Cowboy Boots

[Hurricane Jack]

Also I think the order book is now closed for new orders of Custom Mercury boots.

I figured the order book was closed.

Last updated about a year ago, this is Jennifer June's most recent boot maker list.

BB I had no idea that Bo Riddle was still around, if he actually is. That list definitely needs to be updated.

 

[Bamaboots]

BB I had no idea that Bo Riddle was still around, if he actually is. That list definitely needs to be updated.

I haven’t seen anything from him in years. I’m not sure how deep she dug on this update as I noticed she still has Chris Bennett on the list too.

 

[Trouser Bark]

I'm wearing a pair of custom cowboy boots right now. IIRC they were made in one day including the initial sizing. Made in Mexico and they've lasted roughly 2-3 decades so far w/out being completely clapped out. Five grand and three years though. That shop needs some Mexicans for sure.

 

[Fifty150]

a 3 year wait

start at $5,000..

for $1,000

they take about a year

Five grand and three years though. That shop needs some Mexicans for sure.

I'm not worthy. I just haven't reached that level of sophistication. I lack the class and refinement to appreciate that level of a shoe.​

 

[Bamaboots]

I don’t believe it.

 

[jeepTj98]

I haven't the slightest clue why, but recently I've had a desire to purchase a pair of cowboy boots.

It really doesn't fit with my style, which is exclusively khakis, collared shirt, fedora, but it is one of those itches... :kick:

I am just lucky I haven't happened across my size yet. How bad an idea is it? I was hoping I could depend on The Fedora Lounge to finally convince me not to go through with it and drop the idea all together.

I’ve been wearing western boots as far back as I can remember, mostly because of the comfort. They are affordable, they last forever and you don’t need to worry about replacing the cushion insole because the boots you want are the all leather insole. I wear them all day at work and being a plumber they are perfect. I highly recommend hondo boots. They are traditionally made, leather insole ( the leather will mold to your foot) and leather throughout. You can also wear them with just about anything and they always look appealing. I’ve worn them to work, come home and condition and clean man’s they look new again.. there’s a young man on YouTube that I would recommend you watching. His name is Jeremiah Craig and he talks western style or cowboy boots and is very informative.

 

[jeepTj98]

I just realized i responded to a posting from 2005 lol.. I’m also having trouble with this app today. It’s all over the place!

 

[Jonanah]

I just realized i responded to a posting from 2005 lol.. I’m also having trouble with this app today. It’s all over the place!

The elusive two-decade necropost haha

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I'm wearing a pair of custom cowboy boots right now. IIRC they were made in one day including the initial sizing. Made in Mexico and they've lasted roughly 2-3 decades so far w/out being completely clapped out. Five grand and three years though. That shop needs some Mexicans for sure.

Apples to oranges.

 

[Bamaboots]

Apples to oranges.

Beat me to it.

 

[jeepTj98]

1980’s j Chisholm..

 

[Hurricane Jack]

1980’s j Chisholm..

Elephant. Wears like iron. Has since been outlawed for their protection. The only way to get another pair would be to find them on the resellers market.

They are worth having rebuilt with half soles & heels if/when it comes to that.

 

[jeepTj98]

Elephant. Wears like iron. Has since been outlawed for their protection. The only way to get another pair would be to find them on the resellers market.

They are worth having rebuilt with half soles & heels if/when it comes to that.

I’ve always wanted some but never wanted to spend the money for them. These Chisholm boots fit very well and have that look to them but I’m not sure what kind of leather it is.. I bought them used many years ago. I normally wouldn’t purchase a used pair of boots but these looked almost new..

 

[Trouser Bark]

Apples to oranges.

No doubt ...but what specifically aside from a cushy marketing program and a righteous margin for mfg and seller does the 20x price provide?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

No doubt ...but what specifically aside from a cushy marketing program and a righteous margin for mfg and seller does the 20x price provide?

I wouldn’t call a website a cushy marketing program. That & word of mouth is all a custom shop has for marketing. Custom boot makers are mostly one or two man shops. They are not some boot factory. Custom made boots are commissioned by the buyer directly to the boot maker. There is no distributor or retail seller pulling a righteous margin on custom made boots. It takes more than a day for the boot maker to just carve the last the vamp will be made on. With the number of man hrs that goes into a pair of made to measure custom boots the boot maker is lucky to make $20 - $30 per hr.

 

[大馬伕]

I have a pair of Tony Lama, which I bought from Tony Lama, in El Paso. I like the way they look. I won't wear them every day. My other shoes are more comfortable. Some people say that cowboy boots are comfortable enough to be worn for everything. I think that they are comfortable for doing nothing. Great when I go to court, or to the movies. Not for rock climbing, or when an angry ex is chasing you.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Went to Mercury Leather. Was hoping to get some custom boots measured. There is a 3 year wait and I knew they were expensive, start at $5,000..

With the number of man hrs that goes into a pair of made to measure custom boots the boot maker is lucky to make $20 - $30 per hr.

At 30 bucks an hour that's 160 man hours to make their cheapest set of cowhide boots? Chop out a couple hundred for hand selected hide and 150 hours still sounds ridiculous.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

At 30 bucks an hour that's 160 man hours to make their cheapest set of cowhide boots? Chop out a couple hundred for hand selected hide and 150 hours still sounds ridiculous.

These are the Mercury Leather $5,000 custom boots. And the type of customs in general we are talking about. You can’t make a pair of cutout, inlaid & overlaid boots in 150 hrs. And if Mercury Leather makes such a “righteous margin” at his prices why does he limit his order book to just 10 pair per yr? Why wouldn’t he “load up”?

Thanks for playing along at home. I’m done here.

 

[Bamaboots]

Nice post @Hurricane Jack and I've always loved that pic with Lisa Sorrell. Ms. Sorrell's base price for a pair of boots is $10,000 with a wait time of over a year. She once said, in regards to her pricing, that each pair represents about a month's work. She also offers an excellent online series about cowboy boot making with videos that cover boots from last building to finishing. For those who’d like to educate themselves a bit, here’s a link.

It's a Boot Life - YouTube

Here's an article that covers the life of boot maker Ray Jones. It requires actual reading, so I don't expect many to explore it. Jone's is famous in the boot world for a number of reasons and I've written about some of them here previously. One of the most notable points is that all of his boots were made with three rows of hand ****ing and some estimate as many as 300 lemonwood pegs were hammered into the bottoms of his boots. Let's see that done in a day.

Ray Jones: Texas’s Greatest Bootmaker? – Illume Connect

I’ve posted mine here before but here’s a fresh pic for those that tend to read back to front.

 

[jeepTj98]

These are the Mercury Leather $5,000 custom boots. And the type of customs in general we are talking about. You can’t make a pair of cutout, inlaid & overlaid boots in 150 hrs. And if Mercury Leather makes such a “righteous margin” at his prices why does he limit his order book to just 10 pair per yr? Why wouldn’t he “load up”?

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Thanks for playing along at home. I’m done here.

Holy cow those a beautiful!!