Where to Buy Cowboy Boots: Austin, TX

Are you in Austin for SXSW? Here's a free one-page trip guide to finding vintage, ready-made and custom cowboy boots.

Your welcome. (File size: 4.1 MB)

Travel Tip

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
PO Box 482
Aspermont, TX 79502
(940) 989-3385

Cowboy Boot Mural

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.

Cowboy Boots in Bangkok

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.

Cowboy Boot & Saddlemaker Round-Up 2008

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:)
Winner - Ephraim Glueck (Waco, TX)
Runner up - Bruce Bowers (Krum, TX)

Working Cowboy Boot:
Winner - Mike Vaughn (Bowie, TX)
Runner up - Alfred Reynolds (Wickenburg, AZ)

Artistry:
Winner -- James Redman (Mertzon, TX)
Runner up - Alfred Reynolds (Wickenburg, AZ)

Dress Boot:
Winner -- Alfred Reynolds (Wickenburg, AZ)
Runner up -- C.E. "Cowboy" Loveless (Hugo, OK)

Master's Class:
Winner -- Carl Chappell (Saint Jo, TX)

Professional's Choice:
Winner -- Alfred Reynolds (Wickenburg, AZ)

You can visit my Flickr page to view larger versions of the photos, and to post comments and notes on top of the photos.

Vintage Cowboy Boots, Tough Love

Yes, I know how much you love those great old Acme patterns. They're great. They've got the tiniest bits of colored inlay with those 2 rows of stitching swirling around them. .. factory-made minimalism at its best. They are indeed wonderful.

BUT, let's get couple things straight...

1. Your feet are too big. Only people like me who are too short to be seen over a deli counter can wear 'em. I can wear vintage Acmes... and you get to order your sandwiches with dignity. That's just the way things are. Don't worry, you are a member of a very big club, so to speak.

2. It is now 2008. Many of these very cool boots were made a looooong time ago. Don't believe me? I hate to break it to you, but a cowboy boot made in 1945... is now 63 years old. Bargain leather, once worn, now boxed and brittle. And these boots aren't getting any younger.

Save yourself a pile of grief. When you're in Austin, TX go to Heritage Boot. Jerry & Patti Ryan are remaking many of the favorite old patterns in present day sizes.

With lots and lots of boots on the shelves...their stock boots range from the $250 to around $700. (Those old Acmes are costing about the same.)

Heritage Boot also sells custom boots made in the Rio Grande Valley. Prices start at $600 for calfskin and bullhides. Delivery is approximately 8 weeks.

Heritage Boot
Jerry & Patti Ryan, Owners
117 West 8th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 326-8577
sales@heritageboot.com
www.heritageboot.com

Cowboy Boot Treasure Hunt

I like Austin, not just for all the chorizo tacos and free wifi ...but because it's a big city that keeps its sense of possibility.

My last trip to Austin was in October. Here are a few photos I took at Uncommon Objects. I go every time I'm in town, even if my suitcase is full.

(You can see more photos of Uncommon Objects here.)

Uncommon Objects
1512 South Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 442-4000
www.uncommonobjects.com

Cowboy Boots in Austin, Texas

Some folks are heading off to Austin for South by Southwest and I am green with envy. Yep. All the cool kids are going this year... Maggie Mason, Dwight Yoakam.

If you want to find some hip cowboy boots in between all that music, media, film and fun, then print out this page,"Cowboy Boots in Austin TX", and stick it in your back pocket. No charge.

(Photo taken at Heritage Boot.)

Sorrell Custom Boots (on the Road)

Like many custom bootmakers, Lisa Sorrell must personally measure your foot before she will take your boot order. Fortunately, she's willing to meet you partway.

Lisa ventures out of Guthrie, Oklahoma twice a year; once each January to the High Noon Show in Phoenix, AZ. and once in September to the Western Design Conference.

This year, I joined Lisa for the show in Phoenix. I signed books and bragged about Lisa's bootmaking. Lisa measured feet and answered many many questions about cowboy boots and bootmaking.

Lisa's boots were a naturally "fit" with all the fine Western art that filled the room. Her cowboy boots are "suitable for framing" as you can see from the photos of her booth, but I can personally attest that they are more fun to wear on your feet.

(For more photos of Lisa Sorrell's boots please visit her website at www.customboots.net)

Front Page News

Go read Lynn Brezosky's article, Storied cowboy boot makers in Valley are in big demand, in this morning's San Antonio Express-News.

The article has quotes and insights from longtime Rio Grande Valley bootmakers, Pat Moody (Rios of Mercedes,) Vicente Cavazos (Cavazos Boots) and Joe Martinez (Vaquero Boot Company.) The are also special guest appearances by Jess Monroe and yours truly.

To locate these and other South Texas bootmakers visit my custom bootmaker list.

Click on the image to get a glimpse of the photos.

2007 Winners of the Best of American Bootmakers Competition

This is the second year Silver Dollar City has held a Best of American Bootmakers Competition.

Each park visitor got a chance to vote for their favorite cowboy boots. Over 7,500 ballots and 35,000 votes were cast.

Silver Dollar City awarded over $12,500.00 in cash and products to the winning bootmakers.

Congratulations to the winners!

Work Boot
1^st Place — Mark Schumacher (Wolsey, SD)
2^nd Place — Wild Bill (Granby, CT)
3^rd Place — Dew Westover (Vernon, TX)

Office Boot
1^st Place — Carl Chappell (Saint Jo, TX)
2^nd Place — Stephanie Ferguson (Millsap, TX)
3^rd Place — Mike Spikes (Henrietta, TX)

Stage Boot
1^st Place — Keith Rohwedder (Weatherford, TX)
2^nd Place — Pascal (North Hollywood, CA)
3^rd Place — Stephanie Ferguson (Millsap, TX)

Novice Class
1^st Place — Jacky Heflin (Keller, TX)
2^nd Place — Alys Glaze (Saint Jo, TX)
3^rd Place — Steve McCord (Henrietta, TX)

Best Shop Effort
1^st Place — Robert Brest (San Angelo, TX)
2^nd Place — Olsen Seltzer (Henrietta, TX)
3^rd Place — Tres Outlaw (El Paso, TX)

Best of Show
Carl Chappell (Saint Jo, TX)

Artist Choice Award ...Voted on by Silver Dollar City Master Craftsmen
Carl Chappell (Saint Jo, TX)

Next year, Silver Dollar City will have a working boot and saddle shop, during its Salute to the Great American Cowboy in September 2008 (in lieu of a boot contest.) Plan your own visit to Silver Dollar City, where they have a passion in keeping, demonstrating and showcasing the "lost arts" of the past. (video)

Swap Meet 2007

Of course, the swap meet starts earrrrrly... I had to wait 'til the sun came up for these photos. (Full size photos)

Join Us

One of the things I'm looking forward to this year is traveling around with my book and meeting new people.

I've posted an events page. It's a little early for some of the show dates, but I'll fill in details as I get them.

Come meet me, and some swell cowboy boot makers... like Lisa Sorrell (Guthrie,OK) and Deana McGuffin (Albuquerque, NM) pictured here.

Click here for more photos of the 2006 Bootmaker Round-Up.

Travel: Following the Bootmaker Trail

Hit the road with Western writer Johnny D. Boggs. In his article "Following the Bootmaker Trail" Boggs travels from Guthrie, Oklahoma to Phoenix, Arizona... visiting at least fifteen bootmakers along the way.

This article is full of quotes and stories that showcase the personality of each shop. Don't overlook the article's sidebar. It's loaded with current information about base prices and delivery times.

• For more online articles visit my "Bootmakers in the News" page.
• For help planning your own trip visit my list of custom bootmakers and the "Happy Trails" part of my bulletin board.

Collectors can purchase this issue of True West magazine (October 2006), by clicking here.

Photo of Paul Bond courtesy of True West.

Best in Show, Silver Dollar City 2006

Visit Silver Dollar City's website for the prize winning cowboy boots of the Best of American Bootmakers Competetition 2006.

Park visitors voted for their favorite pairs in five categories: "Novice," "Work," "Office," and "Stage" boots... along with "Best Shop Effort," a category for larger boot companies where a boot is passed from hand to hand during its construction.

As the newest offering in the Festival of American Music & Crafts ...there were nearly 60 pairs of boots entered in the contest and bootmakers demonstrating their craft. I'm making my plans to attend next year's competition... September 13 through October 27. See you there!

(Use the comments link below to tells us which boots got your vote?)

These Carmack's Custom Boots won 1st place in the Stage Boot Competition and Best in Show. (Photo courtesy Silver Dollar City. )

Carmack's Custom Boots
Greg Carmack, Bootmaker
6020 North Hwy 6
Waco, TX 76712
E-mail: bootmaker@prodigy.net

Video: Truckin' (1:26min; 5.6mb)

A small story about truckers and cowboy boots. Words by Dave Cobos (El Paso, TX). Photos by yers truly. Click here to view the video.

Vintage Cowboy Boots at "Cowboy Legends"

Buying vintage cowboy boots at Cowboy Legends couldn't be any easier. Hundreds of pairs of "pre-enjoyed" boots... and all but a handful in wearable condition.

The only mystery is where did they came from? Row by row, they sit ...lookin' like their owners may be back for them anytime, these aren't your thrift store cast-offs.

I literally spent hours enjoying the hospitality of shop owners, Lynné and Larry Jennings. Cowboy Legends is full of vintage boots, and overflowing with stories.

Get to the shop early, bring your coffee cup, and if you're lucky there'll still be an empty seat near the front desk. Cowboy Legends is a unique kind of "clubhouse" attracting boot collectors and more than a few other local "characters."

Benefits of buying vintage cowboy boots:

• Good prices.
• Better materials and craftsmanship then today's ready-made boots.
• Toe styles, leather colors & types you can't find anymore except by ordering a custom pair.
• Fit and color fading are known quantities.
• ... you will look sexy, cool and wise beyond your years.

Hanging on the wall are paintings (zoom) by longtime boot collector, Jack Pressler (see the Cowboy Boot Book, p. 116). Many of Jack's paintings inspired classic Rocketbuster boot designs. Do you remember the old "True Love" boots?

Jack stopped in during my visit to Cowboy Legends ...so I got to ask him, "Why there are so many vintage cowboy boots in Santa Fe?" He explained it's because for all of history Santa Fe has been a trade route...first for the Indians, then for the Spanish... the Mexicans ...and now for the Anglos.

I heard boot stories at almost every stop I made in Santa Fe, so many that a few pairs began to take on personalities of their own.

I heard about one pair of boots designed and worn by Tyler Beard (made by Kimmel Boots), which were spotted and bought back (mostly in jest) by Jim Arndt more than a two decades after the Tyler and the boots had parted ways. Then there was another pair of size 12's that I swear were worn by nearly every man I talked to ...past back and forth ...until the boots were eventually bought back by their original owner years later. Wacky.

Lynné and Larry do their best to keep a selection of "collectible" boots on hand...but those hard-to-find makers' labels, fancy inlays and "cloth pulls" will cost you extra. And there are always few boots in the corner, not for sale...but as ever-changing collection of conversation starters.

Cowboy Legends
227 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (map)
www.cowboylegendsofsantafe.com
(505) 989-1554

— Click here to see more cowboy boots in Santa Fe, NM.

Tips on visiting a custom bootshop

1. Always make an appointment! Many bootmakers have their shops at home. Business hours vary greatly...for good and for bad.

2. Ask if there are photos or cowboy boots in the shop for you to see. When bootmakers know you're coming sometimes they can hold on to a finished pair for a little while before shipping them out. I've been places where the only boots in the shop were the ones on the bootmaker's feet.

3. Don't do too much drinkin' or dancin' the night before your visit. If your feet are unusually swollen it will interfere with your measurments. (This can go for long airplane rides as well.) Most people like afternoon appointments because it's often a "happy medium" for boot fit.

4. Bring your checkbook. Relatively few bootmakers take credit cards. Most often when you buy a pair of custom cowboy boots you'll be asked to pay half the amount at the time of the order, and the rest when your boots are finished.

5. Wear clean socks. Pick a pair similar to the ones you are planning on wearing with your boots. Your foot measurements will be taken with your pant legs pulled up and your socks on.

6. Put the bootmaker's phone number on your cell phone's speed dial ...some bootshops are really "off the beaten path."

7. Be honest with the bootmaker and respectful of their time. In one-person shops all bootmaking stops when you walk in the door. If you are just stopping by to say "howdy" and look at their work—make it a short visit. Bootmakers will gladly take your measurements if you're a serious customer, but staying two hours, getting fitting and planning out a pair of boot that you never order ...just isn't cool.

PHOTO: After 15 years of bootmaking, Brian Thomas has just opened his shop in Abilene, Texas. Better act fast before his waitlist gets too long! Contact Mr. Thomas at B17CREWDOG@aol.com (...or phone 325-672-2344.)