Lauren Boebert Loves The Cowboy Boot Trend — But Don't Make Her Styling Mistake

Although originally intended to be worn by ranchers wore when they were riding horses through rough terrain and working with cattle and other livestock, cowboy boots have since become fashionable footwear. "Its design was practical: a sturdy riding boot with a small heel to secure the foot in the stirrup, a tapered toe for ease, and a high shaft to protect the leg," fashion historian Sonya Abrego told Vogue of the cowboy boot. "Over time the boot became inseparable from the mythology of the American West — rugged individualism, frontier spirit — and transformed from regional style to national symbol."

While people across the globe have embraced cowboy boots as a classic go-to shoe that can be worn with pretty much anything, because it's so steeped in Americana, it's the U.S. population that wears the most cowboy boots. There's even a Colorado congresswoman who, while mostly known for her inappropriate behavior (she infamously was escorted out of a theater for vaping) and wearing outfits that fit right in at a Kid Rock concert, has a major penchant for cowboy boots. That person is, of course, Lauren Boebert.

But as much as Boebert may think she's some sort of fashion icon in her cowboy boots, considering her long list of Boebert's long list of outfits that were complete misses and her event look that was borderline inappropriate, it should come as no surprise that she doesn't always know how to wear her boots. Sure, she may be trying to appeal to voters with her western attire, but she has one particular cowboy boot fail under her belt. In other words, cowboy boots can be a cool shoe choice and look trendy, but only if you don't make Boebert's styling mistake.

Although cowboy boots can usually go with almost anything, something that contributes to their popularity, a line has to be drawn somewhere. That line just happens to be when you start combining them with business casual attire, like this black shift dress that Lauren Boebert is wearing in June 2024. Granted, in this photo, Boebert is at an election watch party in Windsor, Colorado, so the cowboy boots make sense based on location, but she should have chosen either the shift dress or the boots, and not tried to make them both happen at once.

A better option for Boebert would have been to pair this dress with ballet flats or a conventional pair of black heels. Both would have created a more polished look, one that would have also been more fitting for a politician. But because Boebert chose to take moismatched pieces that come from exact opposite ends of the style spectrum, it's hard to tell what message she's trying to convey to her constituents. For example, is she there in a professional capacity or will she be doing shots at the local watering hole after she wraps up this prayer session? Or is it simply that she forgot to pack the right shoes in her suitcase? 

In any case, the clashing of not just aesthetics, but two entirely different worlds isn't working for Boebert. So the next time you reach for your cowboy boots, don't make this mistake. Cowboy boots can be worn with many styles of dresses, but this just isn't one of them.