Frye is reputedly the oldest boot company in ... eventually making bespoke boots that featured decorative stitching (a hallmark of cowboy boots) on the shaft so as to stiffen the leather.

I soon found the proverbial porridge: a vintage pair of Frye cowboy boots I snagged on eBay for $33. They were reliable and avant-garde, but also ready for the trenches of lower Manhattan.