A Boot Collector Feature

Stetson

The name behind the cowboy hat for over 160 years — and, more recently, a licensed boot line riding on that same reputation.

Founded1865
FounderJohn B. Stetson
Original locationPhiladelphia, PA
Category todayHats (core); boots (licensed)
A note on categoryStetson is a hat company first and foremost — the name is practically synonymous with the cowboy hat itself. Its boots are a licensed product line riding on that reputation, similar to how Resistol and, in the past, Charlie 1 Horse extended from hats into boots. It isn't only hat brands that do this — denim giant Wrangler has licensed its own name onto a Western boot line the same way.

The Story

John B. Stetson founded his hat company in Philadelphia in 1865, and within a few decades "Stetson" had become near-generic shorthand for the cowboy hat itself — the "Boss of the Plains" design he introduced became the template most Western hats still follow today. The company built its reputation over more than 160 years on that single product category, weathering changes in fashion, ownership, and the broader Western-wear market while remaining the hat brand most associated with cowboy culture both inside and outside the United States. Decades after the hat made the name famous, Stetson extended into boots as a licensed line, letting retailers and buyers pair the brand's hat-era reputation with a modern Western boot product.

What They're Known For

The cowboy hat, full stop — a design so dominant that the brand name itself became the generic term for the style. The boot line trades on that century-and-a-half of hat-making credibility rather than its own independent bootmaking history.

The name that defined the cowboy hat, now also on boots.

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