oil I use to keep my Ariats nice and waterproof. My dog also loves the mink oil and will steal the rag I use to apply it if I turn my back...
I wore black Justin pull on ropers as my "church" and/or "dress" shoes from about the time I could walk until on into college. There was a scattering of fake snake skin, some lace ups, and a pair or two of Lacrosse or Gerogia work boots, here and there over the years, but I was a Justin man (kid), even had a Justin hat.
Then I discovered Ariat. I've not owned another brand of "cowboy" boot since.
I have no issues wearing them daily, after getting them broken in. I actually took my newest pair to the cobbler, twice, to have the insteps stretched. I've got crazy high arches, that don't really play nice with normal folks' slip on style shoes.
I don't recall owning any Double H myself, but I can't recall hearing anything bad about them. I say buy them.
These days I only wear my Ropers for social purposes, mainly dancing. As in two-stepping and the occasional waltz, schottishe, or Cotton-Eyed Joe.
For work, I wear lace-up safety toe boots. I never cared for the cowboy-style safety boots, but a lot of oil field and farm/ranch people do.
I had Double Hs I wore often when I was younger. They were comfy but as others have said the traction was poor compared to rubber soled shoes. Eventually I got too old to be sliding off truck beds for the sake of looking cool.
Got a pair of Justin's when I lived in Austin. It's a requirement for two-steppin'. I wear them a lot with a pair of jeans and a polo.
I have a pair I bought over 25 years ago. Unfortunately, they're about a 1/2 size too small so I don't wear them often and generally only when I won't need to do a lot of walking. I've been looking for a new pair, but finding them in black and with zero ornamentation is not easy.
I wear boots as my dailies, but the 6" lace-up kind. Have had some Beckmans for about a year and a half now. Super comfortable up to about 10 miles of pavement in a day.
I have high arches so western boots are tough to fit, I do have a pair but spent many hours massaging the inside with a bat. I also have a pair of ostrich skin (black) boots, very soft, almost like a chamois. If they fit buy them, you could always sell them at your garage sale for $40.
I am not a horse person, don't dance and am not a Texan. Never owned a pair of cowboy boots. I breifly considered trying some on last time I was in Fort Worth, but couldn't come up with a real reason to buy since I don't think I would wear them.
Ian F wrote: I've been looking for a new pair, but finding them in black and with zero ornamentation is not easy.
Ditto. I had to spend quite a while last time I was in the market. I just wanted direct replacements for my old black Justin Ropers.
Fancy stitching around the boot shaft is like lace on boxer legs. It might not show, but I don't want it there.
In reply to T.J.:
I'm not a horse person (there's a reason ATVs exist), I'm a poor dancer, and am not a Texan either (perish the thought), none of that stops me.
My current pull-on boots are round toe Ariat Workhogs, they're rubber soled, so they wouldn't be much good for "boot scootin'" anyway.
Dr. Hess wrote: Don't ever try on a pair of Lucchese boots. https://www.lucchese.com/ You will hate yourself because no other boot will ever do.
Those are good looking but they stop at a size 12. So no luck for me.
wearymicrobe wrote:Dr. Hess wrote: Don't ever try on a pair of Lucchese boots. https://www.lucchese.com/ You will hate yourself because no other boot will ever do.Those are good looking but they stop at a size 12. So no luck for me.
You can call them up and they will likely custom make any size you want. Made In Texas. By Texans.
In reply to slantvaliant:
I don't even like the stitching usually done across the arch. I want plain black leather. Literally zero ornamentation.
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