What is everyone’s favorite brand for boot cut jeans? I need some new jeans and I’m Looking for something a little fitted and not too baggy. Thanks!

I’ve got my first cowboy boots coming, realized I don’t have proper jeans to pair them with. I spent all my money on boots and can’t afford fancy jeans, 100$ max

Never owned wranglers but saw they are affordable, was wondering what model you guys like? Looking at Levi too

Posted this earlier as a comment, but with all the recent attention Wrangler has been getting on here I figured it might be useful as it's own post (with some edits) and could serve as a quick reference to the best budget raws in the game. Happy fading y'all!

The Cowboy Cut Family:

• 13MWZ Cowboy Cut Original Fit - The OGs. High rise (11.25" per Wrangler.com which I'm guessing is taken from sz32) with a "regular" fit up top and a slightly tapered leg that's still wide enough to fit over most boots. These are basically unchanged from the 1947 original and are what most people think of when you say Cowboy Cut. Consistently available from your your local feed or western store for ~$25

• 936DEN Cowboy Cut Slim Fit - What the name sounds like, these are the 13mwz but with a more fitted top block. While the rise is 1/4" lower than the original, they're the same jean from the knee down because these are also designed to be worn over boots. If cowboy cuts fit you in the waist but the leg is swimming, try these

• 31MWZ Cowboy Cut Relaxed Fit - Like the slim, this is a play on the 13mwz pattern. The top block is slightly roomier and the hem is 1/2" wider to visually compensate for the bigger thighs and seat. The rise is also 1/4" lower than the original. Imo this is the goat lifters cut because of how well it combines small waist+big leg

• 47MWZ Premium Performance Cowboy Cut - an update to the 13mwz released at some point in the last 20 years, these have a noticeably lower rise as the 13mwz but keep a similar profile below the knee. The denim allegedly lasts 20% longer and the pockets are deeper than on the original fit.

• 945 Boot Jean - These are similar to the 13mwz in that they're a regular fit up top, but the rise is 1/2" lower and the leg opening is about 1.5" bigger to fit over chunky pull on work boots. Haven't had personal experience with these but they're still marketed as a tapered leg, so it's likely a much more subtle one than what's on the 13s

• 935 Slim Boot Cut - Again, no experience with these but based on measurements the leg opening is the same as the 945 and the rise is the same as the 936. If I was a betting man I'd wager they took the top block of the slim cowboy cuts and spliced it to the bottom of the boot jean, and the boot cut came about because the leg opening is now noticeably wider than the knee

How Do They Fit?

Fun thing about Wranglers, at least the 13, 31, 936, and I'm guessing 935 fit similar, which is to say TTS. Because they sit so high you can measure around your navel and ballpark the size that way. The denim on all of them is also a broken twill, which, with the high rise, gives them a good deal of flexibility right off the bat so that even tighter fits are surprisingly comfortable and non-restrictive. Can't speak for sizing the 47 and 945 because they sit lower on the body.

If you want to get in on the fun, try on the 13MWZ or 936. If you have to order them use the navel measurements and get one size up and down (ie. if you measure 31.5 around the navel grab a 31 and a 32) keeping in mind they stretch a decent amount through the top block with wear and they tend to fit better the more you wash them.

Finally, remember that all cowboy cuts are sanforized. Don't buy them bigger expecting to lose a size in the wash. That said, using a STF-like method can make them fit really well if they're kind of stiff and awkward off the bat. Wash them hot, throw them on damp, and let them mold to you as they dry. You'll get a contoured fit where the denim meets your body and maybe 1-2% shrink where it doesn't. I've found this works as well for the rigid as the pre-washed Wranglers.

What other jeans are comparable to Cowboy Cuts?

Hard to say. Cowboy cuts are like a main branch on the denim family tree that split off from the trunk around the same time as the 501 did. They're kind of their own thing and while there are jeans inspired by them like the Freenote Wilkes, Indigofera Kain, Brave Star Mojave, the closest cowboy cuts came to giving a fuck about what was going on in the rest of denim land was the introduction of the 47MWZ