Page 84 - LIN DEC WEB

technically speaking

Styles of the

World…

by Ron McGinty
fter my discharge from the Marines in the early 70’s I
decided to drive to Colorado for a vacation. After driving
A over fourteen hours, I stopped in Walsenburg, Colorado
for the night. My love of all things Western just gripped me
here. My one night turned into a long weekend. There was a
hotel with old barnwood on the walls, and a diner with a jukebox
playing, “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” by Charley Pride. There
were countless cowboys there for a rodeo. After reaching Aspen,
I bought my first pair of cowboy boots which I wore for a few
decades.
I traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico recently for a
photojournalist class, with a theme of Western Cowboy Boots.
Did you know over fifty companies in the United States of
America create western boots with estimated annual sales Woodstock entrants
approaching two billion dollars? The leather boot stepped having the time of
out in the 13th century during the time of Genghis Khan and their life. Refreshing
has never stopped growing in popularity. Society and borders and surprising. There
have transformed via exploration, conflict, technical advances are always elements
and resolution for centuries. Most of the people during these of travel that teach
evolutions wore boots. you new revelations
My first day on the street I tried to photograph people in and not always basics
cowboy boots. To my astonishment, Santa Fe, while western of history.
wear is well represented in the town square, it is not as common I wore wingtip
on the street. At the weekly street music show most looked like shoes to work for
over thirty years, thinking it was a prime element of the business
uniform. However, times have changed, now the world is more
casual. Traveling the globe can broaden a person’s views of fashion.
For example, I saw a surprising sight in Japan; every business
person wore a white shirt, necktie, black suit, and lace-up shoes.
It reminded me of a time in America, but now long gone. In
both Patagonia, Chile, and on the large Estancias in Argentina,
everyone wore riding boots. In Africa, most villages were
barefooted or wore sandals. India was also primarily sandals.
One night, luck was in my corner; a friend had boots on and
told me he had fit issues. He now buys his custom shoes in Santa Fe.
The next day, I spoke with Wendy Henry, owner, and founder of
the Back at the Ranch store in Santa Fe. She was in the fashion
business in New York before relocating to New Mexico and loved
cowboy boots. Her goal was to build a boot that was not only
comfortable but stylish. Most boot manufacturing occurs in
El Paso, Texas, so she bought a boot company there. Wendy has a
guideline, be adventurous and be sure you get the perfect fit. Boots
are rich in history, give you a better sense of style, draw attention,
show confidence, and offer safer walking stability.

My article on Cappadocia, Turkey is coming soon!
www.ronmcginty.com

84 Life in Naples | December 2021