PUEBLO, Colo. – Of all the fun and memorable things to do surrounding the 2023 PBR World Finals, one truly stands out – a 5K/3K run in which the shorter leg must be completed in cowboy boots.
If running a 3K race in cowboy boots sounds like an exercise beginning with poor judgement and ending with blistered feet, you’ve never worn a pair from Ariat, long-time PBR partner and sponsor of the unique race on Saturday, May 20, which charts a course through the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.
Ariat boots, perfect for running from a charging bull or for three kilometers in the dusty town where the West begins, sprung from a revolutionary idea: athletic riding boots.
And in fact, advanced sneaker technology was used to create the first Ariat boots, while a staunch commitment to innovation that provides both comfort and durability still drives the company 30 years later – offering more than 300 different boot models today.
Ariat’s story traces three decades ago to two founders committed to the idea that riders were athletes. They set out to build a company that would provide state-of-the art performance footwear and apparel for the world’s top riders.
Beth Cross, Ariat CEO and co-founder, grew up on a horse farm in Pennsylvania as the seventh of eight children.
Her mom ran the farm while her dad oversaw the family’s mechanical contracting business. As a kid, Beth loved riding and never lost her passion for horses or the sport.
She also loved to work and take on new challenges. During and after college, she held a variety of different jobs, from cooking on a salmon boat in Alaska (a gig that sounds like a lyric in a Bob Dylan song) to driving a bread truck in Colorado, before landing at graduate school for a degree in business.
Working as a consultant for Bain and Company, Cross was assigned to a team that was working for Reebok. Tasked with identifying new sport categories for expansion of Reebok’s athletic shoe business, the team suggested Reebok consider building riding boots with athletic shoe technology.
It was clear that building all-leather performance western boots was not a good fit for a traditional sneaker company, so Cross and her co-founder left their corporate jobs and struck out on their own.
Cross never stopped thinking about horses.
Ariat is named after Secretariat, widely considered the greatest racehorse of all time. After setting low expectations in his maiden run as a 2-year-old, Secretariat went on to set records that have never been beat. In 1973, he won the first Triple Crown in 25 years.
Following his death in 1989, a medical team discovered that Secretariat’s heart was 2.5 times larger than the heart of an average horse, which powered his unmatched career.
The Ariat team believed that everything about this incredible horse spoke to their vision for a new company focused on equestrian athletes. They named the company “Ariat” in appreciation of his huge heart and competitive spirit.
Cross recalled the early thinking which identified the opportunity that has powered Ariat into one of the world’s top Western footwear and apparel brands.
Western riders – bull riders, rodeo athletes and riders in all other Western sports – had very few choices in footwear designed for the rigors of the sport.
Moreover, most people who live the Western lifestyle worked long hours outdoors and needed footwear that gave them an advantage in the saddle while also standing up to a hard day’s work on the ranch.
In the first year, the team at Ariat worked with a group of top designers and developers to build the first prototypes of what would become one of the company’s top-selling styles.
Footwear is a critical part of a rider’s equipment; extended time in the saddle puts tremendous pressure on the nerves and small boots of the foot, making advanced cushioning and stability key to achieving a high level of performance both in the saddle and on the ground.
Bull riders have unique footwear needs; they need to move quickly to get away from the bull after their ride, and both speed and nimble footwork is critical.
Western boots must also be extremely durable, as most people who live and work the Western lifestyle work outdoors in tough conditions.
To achieve advanced levels of innovation and durability, the design team at Ariat is constantly researching new materials, construction and technologies.
The team works directly with athletes to understand their unique needs, and even studies athletes in other relevant sports like cycling, always seeking the perfect co-existence of advanced technology and the classic styling of authentic Western boots.
“Western boots are an iconic part of the American west, and our designers are experts at maintaining that design legacy in our boots,” Cross said. “Our team works to celebrate the best of classic Western boot styling with the world’s most innovative technologies.
“Our challenge is to constantly work on how to integrate the newest materials and construction techniques into our footwear. Dialing in the fit on boots is something we think a lot about – as well as optimizing durability, flexibility and stability. We are never satisfied and always looking at what’s possible in the future.”
Western boots are a piece of sports equipment that has been important in PBR, also celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Ariat has been an official partner of PBR since 2009. Cross says it’s the company’s most important partnership.
Ariat sponsors 17 of the world’s top bull riders, including World Champions Jose Vitor Leme, Cooper Davis and Kaique Pacheco.
True to the brand’s early roots, they’re also on the lookout for young, up-and-coming stars like pioneering bull rider Najiah Knight.
When asked to define her customer, Cross immediately points to the athletes who inspired the first boots.
“We have always believed that we earn the right to outfit our athletes since we know they will select the footwear and apparel that best suits their individual needs. We don’t only make products for top athletes – we outfit people who live the rural lifestyle, who live their life in boots and jeans.
“Ariat customers love our products because they are the real deal – they are great quality, incredibly comfortable and they last. Our customers trust us, and we’ve worked hard to earn that trust. Top rodeo riders, ranchers, farmers, as well as casual riders and horse owners – our customers appreciate the values we represent, and we’re working hard every day to continue to deliver on those values.”
Cross is sometimes asked if television’s No. 1 drama, “Yellowstone” has helped Ariat’s business.
“Many people watch ‘Yellowstone’ and for the first time are seeing an authentic depiction of a working ranch,” she said. “Taylor Sheridan (the creator of ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘1883’) is a cowboy and a rancher – and as a result the show’s setting is entirely authentic.
“People are drawn to authenticity and seek out brands that real cowboys wear. When they discover Ariat in their search for authentic product and try our footwear, jeans and apparel, they will find great, comfortable products that will last.”
In Fort Worth on May 20, they’ll also find themselves surprisingly comfortable running a decent distance in those boots.
The first running of the PBR Ariat Boot Trot 5K will begin at 8 a.m. CT on Saturday, May 20, followed by the PBR Ariat Boot Trot 3K at 8:15 a.m. CT.
Runners will begin and end their racecourse on Exchange Street, navigating a scenic route through the Stockyards that morning, passing by some of Fort Worth’s most well-known landmarks.
Registration for the PBR Ariat Boot Trot 5K/3K is now open!