I wrote a one star review (on or around October 7, 2019, soon after I made the above video) and posted it on Cuero's website for their Austin boots, the ones I purchased. I was surprised to see that it appeared on the page for the Austin boots. But today, October 10, 2019, I went back to the same page and my truthful but negative review has been removed. What this tells me is that Cuero boots is only interested in "spinning" their defective products by choosing only to permanently post positive and glowing reviews, removing all others that would alert the public to their shoddy products. Instead of dealing honestly with the public, admitting they are selling inferior leather boots, and posting ALL comments, good or bad, they are in essence deceiving the buying public by purposely keeping the whole truth from consumers. I don't believe Cuero boots will be in business five years from now. There is no doubt that disappointed and disgruntled buyers of their shoddy products, like myself, will continue to bring this deceptive advertising and poor quality leather to the light of day and people will purchase their boots elsewhere. Shame on Cuero.
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES You made a couple of beginner mistakes with your boots, you should never just leave them out in the sun that totally would have damaged any boot out there minus a steel toe, the way to break in boots especially dressy ones like these are to put conditioner in it and simply wear it a lot. The heat damage with pressure is what damaged it, it uses a dress leather meant to be soft and comfortable not work style boots, try to avoid abusing leather like that next time.
This is a you thing buddy. Even Lucchese requests for you not to push down on the toe box. Nicer shoes tend to use a leather stiffener in the toe that will elegantly collapse over the years and form to your foot. Cheaper shoes use a hard plastic like toe box structure in order to hold up longer, as they are rarely repairable. Also, the sun is horrible for leather.
Agreed. I'm actually surprised this video is still up 😄. I own everything from Ariat Benchmade Caimans, Tecovas Pythons, Sand sharks, smooth ostrich and regular bison leather boots and would never put them in the sun like that They are meant to be conditioned with Saphir products or Bick and never to smash down like that......just saying 🤷♂️
I’ve owned many pairs of boots from Ariats to Black Jacks and none of them have been as bad as the cueros, even the Ariat cheap Chinese made boots are tougher. Cuero is just a Tecovas knock off.
Pushing an indentation into the front of the toe basically ruins the boot. This is true for cowboy boots, work boots, dress shoes, anything made of leather. The front of the toe box is firm. Once you cave it in, that structure is permanently compromised. It will never go back to the way it was. If you want to know where your big toe is inside a boot, simply lift up your toe an feel with your fingers where that lift is occurring. Don’t push down. Seriously, don’t bake your boots in the sun, don’t drown them in water, don’t boil them in oil or set fire to them. Just put them on, stand up and walk around on carpet. Do this for a few minutes and just listen to what your feet are telling you. They should feel snug but not tight (toes/heel feel pinched). You should feel arch support (if you feel no contact between your heel and the ball of your foot, then the support is not there). Also watch out for the boot being too big. If you can slide your foot on the foot bed at all, then the boot is too big (and there should be minimal heel lift as well). If that gentle snugness is not there when you first put on the boot, then it’s too big in length, width or both. Finally, if even one of the fit criteria doesn’t pass muster, or you have any other issues (like a blemish in the leather), just start the return or exchange process. Don’t send emails or call with questions. Just exchange for another size or return and take your business elsewhere. Don’t wear them for days on end, experimenting on them (causing visible damage) and then start haggling for recompense. If you have any reservations, upon receipt, just send them back.
I appreciate your reasoned and respectful response, but I suspect you have never purchased quality leather footwear. Why I say this is because your seemingly knowledgeable observations don’t match the real world. Quality leather does Not become permanently damaged when you press down on the toe of any quality boot or shoe. Nice try, though. Do you happen to work for Cuero?
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES Ok smart guy, I’m not a Cuero employee and I’ve bought quite few high quality boots and shoes in my time. By all means, keep on squashing the toes on your boots and then complain when the seller won’t give you a full refund and a free pair of boots. Let us all know how that works out for you. I was going to give some advice for mitigating the damage you caused to your boots, but there’s really no point because these boots don’t fit you and the only fix for that is knowing how new boots should fit, which you obviously do not.
@@timdaly9323 Imagine you just purchased a brand new Mercedes sports car with "premium, luxury seats." ("Premium" and "luxury" are the two words Cuero uses to describe their boots.) Then, after you sat in the seat, you discovered you damaged the leather. Would you think you had purchased a car with "premium, luxury" materials made to be sat in? Of course you wouldn't and neither would anybody else. Cuero advertises their boots in glowing terms: made from luxurious and premium materials. If this was true, slightly pressing on the toe end would never cause this kind of damage. They obviously lie about the quality of their product. Again, I will repeat myself: any boot made with "premium, luxury leather" will not be permanently and irreversibly damaged by a simple press on the toe end. But a boot made with cheap leather certainly will. I guess, Tim, we will need to agree to disagree agreeably. Peace.
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES The way you’re abusing your boots with the heat treatment you’re just gonna wanna switch to a steel toe work boot, no material would ever survive the treatment you put on that poor boot.
You should probably consider never buying ANY pair of cowboy boots. Lol. Your video was hilarious. You did everything to void the warranty and get mad?
But you didn't read their warranty information and admitted what you did and are still upset. If you knew anything about boots you should know you never push on the toe box of a western boot. Never! That's not were you check for sizing anyway. Before you blast off as you have at everyone else, no i don't work for the company. But i have boots far more expensive than those and im not a noob.
Other people have said that one should NEVER press on the toebox of a western boot, but I cannot verify that statement from any boot experts or manufacturers. Can you provide me a couple of sources to support that statement?
I read through the comments and see you’re a new cowboy boot wearer so I wanted to give you some advice. I’ve worn them since I was a kid and work with cattle and use to ride horses. Cowboy boots should never hurt your feet during the break in process. That’s a sign of either a cheap boot or an improperly sized boot. They should feel like a firm handshake. Cueros and tecovas are more of an office or dress boot so depending on why you bought these, just keep that in mind. Cowboy boot sizes can vary depending on style and brand. A lot of older brands lasts that date back before there was an industry standard and they consider them trade secrets. Dan posts are good, true to size, and comfortable right out of the box. Their Milwaukee line can be had for around 170 and I recommend them to new boot wearers.
Sorry but I keep thinking of things to mention lol. Calfskin is a much more supple leather compared to bull shoulder or cowhide. It’s more elastic scratches and wrinkles easier. It’s used more in dress shoes and boots. But that toe box never should have depressed like that which makes me think they didn’t properly treat the leather there to give it reinforcement.
@@Warriorbob-im5py Thanks for your input in both of your comments. Yes, this pair of Cuero boots was my first ever pair; I've always liked cowboy boots but their oftentimes sky high prices, sometimes in the thousands of dollars, kept me from buying some. When Tecovas and Cuero started their advertising campaigns with more reasonable prices, I decided to purchase a pair. Other men have commented that Cuero boots are not true "cowboy boots" but are "fashion boots." As I've thought about this I tend to agree, though Cuero does NOT market their boots as "fashion boots" but as true "cowboy boots." One has to go with what the company that makes them describes them as, so I consider them true cowboy boots regardless of what they might actually be because this is exactly how they are presented to the buying public: cowboy boots. My beef with Cuero is their false advertising and poor quality leather. If they were honest and upfront about their boots and did not market them as "GENERATIONS OF HANDCRAFTED TRADITION DIRECT TO YOU WITHOUT THE MARKUP OF OTHER LUXURY BRANDS!" (this was taken right off of the front page of their website) as another "luxury brand," I don't think I would have had much of a problem with them. But saying your boots are a luxury brand and "made from the highest quality materials we could find" (again, a direct quote from their website), when they wrinkle like they did in the toe box, this is nothing less than deceptive, lying advertising. But their false advertising certainly suckered me in. Again, I appreciate your comments and your respectful, respectful and helpful observations. I will look into the Dan Posts.
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES yea, their boots are made in Leon Mexico, which is renowned for its boot makers and leather crafts, many of your other brands are made in the same town but they make the boots to the specifications the company sends them. I’ve seen discussions about tecovas and cueros being almost identical, again, cueros was started by the same guys that yeti sued for copying their coolers, and the guy that started tecovas has said in an interview they are office boots. Dan post has been good to me, I also like nocona, Justin luchesse and tony lama. USA and Mexican made boots are the way to go, you can find budget friendly options in either. Sometimes you have to play with the sizing, if you have a boot or western apparel store near by that would be the easiest option. I honestly see tecovas and cueros filling a niche market until they start eating into the big brands demographic, then they’ll probably be bought out. I Hope you find a good pair boots 😁.
James, can you do me a favor? Give me the web sites of just three boot manufacturer's that say that. Just three. And please make sure when you send me the links, they are the links for the pages that specifically say that. Thanks. Oh, and you wouldn't happen to work for Cuero, would you?
I have 5 Tecovas and 3 Cuero pair. Love them both. 1st. ALWAYS polish any pair of leather footwear (except suede) before you wear there. By polish I mean leather conditioner (I do 2 coats and let sit over night) followed by either cream polish or wax. No company send out new shoes polished. Haven't had an issue with ether boots myself. I have Tecovas Earl in black and Cuero Austin in Esspresso. I own a concrete company and wear them both to work everyday, swapping them out each day so I don't wear them 2 days in a row. I use cedar shoe trees on both pair every day and polish once every 2 weeks. I do take a shoe brush to them daily. At work they will get concrete splattered on them at least 3 times a month. Dry portland cement and lime will land on them too. These are extremely hard on any leather. I did own the tecovas about 3 months longer than the Cueros (I bought in August of 2019) but they are both still in very good condition. I do have sole savers on both. I'm in the rain and sun a lot (Houston weather). These are the only 2 pairs of boots that I put that kind of stress on. I do live in Houston, about 4 miles from the Cuero offices, but I only go there when I buy a pair of there boots. We also have a Tecovas store in Rice Village, which I also go to when I buy Tecovas boots. Cuero's offices are typical start-up offices, just a small rented space in a warehouse facility. Tecovas' Houston store is REALLY nice, and in a very upper class location. You can get your boots shined there for free, $12 embossing, free boot stretching, and they even offer complimentary cocktails. Cuero has 2 to 3 employees, Tecovas has 6 to 7 (including the bartender and booth shiner). They both fit great with Tecovas maybe a 1/4 size larger. Cuero boots do go on and off MUCH easier, I do not need a boot jack with them. It has to be the lining because the Cuero are more snug. I'll have to wait and see which pair gives out first. Might take a while because, yeah, I take care of my boots, both work and play boots. I mean I have some boots I bought in Mexico, just across the border, when I was 17 that I still wear. I'm 48 now. The sales man polished them for me. He was the first to tell me to always protect & polish your leather shoes/boots before you wear them. I know Cuero is coming out with some new styles around the 4th quarter of 2020, I'll see how my pair fair by then and if all is good I'll compare Tecovas' and Cuero's offerings at that time. FYI, once every 3 or so years I go through my boots and give the ones I realize I don't use to my cousins/nephews in Mexico who have a hard time affording simple luxuries. Currently have about 18 to 20 pairs. Some I don't wear anymore but they have nice memories attached to them, like the ones I got married in. I'll save this video and comment again when one of them gives out.
David, thanks for your comments and helpful hints on caring for boots. Unlike yourself, I'm not an expert on cowboy boots, with these Austins being the first pair I purchased. As you saw in my video, it has not been a great experience with the unintentional damage done to the toe box and the unprofessional response from Cuero concerning the damage. By any chance, did you ever press on the toe end of your Cuero's? I'm not suggesting you do so because of what happened to my pair, but maybe out of curiosity maybe you tried? If so, what happened? Did you find the same problem with yours? Months have passed and, every seemingly every time I wear these boots and see the irreparable damage done to the toe end, it grates on me. And no doubt the reason I'm still disturbed over this is because of the terrible response from Cuero blaming me for this shoddy pair of boots. I'm sure they never expected I would make a negative video on their boots that has almost 3,500 views and which, as you can read in the comments, caused other men NOT to purchase a pair of Cuero boots. Clearly, they have lost some money on customers going elsewhere, and worse, tarnished their reputation. What brand of boots did you buy over 30 years ago that you are still wearing today? I think I would have stuck with them instead of taking a chance on any other boots...especially Cuero's. I will never buy a pair of boots from that company again.
I stopped reading at the advice of waxing a boot. Leather needs oil which wax prevents the absorption of. This will cause the leather to dry and crack. Some boots are sent out polished, it really depends on the style you buy. No high quality boot maker will ever send a pair out waxed for the reason given, but a quality oil will allow a decent shine to be worked. Wax is a cheap easy way to bring out the shine. Also never use a conditioner that contains silicone, or any waterproofing. Want a shine then use a good quality leather oil like Safir and some elbow grease.
My Eastwoods took 2 weeks to break in and have been excellent. I've worn them to work (Im a pilot so I walk around on a lot concrete) avg of 4 days a week for about a year now and after break in these are my favorite boots because the leather is slightly softer than all the other boots I own which allows them to stretch and fit your foot like a glove. only damage I have is on the back of the heels where my feet rest on the floor of the plane and a few scrapes on the toes from the peddles which usually disappear when you wax them. The only care I do is about once every 2 months I wash them with saddle soap and then wax them to keep the shiny dress look to them. Great boots in my opinion.
I'm glad you are having a positive experience with your Cuero boots, Andrew. I'm wondering if my set of defective boots are just an outlier or perhaps a mistake in their production. But as my video shows, the problem with the toe box is glaring and disappointing. I'm not saying you should do this, but have you pressed down on the toe box of your boots to see if it does what mine did? Again, I'm not recommending you do this, but if you did in the past, what happened to the boot?
Stick to loafers I don't think cowboy boots are for you. First, I think you bought the wrong size and in your haste to try making them work made mistakes. I don't mean you wear a size nine and ordered a 10. I mean many cowboy boots will vary in the fit by 1/2 of a size. Some boots I wear a 9 to a 9/12. You should have exchanged them for a proper fit. Also placing the boots in the sun will "soften" the leather to some degree because like any skin heat opens up the pores of the skin. Also pushing on the toe box especially of a soft calfskin type leather will dent the toe box once you dent a toe box on a soft leather it will show that dent. You essentially stretched that leather in that spot. Once that happens you will always see that deformation. A thick tougher leather is more forgiving in that regard but not the softer leathers. It would be like taking a soft leather jacket and pulling the leather in one spot with your two hands it would stretch the leather in that spot and would show where it was stretched. Speaking of loafer I have a pair of dress shoes my son accidentally stepped on my toe while I was wearing them and guess what? Yep, the toe box now has a crease from where they dented that shows. Want to pony up the bucks buy a pair of Lucchese, Anderson Beans, Rios of Mercedes, etc. but buy the right size and DO put them in the sun and mash on the toe box.
Ok hear me out… I have a pair of cuero and a pair of tecovas…. They are literally the exact same… made at the same factory… slight detail deferences. I will say for some odd reason the tecovas were a 1/2 size bigger then the cueros but that don’t bother me because the ball of my foot sits in the proper spot of the shoe. You stated in your video, you purchased a smaller/more narrow boot. Well, that’s why it hurt.. not to mention you size a boot from heel to toe box, not by where your toes sit at the top of the boot, there are videos all over the web about it… as for toe boxes, that’s a very hard stretched piece of leather… normal wear in the sun is fine because the heat of your foot creates steam on the boot. What you did does indeed make leather shrink, and because the toe is so stretched in the hand making process you cracked it by pressing on it. At the end of the day maybe a nice Justin boot, one of the usa made ones with a square toe of more your speed. You can press on that toe box all day… break in on Justin’s boots is easy, and you can get leather or hybrid or whatever sole you would like. Im not dogging you man but the cuero/tecovas style boots are more traditionally made which means they need a lot of traditional care
*buys cheaper boots* disappointed at cheaper quality, *push on toebox* mad that you damage your own boots, Literally gets a personal responce from an online retailer - still bashes company, Literally my boots were $300 from an in person store and the leather still cracks and has issues with use out in high heat
You weren’t scare by cuero, real well cowboy boots made the traditional way, using bras nails and lemon wood pegs, are about 270 usd. Try hondo boots, 100% leather from the outside to the inside. I’m not the hardest worker in the world or anything, but I have some live stock I take car off besides my landscaping job. I will wake up and feed the animals, go to work and come back to feed them again. So I’m on my feet at least 13h, I bought the model 2026 3 months ago and the soles are beginning to separate, but I do abuse my boot get them wet and dry, work on them and use them over the weekend, so Im thinking I will destroy cuero boots.
Some toe box and heel counter materials are heat activated to mold the toe box around the boot last. I think this can be a problem. It's very interesting to me because maybe their leather boots have a leather toe box. It was common practice before modern materials for leather toe boxes to be hardened by shellac. However, the modern materials used often are a fiber/ plastic molded by heat. When heat is withdrawn the toe box or heel counter returns to hardness. It wonders me what material they used as toe box or heel counter material or if wrong material was used in the construction process. Just looking at it from my perspective it seems faulty construction or improper materials.If they are using all leather toe box/ heel counter then they are not properly hardening their toe boxes or heel counters. Also a cowboy boot should have toe box integrity and heel counter integrity. Just my experienced humble opinion. The day they quit putting proper toe counters and heel counters in boots will be the day I stop buying their boots or shoes. LOL
Sorry you went through this. It’s a bummer when an otherwise cool looking boot is defective. I live in southern Arizona too.My recommendation for future purchases is go to Nogales, Sonora to purchase boots. I’ve been buying down there for years. I go to Rodeo Boots and Nogales Boots. My current pair was only $70 and I’ve had them for about a year and a half. The quality and condition of the boot is excellent.
digweed88 Thanks for your comment and recommendation. I’m sure you’re correct that someone can purchase quality boots for much cheaper price if they wish to go down to Mexico. Do either of those two places where you purchased boots ship to the states?
Roy Spears Good question. I’ve never asked. For me, I rather go there and try them on to find the right fit. It’s only an hour drive from Tucson. Since, both shops are walking distance from the border, I park in the designated parking lots near Customs on the US side and cross over. Also, they speak English. As my shops near the Nogales border do.
I was in a mental debate of either purchasing Tecova or Cuero boots, after seeing your awesome review, I also will never buy a pair of Cuero boots. Thank you very much and I am so sorry you had this issue..
I ordered Cavalier vintage tobacco. Normally, I wear 9D, but they were too narrow for me. I requested to exchange with 9EE. I shipped the item back and they received it 2 days later. I waited for 12 days, it was still waiting for fulfillment. I canceled my order. So far worse customer service, otherwise good product.
It’s a dress cowboy boot, the boot has a composite toe like most cowboy boots at that price range. You don’t want to compress the toe box ever because they will permanently disfigure them. Even with a leather toe box you want to avoid this, but it would have been more resilient for sure. You also made a mistake of admitting to unnaturally attempt to alter or stretch the leather, which voided your warranty as well as the unrecommended damage. While Cuero boots are indeed a “cheap” boot it seems like your bad experience was mainly caused by your lack of knowledge over what you were buying. Regardless it’s good your review pointed out that these can’t be used for hardservice.
Purchased a pair of Cuero "Austins" in black last year and I'm still totally satisfied with mine. Soft inner leather and outers are soft. The toe cap is hard. Santa brought me a nice pair of Tecovas "The Shane" this year and sole stitching was defective. The Tecovas did not fit very well to begin with. They were willing to offer me a 10% discount. Sent them back and waiting for my refund. The Cuero's are a very comfortable boot. Wish they had them in a square toe.
Your problem is ignorance of boot construction. Boot toe boxes are not simply leather construction like the rest of the boot's vamp...they're constructed from other material..mostly from something called celastic..which is then covered with the vamp outer leather..calfskin, etc. The toe box is not intended to be flexed..or in your case crushed. It is designed to do exactly the opposite...to stand up and not be flexed and certainly not flattened and crushed. I am not a big fan of Cuero boots, however the damage you inflicted on the toe box would have been evidenced on any boot made with a hard toe box...and no boot manufacturer would warranty their product after you crushed said toe box. As to your method of stretchingshrinks leather
I admit my "ignorance of boot construction," but I'm not ignorant of high-quality, leather material. And when a company like Cuero advertises their boots to made from "premium" leather, a slight, gentle press on the toe end of the boot would certainly not permanently damage them. Not at all. By the way, do you work for Cuero by any chance?
@@productandequipmentreviews7386 What you can't seem to grasp is that you are not only dealing with a 'high-quality leather material'...THERE ARE OTHER MATERIALS..NOT ONLY LEATHER MATERIALS..INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TOE BOX. And..those materials are not..by design..intended to be crushed. Quite to the contrary, they are designed NOT to be crushed. They are there to give the toe of the boot 'lift'. In some boots the toe box is even constructed from steel to insure the toe will withstand a great deal of abuse in order to protect the wearer's toes. That is not the case in normal cowboy boots. It is there for cosmetics. Yes, crushing the toe box will permanently damage it. The outer leather covering the toe box is glued to a hard (not pliable) under structure which is not intended to flex. Once crushed and broken down the understructure is creased..maybe even cracked. The leather outer forever glued on top of the now previous state before you crushed it. That's it for me...if you can't see the error in your actions, just party on, Garth. However, do yourself a favor...try to resist the temptation of crushing the toe box of your future boot purchases in order to prove they're piss poor quality. It won't work and the boot company will write you off as 'bag of hammers dumb' and toss your complaint out the door, thus you money will not fly home. Frankly, I don't know why I care, but somehow I do. I guess I'm dumber than you. I've given you some really good information..if it doesn't serve your purpose, ignore it, but it remains factual whether you like it or not. Auf Wiedersehen..toodle-oo..and adieu to you
@@gingervalene3979 I guess we will have to "agree to disagree." The wonderful thing about these type of forums is that reasonable, mature people can express their disagreements in an atmosphere of respect and civility without resorting to name-calling-or at least they should. Perhaps I was wrong to gently press down on the toe-end of these cheaply made Cuero's, not realizing this could cause irreversible damage to "premium leather" boots. My response remains the same: premium leather boots would not suffer this kind of damage from a mere thumb press, but I certainly could be wrong. I like this statement from Albert Camus: "The need to be right-The sign of a vulgar mind." If I'm proved wrong, I don't think I will lose much sleep over it, and I'm always open to correction.
@@phillipsmith9287 How much did Cuero pay you to write this? I seem to get an awful lot of Cuero trolls on this particular video. I guess that what happens when a video exposing junk boots takes business away from their bottom line.
@@phillipsmith9287 No competitor paid me a single penny. How much did Cuero pay you? Did they offer you a discount if you wrote a negative comment? Or maybe you work for them? Or have a friend or relative who works for them? All I know is that my little video must be hurting Cuero quite a bit to have such a storm of negative comments coming from people who don't like the truth of what I revealed about their shoddy boots and false advertising.
My mom used to do this when she was buying me a new pair of Sneakers, those have soft toe boxes, and MAYBE some soft toed leather shoes. I see the point of OPs ad commenters, but if you do this to lasted formed shoes, like these boots, and an oxford or wingtip, it will damage it. Maybe the OP is an old-school guy like my mom, that does it on all of his shoes. Every person has it’s own ways.
Alexander Nicolas Other people have said the same thing about not pressing down on the toe end of the boots. Whether or not this is detrimental to the boots is the question that nobody has been able to officially answer. What I mean is that nobody can send me proof that this is true. “Proof” would include a quality, long established boot company with an excellent reputation that would confirm this is in fact true; to date, nobody has provided any such factual evidence so I am forced to discount it as simple myth or an old wives tale. My off repeated stance is this: a quality boot maker’s boots, using the best available, premium leather, would survive without permanent damage a simple press on the toe end of their boot. Am I wrong on this? I very well could be, but nobody has provided me any proof to the contrary.
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES you’re not wrong at all. It just depends on the type of shoe. I just recently returned a $400 allen edmonds shoe because there is an imperfection on the toe box. And I know, if i press on the toe boxes of my shoe, it will never be the same. Like I mentioned, you’d probably have to choose the type of shoes you’ll do this to. Soft, wide toe boxes, yes, but pointed or “dressy” type of toe box, i would say no. Like the other commented, you can push up on your toes and see feel where they are on top of the leather. Thanks.
Alexander Nicolas I appreciate your respectful reply; again, you may be right, and maybe different boots and shoes can withstand a simple thumb press on the toe end while others would not be able to. But again, would ANY quality shoe or boot made with premium leather, like Cuero claims their boots are made from, automatically be permanently damaged by a simple finger press on the toe end? I don’t think so, and again, there has been no solid proof provided to make me change my opinion. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree agreeably.
@@productandequipmentreviews7386 I don't know what you will accept as "solid proof", but I believe that Lucchese is a reputable boot maker. If you go to this location on their website: www.lucchese.com/boot101/anatomy/ and scroll down to "Terms You Should Know" you will see under Toe Box: The toe box on a boot surrounds the toes and the front part of the foot. Pressing this area to see where the toes end may work for athletic shoes - but not for boots. This type of pressure could cause permanent damage. To test the toe box area for fit, wiggle your toes - they should be able to move easily inside the boot. Just to be clear: I do not work for Cuero. I do not have relatives that work for Cuero. I do not know anybody that works for Cuero. I do think that you made a mistake in how you treated your boot.
@@dougw.914 Doug, two years later after you wrote that comment, I just stumbled on it and want to thank you for providing that link. And yes, that information from Luchesse boots will satisfy my criteria for proof. I went to the link and verified that what you wrote and copied/pasted is correct. This said and admitted, my beef with Cuero is on their website when I bought their boots, they made a big claim of their boots being made from the finest leathers, best quality, etc., etc.; I feel such a claim would certainly be able to survive a gentle toe press on the end of their boot without causing permanent damage like what I experienced. but you have educated me, friend, and alter my opinion, and I will now conduct myself accordingly with this new information. Thank you again.
Here is an old saying that might help you in your development as a man: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." In other words, you should rarely speak because when you do, foolishness spews forth.
You bought cheap boots and expect premium quality from them. One of the ways they cut costs is in the toe box. A toe box was designed to protect the toes when stepped on by a large animal. On a good pair of boots you should not be able to move the leather in that area more than a millimeter or two. Buy a pair of Lucchese, Tony Lama, or even Dan Post. I even hear decent reviews on Tecovas and Rujo although I do not have personal knowledge of those two. Honestly though, if you buy a pair of western boots for $160 you shouldn't expect much.
Yes, I expected premium quality from this pair of boots because that is exactly what Cuero advertises them to be. If they did not claim on their website that these boots were made from the finest quality, leather and excellent craftsmanship, blah, blah,blah, I would've never bought their boots. They falsely advertise their product and I was a sucker.
It is a shame...it also makes you wonder about Tecovas as well, but this could explain the price difference...... so far so good with my Tecovas....no complaints....customer service is the best.....the only problem is their stock.....hard to get, but worth the wait.
All your fault. At the end you said "my first pair of cowboy boots". NEVER push down on the formed toe of a cowboy boot or dress shoe. That formed toe is not made to deflect and return to shape. If searching for your toe in the boot, lightly rest your thumb on the boot toe while standing in them, and rsise your big toe strongly and move it from side to side. I agree the "out in the sun" comment is not valid, but you made a mistake, especially knowing the warranty warns against it. I would venture any other makers similar tie style cowboy boot would also be damaged.
Great video!! I just got my Austin’s in today and I can definitely see some small quality issues as well. The whole toe box thing is baffling. I can’t help but wonder if Tecovas would do the same thing. Debating if I’m gonna send my back or not after watching your video.
Tecovas' quality is heads and shoulders above these crappy Cueros. I've worn my Tecovas extensively for well over a year, and they are holding up beautifully. I have not been at all impressed from anything I've seen about Cuero Boots online or on RUclips. The leather they use just looks cheap to me. I know the Cueros are inexpensive, but I'd send them back and get a pair of Tecovas.
@@rickwebermusic I guess we can understand the price difference now. I was considering a pair of Austin's, but now I will wait for the Earl's to come available again. Talk about infringement....I am sure Tecova's attornery's are having a good time with this one...
carl Thank you for your insightful and encouraging comment, Carl! I attributed the unusual amount of “thumbs down“ and negative comments to possible individuals who worked for Cuero, but your reference to “sheep“ may certainly be accurate. And I believe you made a wise decision in not buying boots from Cuero. Merry Christmas! (Luke 2:8-20)
Yeah...you need to buy a really expensive boot...and crush the toe as soon as possible to see how much better it 'pops' back into shape than did this real smart guy's Cuero. After all, isn't that the real method of discerning boot quality..intentionally inflicting damage on them and watching them self repair? Of course, us sheep always attempt the opposite, but that's because we really don't understand these complex issues like you real smart guys do.
If you plan on wearing them as a dress shoe, Tecovas are ok. My brother bought 2 pair and I couldn't believe how cheap they felt. If you want a real cowboy boot look at Honcho or Hondo boots.
i don't have any austins or earls to compare but i have tecovas cartwrights and cuero eastwoods and the cartwrights were stiff as a board and very uncomfy so far i prefer cuero for sure however i only have the cowboy boot from each brand haven't tried austin or earl ropers.
This is why you need Dan post. Los Altos. Cowtown boots. These online boots all look the same. Personally. I’d never leave my boots out in the sun. But this shouldn’t happen.
I suggest buying The Smith - Steel Toe boots, they won't leave a dent in the toe when you youse push on it. Also, since Cuero understand that buying boots online is not optimal, just keep returning until youse get the size that most comfortable without break-in. Remember, a good fitting boot should not slip at the heel and be wide enough for the widest part of your foot.
Buy a pair of Chisos no.6 boots and you wont have any of these problems. They are made with thick full grain leather... Cuero uses "Genujne leather" which is shit!. Thats why they are relatively inexpensive. You really get what you pay for. Im sorry you had such a lousy experience with Cuero..
So I take it we can't wear boots out in the sun for to long? That does not sound right. Ain't working in the boots all day in the field the same as just leaving it out for an hour?
I agree with you, friend. My experience with these Cuero boots showed them to be a scam, a rip-off, false advertising. Nobody-NOBODY-in their right mind would claim that a man putting his brand new pair of "premium" and "luxury" (two words used by Cuero in their advertising to describe their boots) boots in the sun for about one hour the first day and about another hour the second day could possibly ruin them...unless they were cheap boots made from inferior materials.
Thank you for the post. I was considering a pair of cuero, but now I will stick with my tecova's..... Just a note, I would not let your boots "bake" in the sun like that....just make sure they get proper ventilation after wearing them (and do not wear them every day).......Take care..
Both are made by the same manufacturer in Leon. Both are not real cowboy boots. They are fashionable cowboy boots. Don't fall for the marketing. Over priced junk.
@@nateb9768 thanks for the responses - haven't pulled the trigger , thinking of Lucchese boots ~ ''buying online can be a hit-or miss'' - i agree . hope it works out for you - JDS/CT
You most definitely know very little to nothing about cowboy boots, much less about breaking them in. Sorry you had a bad experience, but the consequences of your ignorance fall on you and not the company.
Boot novices often mistreat their boots and then complain when the boots don't meet their self-imposed standards. You mistreated these boots. As a result, they did not perform well. When you put the boots out in the hot sun, they overheated to the point that the leather did fail. Wearing boots out in the sun is not the same thing., The feet will absorb a lot of the heat and the leather will not be compromised. Although you made an attempt at a "fair" review, you did not treat the boots fairly. As a result, your review is not legitimate. I own Cueros and about 64 other pairs of boots, and I do not, and never will, mistreat my boots as you mistreated these. Maybe it's best for you NOT to wear boots. Your irresponsibility will always result in you being disappointed.
James, reading your comment causes me to think at least three things: one, you work for Cuero, know someone who works at Cuero, and/or perhaps you have been paid/reimbursed by Cuero in some way to write this negative comment. Second, it is obvious you did not watch my video all the way through, which shows me that someone (probably a Cuero employee) told you about my video and urged you to write a negative comment. Second, I'm doubting your claim that you own "64 other pairs of boots..." With your Cuero's, that would make 65 pairs of cowboy boots! From my life experience, only women would possibly own this many pair of one particular style of footwear, and 65 pairs, even for a woman, would be a remarkable number. Can you send me a picture of all of these 65 pair of boots? I would appreciate it. Third, like other negative commenters on this particular video, I'm suspicious of why they would write such negative reviews over a video whose intent is simply to educate the public concerning an obviously defective product. My conclusion is this: Cuero has obviously been hurt by my video. They have lost business because of it (see the comments of men who have thanked me and told me they will spend their money elsewhere). Worse, it has hurt their reputation and alerted people to their false advertising of using "premium leather" in their boot making. And because their bottom line and reputation has been injured my my video, they have marshaled their forces and have went on a smear campaign against my video. Over 4,200 people have watched this video which is remarkable for a small brand like Cuero. I think you might be a paid Curero troll. It is obvious to me you are not a boot wearer who owns 65 pairs of boots because you wrote some truly silly things and don't know what you are talking about. Anybody that can make the astonishing and false claim that I "mistreated" these boots by placing them in the sun for one hour one day and about the same amount of time the next day (at the most, three hours total) and then pressing on the toe end obviously has little, if any, experience with quality, premium leather footwear.
@@productandequipmentreviews7386, nice try. I'm surprised this thing is still up. Your comment, and this biased video, is a good indicator of how little integrity you have. Any honest boot owner needs to know that this is trash and your attitude stinks. Good bye, LOSER.
@@productandequipmentreviews7386 What's the matter whiner? Can't take constructive criticism? Go back to wearing your hip hop sneakers and leave wearing western boots to actual men.
I wrote a one star review (on or around October 7, 2019, soon after I made the above video) and posted it on Cuero's website for their Austin boots, the ones I purchased. I was surprised to see that it appeared on the page for the Austin boots. But today, October 10, 2019, I went back to the same page and my truthful but negative review has been removed. What this tells me is that Cuero boots is only interested in "spinning" their defective products by choosing only to permanently post positive and glowing reviews, removing all others that would alert the public to their shoddy products. Instead of dealing honestly with the public, admitting they are selling inferior leather boots, and posting ALL comments, good or bad, they are in essence deceiving the buying public by purposely keeping the whole truth from consumers.
I don't believe Cuero boots will be in business five years from now. There is no doubt that disappointed and disgruntled buyers of their shoddy products, like myself, will continue to bring this deceptive advertising and poor quality leather to the light of day and people will purchase their boots elsewhere. Shame on Cuero.
Stick with Honcho or Hondo boots. They cost more but will last a lifetime.
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES You made a couple of beginner mistakes with your boots, you should never just leave them out in the sun that totally would have damaged any boot out there minus a steel toe, the way to break in boots especially dressy ones like these are to put conditioner in it and simply wear it a lot. The heat damage with pressure is what damaged it, it uses a dress leather meant to be soft and comfortable not work style boots, try to avoid abusing leather like that next time.
This is a you thing buddy. Even Lucchese requests for you not to push down on the toe box. Nicer shoes tend to use a leather stiffener in the toe that will elegantly collapse over the years and form to your foot. Cheaper shoes use a hard plastic like toe box structure in order to hold up longer, as they are rarely repairable. Also, the sun is horrible for leather.
Agreed. I'm actually surprised this video is still up 😄. I own everything from Ariat Benchmade Caimans, Tecovas Pythons, Sand sharks, smooth ostrich and regular bison leather boots and would never put them in the sun like that They are meant to be conditioned with Saphir products or Bick and never to smash down like that......just saying 🤷♂️
I’ve owned many pairs of boots from Ariats to Black Jacks and none of them have been as bad as the cueros, even the Ariat cheap Chinese made boots are tougher. Cuero is just a Tecovas knock off.
Pushing an indentation into the front of the toe basically ruins the boot. This is true for cowboy boots, work boots, dress shoes, anything made of leather. The front of the toe box is firm. Once you cave it in, that structure is permanently compromised. It will never go back to the way it was. If you want to know where your big toe is inside a boot, simply lift up your toe an feel with your fingers where that lift is occurring. Don’t push down.
Seriously, don’t bake your boots in the sun, don’t drown them in water, don’t boil them in oil or set fire to them. Just put them on, stand up and walk around on carpet. Do this for a few minutes and just listen to what your feet are telling you. They should feel snug but not tight (toes/heel feel pinched). You should feel arch support (if you feel no contact between your heel and the ball of your foot, then the support is not there). Also watch out for the boot being too big. If you can slide your foot on the foot bed at all, then the boot is too big (and there should be minimal heel lift as well). If that gentle snugness is not there when you first put on the boot, then it’s too big in length, width or both.
Finally, if even one of the fit criteria doesn’t pass muster, or you have any other issues (like a blemish in the leather), just start the return or exchange process. Don’t send emails or call with questions. Just exchange for another size or return and take your business elsewhere. Don’t wear them for days on end, experimenting on them (causing visible damage) and then start haggling for recompense. If you have any reservations, upon receipt, just send them back.
I appreciate your reasoned and respectful response, but I suspect you have never purchased quality leather footwear. Why I say this is because your seemingly knowledgeable observations don’t match the real world. Quality leather does Not become permanently damaged when you press down on the toe of any quality boot or shoe. Nice try, though. Do you happen to work for Cuero?
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES Ok smart guy, I’m not a Cuero employee and I’ve bought quite few high quality boots and shoes in my time. By all means, keep on squashing the toes on your boots and then complain when the seller won’t give you a full refund and a free pair of boots. Let us all know how that works out for you.
I was going to give some advice for mitigating the damage you caused to your boots, but there’s really no point because these boots don’t fit you and the only fix for that is knowing how new boots should fit, which you obviously do not.
@@timdaly9323 Imagine you just purchased a brand new Mercedes sports car with "premium, luxury seats." ("Premium" and "luxury" are the two words Cuero uses to describe their boots.) Then, after you sat in the seat, you discovered you damaged the leather. Would you think you had purchased a car with "premium, luxury" materials made to be sat in? Of course you wouldn't and neither would anybody else.
Cuero advertises their boots in glowing terms: made from luxurious and premium materials. If this was true, slightly pressing on the toe end would never cause this kind of damage. They obviously lie about the quality of their product. Again, I will repeat myself: any boot made with "premium, luxury leather" will not be permanently and irreversibly damaged by a simple press on the toe end. But a boot made with cheap leather certainly will. I guess, Tim, we will need to agree to disagree agreeably. Peace.
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES The way you’re abusing your boots with the heat treatment you’re just gonna wanna switch to a steel toe work boot, no material would ever survive the treatment you put on that poor boot.
You should probably consider never buying ANY pair of cowboy boots. Lol. Your video was hilarious. You did everything to void the warranty and get mad?
You damage the boots it your fault suck it up.I have a pair of Eastwood.And they are great boots
But you didn't read their warranty information and admitted what you did and are still upset. If you knew anything about boots you should know you never push on the toe box of a western boot. Never! That's not were you check for sizing anyway. Before you blast off as you have at everyone else, no i don't work for the company. But i have boots far more expensive than those and im not a noob.
Other people have said that one should NEVER press on the toebox of a western boot, but I cannot verify that statement from any boot experts or manufacturers. Can you provide me a couple of sources to support that statement?
@@productandequipmentreviews7386 of course he couldn't
I read through the comments and see you’re a new cowboy boot wearer so I wanted to give you some advice. I’ve worn them since I was a kid and work with cattle and use to ride horses. Cowboy boots should never hurt your feet during the break in process. That’s a sign of either a cheap boot or an improperly sized boot. They should feel like a firm handshake. Cueros and tecovas are more of an office or dress boot so depending on why you bought these, just keep that in mind. Cowboy boot sizes can vary depending on style and brand. A lot of older brands lasts that date back before there was an industry standard and they consider them trade secrets. Dan posts are good, true to size, and comfortable right out of the box. Their Milwaukee line can be had for around 170 and I recommend them to new boot wearers.
Also, cueros website was almost word for word copied from tecovas and the company was founded by the same guys that illegally copied yeti.
Sorry but I keep thinking of things to mention lol. Calfskin is a much more supple leather compared to bull shoulder or cowhide. It’s more elastic scratches and wrinkles easier. It’s used more in dress shoes and boots. But that toe box never should have depressed like that which makes me think they didn’t properly treat the leather there to give it reinforcement.
@@Warriorbob-im5py Thanks for your input in both of your comments. Yes, this pair of Cuero boots was my first ever pair; I've always liked cowboy boots but their oftentimes sky high prices, sometimes in the thousands of dollars, kept me from buying some. When Tecovas and Cuero started their advertising campaigns with more reasonable prices, I decided to purchase a pair.
Other men have commented that Cuero boots are not true "cowboy boots" but are "fashion boots." As I've thought about this I tend to agree, though Cuero does NOT market their boots as "fashion boots" but as true "cowboy boots." One has to go with what the company that makes them describes them as, so I consider them true cowboy boots regardless of what they might actually be because this is exactly how they are presented to the buying public: cowboy boots.
My beef with Cuero is their false advertising and poor quality leather. If they were honest and upfront about their boots and did not market them as "GENERATIONS OF HANDCRAFTED TRADITION DIRECT TO YOU WITHOUT THE MARKUP OF OTHER LUXURY BRANDS!" (this was taken right off of the front page of their website) as another "luxury brand," I don't think I would have had much of a problem with them. But saying your boots are a luxury brand and "made from the highest quality materials we could find" (again, a direct quote from their website), when they wrinkle like they did in the toe box, this is nothing less than deceptive, lying advertising. But their false advertising certainly suckered me in.
Again, I appreciate your comments and your respectful, respectful and helpful observations. I will look into the Dan Posts.
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES yea, their boots are made in Leon Mexico, which is renowned for its boot makers and leather crafts, many of your other brands are made in the same town but they make the boots to the specifications the company sends them. I’ve seen discussions about tecovas and cueros being almost identical, again, cueros was started by the same guys that yeti sued for copying their coolers, and the guy that started tecovas has said in an interview they are office boots. Dan post has been good to me, I also like nocona, Justin luchesse and tony lama. USA and Mexican made boots are the way to go, you can find budget friendly options in either. Sometimes you have to play with the sizing, if you have a boot or western apparel store near by that would be the easiest option.
I honestly see tecovas and cueros filling a niche market until they start eating into the big brands demographic, then they’ll probably be bought out. I
Hope you find a good pair boots 😁.
My tacovas can take a beating 💪
Never push down on the toe box , its a piece in side the leather , it ruins it ! any boot company will tell you that .
James, can you do me a favor? Give me the web sites of just three boot manufacturer's that say that. Just three. And please make sure when you send me the links, they are the links for the pages that specifically say that. Thanks. Oh, and you wouldn't happen to work for Cuero, would you?
Neither of the two Tecovas pairs I own budge AT ALL, to pressure on the toebox....ESPECIALLY with just a thumb.
Rob Sounds like your Tecovas are much better than those Cueros.
I have 5 Tecovas and 3 Cuero pair. Love them both. 1st. ALWAYS polish any pair of leather footwear (except suede) before you wear there. By polish I mean leather conditioner (I do 2 coats and let sit over night) followed by either cream polish or wax. No company send out new shoes polished.
Haven't had an issue with ether boots myself. I have Tecovas Earl in black and Cuero Austin in Esspresso. I own a concrete company and wear them both to work everyday, swapping them out each day so I don't wear them 2 days in a row. I use cedar shoe trees on both pair every day and polish once every 2 weeks. I do take a shoe brush to them daily.
At work they will get concrete splattered on them at least 3 times a month. Dry portland cement and lime will land on them too. These are extremely hard on any leather. I did own the tecovas about 3 months longer than the Cueros (I bought in August of 2019) but they are both still in very good condition. I do have sole savers on both. I'm in the rain and sun a lot (Houston weather). These are the only 2 pairs of boots that I put that kind of stress on.
I do live in Houston, about 4 miles from the Cuero offices, but I only go there when I buy a pair of there boots. We also have a Tecovas store in Rice Village, which I also go to when I buy Tecovas boots. Cuero's offices are typical start-up offices, just a small rented space in a warehouse facility. Tecovas' Houston store is REALLY nice, and in a very upper class location. You can get your boots shined there for free, $12 embossing, free boot stretching, and they even offer complimentary cocktails. Cuero has 2 to 3 employees, Tecovas has 6 to 7 (including the bartender and booth shiner).
They both fit great with Tecovas maybe a 1/4 size larger. Cuero boots do go on and off MUCH easier, I do not need a boot jack with them. It has to be the lining because the Cuero are more snug.
I'll have to wait and see which pair gives out first. Might take a while because, yeah, I take care of my boots, both work and play boots. I mean I have some boots I bought in Mexico, just across the border, when I was 17 that I still wear. I'm 48 now. The sales man polished them for me. He was the first to tell me to always protect & polish your leather shoes/boots before you wear them.
I know Cuero is coming out with some new styles around the 4th quarter of 2020, I'll see how my pair fair by then and if all is good I'll compare Tecovas' and Cuero's offerings at that time.
FYI, once every 3 or so years I go through my boots and give the ones I realize I don't use to my cousins/nephews in Mexico who have a hard time affording simple luxuries. Currently have about 18 to 20 pairs. Some I don't wear anymore but they have nice memories attached to them, like the ones I got married in.
I'll save this video and comment again when one of them gives out.
David, thanks for your comments and helpful hints on caring for boots. Unlike yourself, I'm not an expert on cowboy boots, with these Austins being the first pair I purchased. As you saw in my video, it has not been a great experience with the unintentional damage done to the toe box and the unprofessional response from Cuero concerning the damage.
By any chance, did you ever press on the toe end of your Cuero's? I'm not suggesting you do so because of what happened to my pair, but maybe out of curiosity maybe you tried? If so, what happened? Did you find the same problem with yours?
Months have passed and, every seemingly every time I wear these boots and see the irreparable damage done to the toe end, it grates on me. And no doubt the reason I'm still disturbed over this is because of the terrible response from Cuero blaming me for this shoddy pair of boots. I'm sure they never expected I would make a negative video on their boots that has almost 3,500 views and which, as you can read in the comments, caused other men NOT to purchase a pair of Cuero boots. Clearly, they have lost some money on customers going elsewhere, and worse, tarnished their reputation.
What brand of boots did you buy over 30 years ago that you are still wearing today? I think I would have stuck with them instead of taking a chance on any other boots...especially Cuero's. I will never buy a pair of boots from that company again.
my cueros are freakin amaizng idgaf how many people claim otherwise.
I stopped reading at the advice of waxing a boot. Leather needs oil which wax prevents the absorption of. This will cause the leather to dry and crack. Some boots are sent out polished, it really depends on the style you buy. No high quality boot maker will ever send a pair out waxed for the reason given, but a quality oil will allow a decent shine to be worked. Wax is a cheap easy way to bring out the shine. Also never use a conditioner that contains silicone, or any waterproofing. Want a shine then use a good quality leather oil like Safir and some elbow grease.
My Eastwoods took 2 weeks to break in and have been excellent. I've worn them to work (Im a pilot so I walk around on a lot concrete) avg of 4 days a week for about a year now and after break in these are my favorite boots because the leather is slightly softer than all the other boots I own which allows them to stretch and fit your foot like a glove. only damage I have is on the back of the heels where my feet rest on the floor of the plane and a few scrapes on the toes from the peddles which usually disappear when you wax them. The only care I do is about once every 2 months I wash them with saddle soap and then wax them to keep the shiny dress look to them. Great boots in my opinion.
Andrew Wilkey do they have leather or rubber soles
@@lhgarage-triplethepricehal1663 leather with a rubber heel
I'm glad you are having a positive experience with your Cuero boots, Andrew. I'm wondering if my set of defective boots are just an outlier or perhaps a mistake in their production. But as my video shows, the problem with the toe box is glaring and disappointing. I'm not saying you should do this, but have you pressed down on the toe box of your boots to see if it does what mine did? Again, I'm not recommending you do this, but if you did in the past, what happened to the boot?
@@productandequipmentreviews7386, wow, you're still making excuses. Stop the whining and buy a pair of loafers. Enough already.
@@MercyMinister wtf does thay even mean?
Stick to loafers I don't think cowboy boots are for you. First, I think you bought the wrong size and in your haste to try making them work made mistakes. I don't mean you wear a size nine and ordered a 10. I mean many cowboy boots will vary in the fit by 1/2 of a size. Some boots I wear a 9 to a 9/12. You should have exchanged them for a proper fit. Also placing the boots in the sun will "soften" the leather to some degree because like any skin heat opens up the pores of the skin. Also pushing on the toe box especially of a soft calfskin type leather will dent the toe box once you dent a toe box on a soft leather it will show that dent. You essentially stretched that leather in that spot. Once that happens you will always see that deformation. A thick tougher leather is more forgiving in that regard but not the softer leathers. It would be like taking a soft leather jacket and pulling the leather in one spot with your two hands it would stretch the leather in that spot and would show where it was stretched. Speaking of loafer I have a pair of dress shoes my son accidentally stepped on my toe while I was wearing them and guess what? Yep, the toe box now has a crease from where they dented that shows. Want to pony up the bucks buy a pair of Lucchese, Anderson Beans, Rios of Mercedes, etc. but buy the right size and DO put them in the sun and mash on the toe box.
Ok hear me out… I have a pair of cuero and a pair of tecovas…. They are literally the exact same… made at the same factory… slight detail deferences. I will say for some odd reason the tecovas were a 1/2 size bigger then the cueros but that don’t bother me because the ball of my foot sits in the proper spot of the shoe. You stated in your video, you purchased a smaller/more narrow boot. Well, that’s why it hurt.. not to mention you size a boot from heel to toe box, not by where your toes sit at the top of the boot, there are videos all over the web about it… as for toe boxes, that’s a very hard stretched piece of leather… normal wear in the sun is fine because the heat of your foot creates steam on the boot. What you did does indeed make leather shrink, and because the toe is so stretched in the hand making process you cracked it by pressing on it. At the end of the day maybe a nice Justin boot, one of the usa made ones with a square toe of more your speed. You can press on that toe box all day… break in on Justin’s boots is easy, and you can get leather or hybrid or whatever sole you would like. Im not dogging you man but the cuero/tecovas style boots are more traditionally made which means they need a lot of traditional care
*buys cheaper boots* disappointed at cheaper quality,
*push on toebox* mad that you damage your own boots,
Literally gets a personal responce from an online retailer - still bashes company,
Literally my boots were $300 from an in person store and the leather still cracks and has issues with use out in high heat
You weren’t scare by cuero, real well cowboy boots made the traditional way, using bras nails and lemon wood pegs, are about 270 usd. Try hondo boots, 100% leather from the outside to the inside. I’m not the hardest worker in the world or anything, but I have some live stock I take car off besides my landscaping job. I will wake up and feed the animals, go to work and come back to feed them again. So I’m on my feet at least 13h, I bought the model 2026 3 months ago and the soles are beginning to separate, but I do abuse my boot get them wet and dry, work on them and use them over the weekend, so Im thinking I will destroy cuero boots.
Some toe box and heel counter materials are heat activated to mold the toe box around the boot last. I think this can be a problem. It's very interesting to me because maybe their leather boots have a leather toe box. It was common practice before modern materials for leather toe boxes to be hardened by shellac. However, the modern materials used often are a fiber/ plastic molded by heat. When heat is withdrawn the toe box or heel counter returns to hardness. It wonders me what material they used as toe box or heel counter material or if wrong material was used in the construction process. Just looking at it from my perspective it seems faulty construction or improper materials.If they are using all leather toe box/ heel counter then they are not properly hardening their toe boxes or heel counters. Also a cowboy boot should have toe box integrity and heel counter integrity. Just my experienced humble opinion. The day they quit putting proper toe counters and heel counters in boots will be the day I stop buying their boots or shoes. LOL
bobandmaryw Didn’t know any of that and I appreciate the education! Thank you.
The best thing to do was: return the defective boots and get a new pair with your proper boot size to avoid all this unnecessary pain.
Sorry you went through this. It’s a bummer when an otherwise cool looking boot is defective. I live in southern Arizona too.My recommendation for future purchases is go to Nogales, Sonora to purchase boots. I’ve been buying down there for years. I go to Rodeo Boots and Nogales Boots. My current pair was only $70 and I’ve had them for about a year and a half. The quality and condition of the boot is excellent.
digweed88 Thanks for your comment and recommendation. I’m sure you’re correct that someone can purchase quality boots for much cheaper price if they wish to go down to Mexico. Do either of those two places where you purchased boots ship to the states?
Roy Spears Good question. I’ve never asked. For me, I rather go there and try them on to find the right fit. It’s only an hour drive from Tucson. Since, both shops are walking distance from the border, I park in the designated parking lots near Customs on the US side and cross over. Also, they speak English. As my shops near the Nogales border do.
I was in a mental debate of either purchasing Tecova or Cuero boots, after seeing your awesome review, I also will never buy a pair of Cuero boots. Thank you very much and I am so sorry you had this issue..
my cueros are amazing fit perfect look perfect
I ordered Cavalier vintage tobacco. Normally, I wear 9D, but they were too narrow for me. I requested to exchange with 9EE. I shipped the item back and they received it 2 days later. I waited for 12 days, it was still waiting for fulfillment. I canceled my order. So far worse customer service, otherwise good product.
It’s a dress cowboy boot, the boot has a composite toe like most cowboy boots at that price range. You don’t want to compress the toe box ever because they will permanently disfigure them. Even with a leather toe box you want to avoid this, but it would have been more resilient for sure. You also made a mistake of admitting to unnaturally attempt to alter or stretch the leather, which voided your warranty as well as the unrecommended damage. While Cuero boots are indeed a “cheap” boot it seems like your bad experience was mainly caused by your lack of knowledge over what you were buying. Regardless it’s good your review pointed out that these can’t be used for hardservice.
Purchased a pair of Cuero "Austins" in black last year and I'm still totally satisfied with mine. Soft inner leather and outers are soft. The toe cap is hard. Santa brought me a nice pair of Tecovas "The Shane" this year and sole stitching was defective. The Tecovas did not fit very well to begin with. They were willing to offer me a 10% discount. Sent them back and waiting for my refund. The Cuero's are a very comfortable boot. Wish they had them in a square toe.
Your problem is ignorance of boot construction. Boot toe boxes are not simply leather construction like the rest of the boot's vamp...they're constructed from other material..mostly from something called celastic..which is then covered with the vamp outer leather..calfskin, etc. The toe box is not intended to be flexed..or in your case crushed. It is designed to do exactly the opposite...to stand up and not be flexed and certainly not flattened and crushed.
I am not a big fan of Cuero boots, however the damage you inflicted on the toe box would have been evidenced on any boot made with a hard toe box...and no boot manufacturer would warranty their product after you crushed said toe box. As to your method of stretchingshrinks leather
I admit my "ignorance of boot construction," but I'm not ignorant of high-quality, leather material. And when a company like Cuero advertises their boots to made from "premium" leather, a slight, gentle press on the toe end of the boot would certainly not permanently damage them. Not at all. By the way, do you work for Cuero by any chance?
@@productandequipmentreviews7386
What you can't seem to grasp is that you are not only dealing with a 'high-quality leather material'...THERE ARE OTHER MATERIALS..NOT ONLY LEATHER MATERIALS..INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TOE BOX. And..those materials are not..by design..intended to be crushed. Quite to the contrary, they are designed NOT to be crushed. They are there to give the toe of the boot 'lift'. In some boots the toe box is even constructed from steel to insure the toe will withstand a great deal of abuse in order to protect the wearer's toes. That is not the case in normal cowboy boots. It is there for cosmetics.
Yes, crushing the toe box will permanently damage it. The outer leather covering the toe box is glued to a hard (not pliable) under structure which is not intended to flex. Once crushed and broken down the understructure is creased..maybe even cracked. The leather outer forever glued on top of the now previous state before you crushed it. That's it for me...if you can't see the error in your actions, just party on, Garth. However, do yourself a favor...try to resist the temptation of crushing the toe box of your future boot purchases in order to prove they're piss poor quality. It won't work and the boot company will write you off as 'bag of hammers dumb' and toss your complaint out the door, thus you money will not fly home. Frankly, I don't know why I care, but somehow I do. I guess I'm dumber than you. I've given you some really good information..if it doesn't serve your purpose, ignore it, but it remains factual whether you like it or not. Auf Wiedersehen..toodle-oo..and adieu to you
@@gingervalene3979 I guess we will have to "agree to disagree." The wonderful thing about these type of forums is that reasonable, mature people can express their disagreements in an atmosphere of respect and civility without resorting to name-calling-or at least they should. Perhaps I was wrong to gently press down on the toe-end of these cheaply made Cuero's, not realizing this could cause irreversible damage to "premium leather" boots. My response remains the same: premium leather boots would not suffer this kind of damage from a mere thumb press, but I certainly could be wrong. I like this statement from Albert Camus: "The need to be right-The sign of a vulgar mind." If I'm proved wrong, I don't think I will lose much sleep over it, and I'm always open to correction.
Please do everybody and yourself a favor and never buy another pair of boots.....
@@phillipsmith9287 How much did Cuero pay you to write this? I seem to get an awful lot of Cuero trolls on this particular video. I guess that what happens when a video exposing junk boots takes business away from their bottom line.
@@productandequipmentreviews7386 How much do their competitors pay you. You ordered the wrong size then ruined them so stop whining
@@phillipsmith9287 No competitor paid me a single penny. How much did Cuero pay you? Did they offer you a discount if you wrote a negative comment? Or maybe you work for them? Or have a friend or relative who works for them? All I know is that my little video must be hurting Cuero quite a bit to have such a storm of negative comments coming from people who don't like the truth of what I revealed about their shoddy boots and false advertising.
my cueros also definitely did not do this when i pushed on my toes i have vintage tobacco eastwoods and espresso eastwoods i love mine.
Really improper workmanship on mine. Tried stretching and even had them cut. Poor workmanship and poor customer service in my experience.
My mom used to do this when she was buying me a new pair of Sneakers, those have soft toe boxes, and MAYBE some soft toed leather shoes. I see the point of OPs ad commenters, but if you do this to lasted formed shoes, like these boots, and an oxford or wingtip, it will damage it. Maybe the OP is an old-school guy like my mom, that does it on all of his shoes. Every person has it’s own ways.
Alexander Nicolas Other people have said the same thing about not pressing down on the toe end of the boots. Whether or not this is detrimental to the boots is the question that nobody has been able to officially answer. What I mean is that nobody can send me proof that this is true. “Proof” would include a quality, long established boot company with an excellent reputation that would confirm this is in fact true; to date, nobody has provided any such factual evidence so I am forced to discount it as simple myth or an old wives tale.
My off repeated stance is this: a quality boot maker’s boots, using the best available, premium leather, would survive without permanent damage a simple press on the toe end of their boot. Am I wrong on this? I very well could be, but nobody has provided me any proof to the contrary.
Product and Equipment Reviews by RES you’re not wrong at all. It just depends on the type of shoe. I just recently returned a $400 allen edmonds shoe because there is an imperfection on the toe box. And I know, if i press on the toe boxes of my shoe, it will never be the same. Like I mentioned, you’d probably have to choose the type of shoes you’ll do this to. Soft, wide toe boxes, yes, but pointed or “dressy” type of toe box, i would say no. Like the other commented, you can push up on your toes and see feel where they are on top of the leather. Thanks.
Alexander Nicolas I appreciate your respectful reply; again, you may be right, and maybe different boots and shoes can withstand a simple thumb press on the toe end while others would not be able to. But again, would ANY quality shoe or boot made with premium leather, like Cuero claims their boots are made from, automatically be permanently damaged by a simple finger press on the toe end? I don’t think so, and again, there has been no solid proof provided to make me change my opinion. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree agreeably.
@@productandequipmentreviews7386 I don't know what you will accept as "solid proof", but I believe that Lucchese is a reputable boot maker. If you go to this location on their website: www.lucchese.com/boot101/anatomy/ and scroll down to "Terms You Should Know" you will see under Toe Box:
The toe box on a boot surrounds the toes and the front part of the foot. Pressing this area to see where the toes end may work for athletic shoes - but not for boots. This type of pressure could cause permanent damage. To test the toe box area for fit, wiggle your toes - they should be able to move easily inside the boot.
Just to be clear: I do not work for Cuero. I do not have relatives that work for Cuero. I do not know anybody that works for Cuero. I do think that you made a mistake in how you treated your boot.
@@dougw.914 Doug, two years later after you wrote that comment, I just stumbled on it and want to thank you for providing that link. And yes, that information from Luchesse boots will satisfy my criteria for proof. I went to the link and verified that what you wrote and copied/pasted is correct. This said and admitted, my beef with Cuero is on their website when I bought their boots, they made a big claim of their boots being made from the finest leathers, best quality, etc., etc.; I feel such a claim would certainly be able to survive a gentle toe press on the end of their boot without causing permanent damage like what I experienced. but you have educated me, friend, and alter my opinion, and I will now conduct myself accordingly with this new information. Thank you again.
So you deliberately wrecked your brand new boots by baking them in the sun and pressing into the toe and now you’re mad at them?
Here is an old saying that might help you in your development as a man: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." In other words, you should rarely speak because when you do, foolishness spews forth.
You bought cheap boots and expect premium quality from them. One of the ways they cut costs is in the toe box. A toe box was designed to protect the toes when stepped on by a large animal. On a good pair of boots you should not be able to move the leather in that area more than a millimeter or two. Buy a pair of Lucchese, Tony Lama, or even Dan Post. I even hear decent reviews on Tecovas and Rujo although I do not have personal knowledge of those two. Honestly though, if you buy a pair of western boots for $160 you shouldn't expect much.
Yes, I expected premium quality from this pair of boots because that is exactly what Cuero advertises them to be. If they did not claim on their website that these boots were made from the finest quality, leather and excellent craftsmanship, blah, blah,blah, I would've never bought their boots. They falsely advertise their product and I was a sucker.
I have several pairs of boots and I would never press the toe that way, much less would I leave them in the sun.
It is a shame...it also makes you wonder about Tecovas as well, but this could explain the price difference...... so far so good with my Tecovas....no complaints....customer service is the best.....the only problem is their stock.....hard to get, but worth the wait.
also mine had no break in time comfy immediately maybe you jusy really got a bad pair or i got lucky as hell lol idk anyhow i love my cueros.
All your fault. At the end you said "my first pair of cowboy boots". NEVER push down on the formed toe of a cowboy boot or dress shoe. That formed toe is not made to deflect and return to shape. If searching for your toe in the boot, lightly rest your thumb on the boot toe while standing in them, and rsise your big toe strongly and move it from side to side. I agree the "out in the sun" comment is not valid, but you made a mistake, especially knowing the warranty warns against it. I would venture any other makers similar tie style cowboy boot would also be damaged.
Great video!! I just got my Austin’s in today and I can definitely see some small quality issues as well. The whole toe box thing is baffling. I can’t help but wonder if Tecovas would do the same thing. Debating if I’m gonna send my back or not after watching your video.
Tecovas' quality is heads and shoulders above these crappy Cueros. I've worn my Tecovas extensively for well over a year, and they are holding up beautifully. I have not been at all impressed from anything I've seen about Cuero Boots online or on RUclips. The leather they use just looks cheap to me. I know the Cueros are inexpensive, but I'd send them back and get a pair of Tecovas.
Tecovas are way better then these. Mines don't do that.
I have 2 pair of Tecovas. Toebox doesn't budge at all, when pressure is applied.
@@rickwebermusic I guess we can understand the price difference now. I was considering a pair of Austin's, but now I will wait for the Earl's to come available again. Talk about infringement....I am sure Tecova's attornery's are having a good time with this one...
The negative response to this video is an indication that you have upset sheep. I appreciate this video. you just saved me $150. Thank you.
carl Thank you for your insightful and encouraging comment, Carl! I attributed the unusual amount of “thumbs down“ and negative comments to possible individuals who worked for Cuero, but your reference to “sheep“ may certainly be accurate. And I believe you made a wise decision in not buying boots from Cuero. Merry Christmas! (Luke 2:8-20)
Yeah...you need to buy a really expensive boot...and crush the toe as soon as possible to see how much better it 'pops' back into shape than did this real smart guy's Cuero. After all, isn't that the real method of discerning boot quality..intentionally inflicting damage on them and watching them self repair? Of course, us sheep always attempt the opposite, but that's because we really don't understand these complex issues like you real smart guys do.
Thank you for sharing your experience. This is helpful as I'm deciding buying between Tecovas vs Cuero. So far I'm leaning towards Tecovas.
If you plan on wearing them as a dress shoe, Tecovas are ok. My brother bought 2 pair and I couldn't believe how cheap they felt. If you want a real cowboy boot look at Honcho or Hondo boots.
Tacovas have lasted me a while they’re not cheap they are very soft when you get them but they last for ever
i don't have any austins or earls to compare but i have tecovas cartwrights and cuero eastwoods and the cartwrights were stiff as a board and very uncomfy so far i prefer cuero for sure however i only have the cowboy boot from each brand haven't tried austin or earl ropers.
This is why you need Dan post. Los Altos. Cowtown boots. These online boots all look the same. Personally. I’d never leave my boots out in the sun. But this shouldn’t happen.
This video actually made me more likely to buy a pair of cueros.
The damage is your fault. No refunds.
I suggest buying The Smith - Steel Toe boots, they won't leave a dent in the toe when you youse push on it. Also, since Cuero understand that buying boots online is not optimal, just keep returning until youse get the size that most comfortable without break-in. Remember, a good fitting boot should not slip at the heel and be wide enough for the widest part of your foot.
Buy a pair of Chisos no.6 boots and you wont have any of these problems. They are made with thick full grain leather... Cuero uses "Genujne leather" which is shit!. Thats why they are relatively inexpensive. You really get what you pay for. Im sorry you had such a lousy experience with Cuero..
So I take it we can't wear boots out in the sun for to long? That does not sound right. Ain't working in the boots all day in the field the same as just leaving it out for an hour?
I agree with you, friend. My experience with these Cuero boots showed them to be a scam, a rip-off, false advertising. Nobody-NOBODY-in their right mind would claim that a man putting his brand new pair of "premium" and "luxury" (two words used by Cuero in their advertising to describe their boots) boots in the sun for about one hour the first day and about another hour the second day could possibly ruin them...unless they were cheap boots made from inferior materials.
@@productandequipmentreviews7386 you got that right. Good review.
lol dude this is 100% your fault sorry but it’s facts guess you had to learn hard way, don’t blame the company for something you did.
Thanks for the video my friend you just saved me $180 bucks 🙏 sorry for your purchase try whit cuadra boots they are very good cuality
Miguel Hernandez Glad to have helped, Miguel! And thanks for the reference for the other boots.
Your boots are the wrong size. Your bad…
Don’t push down on the toe box. You’re bad…
You obviously bought the wrong size
It was your fault tho cause you put them out in the sun for an hour and then pressing them down
No shoes or boots should bend over the front toe 🤷🏻♂️
Dude. You got some serious defensiveness issues. The video is a video, but your responses in the comments paint you in a very unflattering light.
Thank you for the post. I was considering a pair of cuero, but now I will stick with my tecova's..... Just a note, I would not let your boots "bake" in the sun like that....just make sure they get proper ventilation after wearing them (and do not wear them every day).......Take care..
good info. im thinking of the Tecovas - would never look at the cuero , gracias JDS/ CT
Jonathan Smith You are welcome!
Both are made by the same manufacturer in Leon. Both are not real cowboy boots. They are fashionable cowboy boots. Don't fall for the marketing. Over priced junk.
@@burn31 I agree 100%. I was able to get a full refund and keep the boots but I still hate tecovas.
I’ve got a Pair of Cody James that I have as a daily wear. I’ve got Tecovas as my “date night” boots.
@@nateb9768 thanks for the responses - haven't pulled the trigger , thinking of Lucchese boots ~ ''buying online can be a hit-or miss'' - i agree . hope it works out for you - JDS/CT
I definitely won't be purchasing anything from them!
Should have got the real thing(Tecovas)
Order the e
You most definitely know very little to nothing about cowboy boots, much less about breaking them in. Sorry you had a bad experience, but the consequences of your ignorance fall on you and not the company.
Boot novices often mistreat their boots and then complain when the boots don't meet their self-imposed standards. You mistreated these boots. As a result, they did not perform well. When you put the boots out in the hot sun, they overheated to the point that the leather did fail. Wearing boots out in the sun is not the same thing., The feet will absorb a lot of the heat and the leather will not be compromised. Although you made an attempt at a "fair" review, you did not treat the boots fairly. As a result, your review is not legitimate. I own Cueros and about 64 other pairs of boots, and I do not, and never will, mistreat my boots as you mistreated these. Maybe it's best for you NOT to wear boots. Your irresponsibility will always result in you being disappointed.
James, reading your comment causes me to think at least three things: one, you work for Cuero, know someone who works at Cuero, and/or perhaps you have been paid/reimbursed by Cuero in some way to write this negative comment. Second, it is obvious you did not watch my video all the way through, which shows me that someone (probably a Cuero employee) told you about my video and urged you to write a negative comment.
Second, I'm doubting your claim that you own "64 other pairs of boots..." With your Cuero's, that would make 65 pairs of cowboy boots! From my life experience, only women would possibly own this many pair of one particular style of footwear, and 65 pairs, even for a woman, would be a remarkable number. Can you send me a picture of all of these 65 pair of boots? I would appreciate it.
Third, like other negative commenters on this particular video, I'm suspicious of why they would write such negative reviews over a video whose intent is simply to educate the public concerning an obviously defective product. My conclusion is this: Cuero has obviously been hurt by my video. They have lost business because of it (see the comments of men who have thanked me and told me they will spend their money elsewhere). Worse, it has hurt their reputation and alerted people to their false advertising of using "premium leather" in their boot making. And because their bottom line and reputation has been injured my my video, they have marshaled their forces and have went on a smear campaign against my video. Over 4,200 people have watched this video which is remarkable for a small brand like Cuero.
I think you might be a paid Curero troll. It is obvious to me you are not a boot wearer who owns 65 pairs of boots because you wrote some truly silly things and don't know what you are talking about. Anybody that can make the astonishing and false claim that I "mistreated" these boots by placing them in the sun for one hour one day and about the same amount of time the next day (at the most, three hours total) and then pressing on the toe end obviously has little, if any, experience with quality, premium leather footwear.
@@productandequipmentreviews7386, nice try. I'm surprised this thing is still up. Your comment, and this biased video, is a good indicator of how little integrity you have. Any honest boot owner needs to know that this is trash and your attitude stinks. Good bye, LOSER.
@@productandequipmentreviews7386 What's the matter whiner? Can't take constructive criticism? Go back to wearing your hip hop sneakers and leave wearing western boots to actual men.
Tecovas, or nothing ! 🤗