I only started wearing western boots 5 years ago. When we moved to Texas my wife very keenly guided me to getting a pair of good Lucchese 2000 T3203 boots knowing that I would find plenty of opportunities to wear them, and that I would wear them hard and frequently. I had no idea of all this at the time, and was skeptical about spending that much money on a pair of shoes. But looking at it now, for a first pair of boots, you actually get far better bang for the buck buying something that will stand up to the wear and tear of being your only pair of boots, which they were to me for years. Plus, I didn't take care of them particularly well, but have still put about 10,000 hours in them now wearing them all day in and out of work, and have grown to like how comfortable they are. When I drop my son off at school on the way to the office, I don't even hesitate to play basketball wearing them.
The Justin Utah Hybred WK4644 boots are for working around the ranch. The deep V scallop makes it easy to get them on and off multiple times in a short period when coming in and out of the house. The construction and materials seem to hold up well to the usual adventures here, like being stomped on by cattle or having blood splattered on. I like the traditional look of the narrow round toe over the chunky look that most work boots have.
I acquired Tony Lama 3R RR1002 boots during vacation last month, when I realized that I can enjoy wearing boots more often if I fill the gap in my selection between the two extremes of work boots and dress shoes. I wear these when I need to go into town and want to wear something nicer than dirty work boots. They have a comfortable, snug fit for wearing all day. I even had to go a half size up since I couldn't get my right foot through the vamp of my usual size. I like the efforts put into some of the details on these boots, such as the look of the 3/4 welt, even though it has a rubber sole.
Dan Post Milwaukee DP2110R boots fill in for situations where I am wearing black pants. Getting another pair of Luccheses in black was an option that I considered, but I didn't feel like getting two things that are almost the same. In my wanderings in the chain boot stores I came across these Chinese hand made boots. They have the leather sole, 3/4 welt, pegged at the belt like you should expect in a dress boot, all for half the price of the equivalent product made in the US or Mexico. I am generally skeptical of long term quality and durability of the workmanship these, but it is probably fine for a boot that sees only occasional wear.
Olathe TT2 254217 boots are my new look for the office this year. I had been driving by South Texas Tack for months and I finally stopped in this month to discover what I had been missing this whole time. I walked out with a pair from what appears to be a custom run of American made Olathe boots based on their TT2 design. Among other distinctive elements, they have the new O toe with the overhang over the welt. This is a nice departure from the popular "wide square toe" that I feel looks too chunky for the office. The heavy leather wraps the feet comfortably all day, and the shafts wrap closer to the calves than the usual buckaroo for a slimmer look under pant legs.