These Jaw-Dropping Pink Suede Cowboy Boots Are Peak Barbiecore
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Not everyone has the confidence to pull off a pair of knee-high Barbie-pink cowboy boots, but the world would be a better place if we did. For those feeling brave enough to try (and what better time?), meet the Ariat Casanova Western Boots, available in the hottest of hot pink suede.
Subtle, they are not. But if you love the Barbiecore fashion trend, these boots might change your life. Bold, bright, and perfectly on-trend with the Barbie craze of the moment, the Casanova Western Boots in “Haute Pink Suede” are the epitome of Barbiecore.
Ariat is a western wear brand that outfits actual cowboys and equestrians, so perhaps they weren’t the most likely brand to produce a pair of boots worthy of Barbie herself. The Casanova boots have been available for years in brown, black, and tan leather, but in May, Ariat released the hot pink version of these boots, just in time for Barbie-inspired fashion to hit its peak.
The Casanova Western Boots in the Ariat brand store in Fort Worth, Texas / Timothy Beck Werth.
Earlier this year, I took a tour of the Ariat brand store in Fort Worth, Texas. Both Ariat and the Professional Bull Riding League were celebrating their 30th anniversaries, and all the top cowboys in the world had gathered in Texas. And while I saw cowboy boots, leather jackets, and fringe galore, the Casanova boots stood out.
Even though they had just been released that month, I saw multiple cowgirls rocking these boots on my Texas trip. They’re hard to miss. Even the more understated “Powder Pink” Casanova boots are eye-catching (and they certainly qualify as Barbiecore as well).
I had to know everything about these boots, so I talked to Shane Holman, Ariat’s Head of Global Merchandising-Footwear, Accessories, Trend, & Business Development. Holman has been “living and breathing the Western lifestyle” since she was old enough to play with Barbies. With a background in both fashion and equestrian sports like showriding, she was the perfect cowgirl to forecast this particular trend. Hot pink started trending on runways in 2022, and Barbiecore has been trending ever since the first photos leaked from the Barbie movie set. Yet when designing a pair of boots, designers have to start years in advance.
“Our job is to be innovative, trend right, and get the boots that are perfect for the consumer,” Holman said in a phone interview. “We do everything from travel to Europe, travel to New York, to look for these trends as well as go to horse shows and rodeos. So we’re kind of combining high fashion, being inspired by all that, as well as looking at what’s happening in the rodeo world or the western lifestyle and then combining the two and making sure it’s right.”
To sell Ariat on the new “haute pink” Casanova boots, Holman wore an all-hot-pink getup. Ariat sped the boots to market so that they could be available in time for the Barbie movie release this summer.
“You get signals that this is going to be a popular color, and you kind of take a risk,” Holman said. “So it’s just this kind of [the] process of following trends, taking risks, seeing what mainstream designers are doing, and then trying it. So it was cool; we were the first to market in the western space [with] this pink boot.”
But even before Margot Robbie was spotted wearing a hot pink, western-inspired jumpsuit in the Barbie movie, western apparel was trending in a big way. But with Robbie’s unforgettable cowgirl outfit (which is sure to be the top Halloween costume of the year), we’ve seen a notable Barbiecore and Western wear crossover.
What is it about Barbiecore fashion that’s so appealing? To find out, I spoke to Gabriela Rosales, a Los Angeles-based stylist with a “Barbification” style service. “Barbiecore is an aesthetic that fuses traditional femininity and the playfulness of youth through the use of bright colors, but especially focuses on various shades of pink, which also associate to what we know as traditional femininity,” says Rosales, who goes by The Style Witch online. “This trend resonates so deeply because I think a lot of us (primarily women) were at some point forced to ‘grow up’ and move on from playing with Barbies, which represents the carefree joy of youth. I think a lot of us are rediscovering that playfulness and seeing that we can integrate it into our everyday lives.”
Ariat Casanova Suede Western Boots in “Haute Pink”
The Barbie movie is delightful in every sense of the word. It’s joyful, pretty, emotionally satisfying, and makes you want to be the best possible version of yourself. These pink boots have the same effect.
Buy Ariat Casanova Suede Western Boots in “Haute Pink” at Ariat, $270
Of course, Ariat boots are designed for performance, and they’re the boots worn by actual cowboys and bull riders. They’re also worn on ranches all over the country, and the company is known for creating performance footwear that’s also comfortable and long-lasting. Sure, hot pink suede may not seem like the most practical choice in footwear for riding, but these boots have the same performance features as all Ariat western shoes—they just happen to be hot pink. These boots say, “I’m bold, I’m beautiful, and I want everyone to know it.”
So, come on, Barbie. Let’s go party.
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