I was looking for a pair of brown boots for casual wear, not work boots. This is my first pair of Justin's but I own a pair of Noconas and I can see the similarities in the fit and style. Not a surprise since Justin owns Nocona.
The Noconas I own are brown but a light brown, sort what's called a cognac color and smooth polished leather. I wanted something in a darker brown and more of an oiled leather look instead of a polished look. These Justin Buck boots in a Bay Apache color seemed like exactly what I was looking for.
I got them 2 days ago and the photos in the product listing are very accurate. They are a dark but not super dark brown. There's no shiny polish. It's a flat oiled leather look. And the quality seems really good for the price point. The inside of the shaft is very nicely finished. Smooth and easy to slip my feet into. The fit is good. I'll expand on that in a minute. The exterior of the shaft is likewise nicely finished. Same goes for the toe, vamp, and heel counter. There's a little distressing but it looks very natural. The heel is a typical western boot height of 1 9/16 inches. The out soles are leather and also well finished. You will need to rough them up a bit if you don't want to slide across carpet. I used a cordless mouse sander. It took about 30 seconds per boot to scuff of the black coating at the ball of the foot and create a little friction.
So the fit. I wear a US 11 D (medium width) in athletic shoes and dress shoes. My usual rule of thumb is to go down a 1/2 size for cowboy boots. That's what I did here with a 10 1/2 D and the fit is great. It doesn't really require much break in. I will say the leather here appears to be thicker and stiffer than all the other boots I own, Tony Lama, Nocona, and Dan Post. So the fit is fine but the "break in" will be getting the foot to flex easily.
There are 2 things I kinda didn't like about these boots but neither one is worth deducting a star for. One is just a styling thing I fixed in about 10 minutes. The other is a me problem that may not affect most people.
1.) The welt stitching on these boots is a bright white. A little too bright for my taste. It didn't look bad. Just not what I wanted. So 10 minutes with some dark brown shoe polish and a small brush and the stitching is toned way down. It's still visible, just not as obvious. No big deal.
2.) The shaft height on this boot is 13 inches. And I have some thick legs. 17 inch calf measurement. So the shaft of the boot comes up high enough that I feel it a lot more than my other boots. There's still room but I can definitely feel it. That may mean I don't reach for these in hot humid weather. But probably 9 months of the year I'll be OK. And the upside is that because the shaft is a little narrower than a lot of boots, you have a little more leeway with the pants you can wear with this boot. You don't have to wear a boot cut jean necessarily. So there's good and bad. Again, not a deal breaker for me.
Hope this helps out anyone considering these boots.
EDIT 12/9/2024: I liked the Brown Buck Bay Apache boots enough that I ordered the Black version. They're on the way. I think these are going to be my go to choice for daily wear.
Product Description
Justin Boots at a Glance
 Buck Western |  Caddo Western |  Conductor 10" |  Jackson Roper |  Tobias Western | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Customer Reviews
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444
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232
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308
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959
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86
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Price
| $244.95 | $229.95 | $244.95 | $199.95 | $259.95 |
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Height
| 13" | 11" | 10" | 10" | 12" |
|
Upper
| Full-Grain Leather | Full-Grain Leather | Full-Grain Leather | Full-Grain Leather | Full-Grain Leather |
|
Toe
| Medium Round | Square | Round | Medium Round Roper | Medium Round |
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Outsole
| Hand-nailed Leather | Leather | Polyurethane | Hand-nailed Leather | Vibram Chevron 700 |
|
USA Made
| — | Made in USA with Global Parts | Made in USA with Global Parts | — | Made in USA with Global Parts |
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Heel
| 1-9/16” Cowboy Underslung | 1 3/8" Block Heel | Unit Heel | 1" Roper | 1-9/16” Cowboy Underslung |
|
Welt Construction
| Full Welt Single Row Stitch | Full Welt Double Row Stitch | Sewn Seat | Full Welt Single Row Stitch | Full Welt Single Row Stitch |
|
Shank
| Non-Metallic | Non-Metallic | — | Metallic | Metallic |
Sleek nice boots
This is my first time buying cowboy boots in over 10 years. Really impressed with the quality, although I’ll probably put some gel insoles in them to make them more comfortable for walking around in
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2016Size: 9.5 X-WideColor: Bay ApacheVerified Purchase
- Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2025Size: 13Color: BlackVerified Purchase
This is my first time buying cowboy boots in over 10 years. Really impressed with the quality, although I’ll probably put some gel insoles in them to make them more comfortable for walking around in
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
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Oscar LezaReviewed in Mexico on February 12, 2021
Excelentes
Size: 11Color: Bay ApacheVerified Purchase
Muy buen producto, muy cómodo, excelente calidad. Lástima que no las vendan en México a pesar que están hechas en México.Oscar LezaExcelentes
Reviewed in Mexico on February 12, 2021
Images in this review
- Jody PyleReviewed in Canada on January 2, 2017
Great buy
Size: 9.5 XX-WideColor: BlackVerified Purchase - V Jeanette RafuseReviewed in Canada on December 18, 2017
Recommend these boots
Size: 10 NarrowColor: BlackVerified Purchase - Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on August 11, 2017
Perfect
Size: 10.5 X-WideColor: BlackVerified Purchase
