Cowboy boots are to be fetishised – in the most literal sense – at an upcoming exhibition in New Mexico. At the “Sole Mates: Cowboy Boots and Art,” show, vintage footwear will be displayed throughout, as well as the boot’s history in classic literature and iconic adverts. A range of contemporary sculptures, photographs and videos demonstrate the lasting allure of Wild West imagery. Interestingly, the exhibition also examines the sexualisation of the cowboy boot for both men and women in popular culture. Two lithographs show homoerotic images of cowboys, and erotic postcards from the 1930s show women dressed in cowboy garb. Of a picture of a male and female in the same style of boot, curator Joseph Traugott said: “all of a sudden you realize the gender line has completely disappeared.”