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Watch this even if you don’t speak Spanish. You’ll hear the word “custom made” part way through. This is a beautiful portrait …full of wrinkles and frays. You are welcome to leave bits and parts of a translation in the comments below. I will be grateful and think you are cool. I heard in an email that Sr. Cavazos has retired, and sold his shop to a friend and longtime apprentice. Cavazos Boots (Nabor’s Boots)
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer
These “Houston Boots” by Dave Wheeler are a work of art. Layer upon layer of tiny leather inlay and overlay in 11 shades of green, 9 of blue, 6 of tan, 5 of red and 3 of pink. Colored thread sewn and knotted, in some places every 2 or 3 stitches. Amazing. (Here is a bigger photo.) Give these boots a quick look and you might mistake these leather tops for Peter Main’s carved leather or some new-fangled laser printing. But no, every leather piece was hand cut, hand skived, hand pieced, placed and stitched by Dave Wheeler… and no single piece bigger is than an inch or two. These custom cowboy boots were made by an extraordinary bootmaker, for an extraordinary customer. For more of the story, read: For Houston boot buyer, city is his heart and sole: Local landmarks, sports teams adorn businessman’s fancy footwear, an article by Allan Turner for the Houston Chronicle. And, let’s get something straight… these boots don’t get to be called art just because they took Dave a long time to make. I’m calling these art, because I have never seen a finer portrait of Houston, TX. When I think back upon my trip to Houston, I can picture the kind folks at Wheeler Boot Company …and then, the city I remember all around them — a dense tangle of landmarks, logos and interstate signage. Truly… Houston leaves me baffled. I want to pick these boots up in my hands just so I say “Dave, point to where I can find breakfast.”
I was going to write a blog post this morning… but this is so much better. Go to David Rogerson’s flickr page and read his photo caption about “waiting.” It’s perfect. Then go and read some more. Meet some of the all-stars of bootmaking. Visit Texas boot shops in San Antonio, Austin, Lampasas, up to Abilene. Dave does a beautiful job of storytelling. You feel like you were there… then you’re a little sad you weren’t. “A picture’s worth a thousand words,” that’s what people like me say when we’re being lazy. Enjoy. (Photo by Mr. David Rogerson.) This time of year I tend to look backwards as much as forward. Thinking about the things I plan… and then the things that happen anyway. One such surprise was my visit last summer to Cavender’s Boot City in Houston, TX. I’ve got plenty of bootmakers to visit when I’m in Texas, so usually I blast right by all the chain stores… BUT I got a tip (from Mr. Cavender, himself) that there were some swell boots inside. It turns out, Cavender’s is a Houston hideout for vintage cowboy boots. They are not for sale, but part of an impressive Cavender collection… available for viewing during store hours. My favorites were the larger-than-life “display boots.” I don’t know, maybe it’s my unending fondness for roadside attractions, or maybe it’s because my everyday boots are so small… these big boots just crack me up. Go see for yourself Cavender’s
P.S. Hey! Send me an email at jenn@dimlights.com with “I want 2 hats” in the subject line. E-mail me before noon, Saturday January 31 PST. A winner will be picked randomly, and I’ll mail ‘em these two hats. Woo hoo! (Free domestic U.S. shipping only.)
I love driving through Texas visiting boot shops, but I know I’m in trouble when I hear… “Turn at the second dirt road on your right” “Look for a brown fence with some horses.” “We’re on the left, down the driveway…back a-ways. The shop’s behind the house.” Yeah, right. Sure thing. Here’s my travel tip… forget GPS. At times like this, I find my way with DQ. What’s “DQ”…you ask? After you get lost, drive back to town, and park at the Dairy Queen. Then you call the shop with your cel phone. The bootmaker will either give you more detailed directions (usually having to do with the color of the mailbox, the spots on the horses, or maybe the truck parked out front) …OR if you’re lucky, you’ll get to hear these wonderful words… “Just wait there. I’ll come and get you.” (Yay!) These are some photos I took when I visited Tom Smith in Aspermont, Texas. Tom makes a beautiful sturdy cowboy boot. Sometimes I think hard working cowboys pick such bright punchy colors, so at least some of the color can manage to fight its way through all the dust and muck. Tom’s shop looks small on the outside, but feels big on the inside…I’m not sure how that works. Tom Smith Custom Boots On Thursday,* Lampasas, TX unveils its new cowboy boot mural. (slideshow) When I saw it last month, it was only partway done. Bravo! I love it. * November 13, 2008. When I edited the shop info for Tony’s Leather on my “Outside the U.S. Bootmaker List“… I realized I never posted any of the photos I took (years ago) when I visited Thailand. Tony makes cowboy boots for tourists. He makes boots for business men. Cowboy boots are strictly a tourist or “farang” (said “falang”) fashion item. Even I had enough sense not to wear my cowboy boots in Thailand. Why? Good manners demand you take your shoes off at nearly every doorstep, and keep your head lower than a monk’s smile. But then, there’s those public porcelain squat toilets. Boy Howdy! We’re talkin’ slippery! Any clear-thinkin’ Thai gave up wearing cowboy boots along time ago. Want to see some fancy stuff? Here are some more photos from one of Tony’s customers.
This trip to Texas I retraced some very special steps. I went to go see Tex Robin in Abilene, TX. Tex told me he’s no longer taking bootmaking students… which made me feel like the member of a very special club. When Tex Robin moved his shop a couple of years ago, I admit I got all sappy and nostalgic over him leaving that old brick building in Coleman. …but I’ve come to my senses. Welcome to Abilene! Gone are the fire hazards and all the pesky walk-in-and-out traffic. And look! …the walls go straight up and down, and there is my favorite display case…and look over there, there’s even a working electrical socket dedicated to Tex Robin’s guitar and amp. Tex is doing some beautiful bootmaking. Killer inlays or one-row stitch patterns… doesn’t matter, all good…really good. But be warned, ordering boots from Tex is not for the thin-skinned or the faint of heart. By appointment only. Long wait… and if Tex doesn’t like your design, he’s gonna tell you so. That’ll never change. In July 2000, I went to Coleman TX to learn bootmaking from Tex Robin. I stayed a month. I made 2 pairs of boots…and I drank Tex’s Y2k coffee stash still leftover. The whole reason I started this blog was so I could share my trip to Tex Robin’s shop. These are some of the photos I took back then. Here are some more.
Once a year America’s boot and saddlemakers meet up in Wichita Falls, Texas. There is a swap meet, and a boot and saddle contest. It’s a cross between a trade show and a family reunion. This year was extra special with two days of seminars/classes on bootmaking, clowns, and a night of karaoke (I kid you not.) Next year’s show will be October 2-3, 2009… you may need to bring your own clowns, so call ahead. See you there! Here are the winners of this year’s boot contest…
Journeyman (built fewer than 15 pairs:)
Working Cowboy Boot:
Artistry:
Dress Boot:
Master’s Class:
Professional’s Choice: You can visit my Flickr page to view larger versions of the photos, and to post comments and notes on top of the photos. |
   
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