Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

I’ve been dreading starting this pair of boots for two reasons:
1.) Selecting the colors. These tops require several shades of green and I’m always worried I won’t have the right green. I mean, I do have probably the largest colored kangaroo selection in the world but there are many shades of green I don’t have and obviously I need more. Also, I’m talking about my own personal collection here and no none of it is for sale please don’t touch.
2.) I had to pull out every shade of green and all the other colors so I could compare them all and make the proper decision and now I have to put them all back in their little color coded spots.

My friend Michael lost his eye in a car accident and I’ve been making him nice leather eye patches. Once I found out he had a sense of humor about it, I got creative.

One pair of shoe uppers is done; now I need to start on some cowboy boot tops so I’ll have two pairs going. I rarely ever work on one pair of boots or shoes because there are times when something needs to dry. It’s not efficient to only have one project in the works — if you’re doing nothing while waiting for something to dry, you’re wasting time.

I finally have the quarters stitched for this little pair of tall lace-up shoes. I recently learned that this technique is called echo stitching. Even though I thought of it independently I didn’t invent it, but as far as I know I’m the first to do it on leather. It takes a VERY long time and I’m relieved it’s done and I can go on to more fun things, like putting all the pieces together.

Introducing: “After The Fire Is Gone”

I made this pair of boots in February of 2002, and they came back to be re-footed and remade this spring. I wasn’t naming my boots in 2002, but since they came back and I got to work on them again I decided to give them a proper title.

Gasp, wheeze, pant…
As I was pulling these lasts Flora and I were talking about how getting the last out can be such a point of worry. Having a last stuck in a boot is so stressful and it’s hard for little old me to pull them. I do have a last puller but sometimes you have to help ease them along by hand too.
But they’re out and we’re cruising now. All I need to do is shape the heels and then dye, ink, and polish them and the sole edges.

After laying and stitching the sole, the next step is pegging the soles. One of these soles has been pegged and the other has marking indicating where I’ll place the pegs on the second sole.

Immediately after taking this photo I sprayed the wood pegs several times. This will make them swell up like an angry porcupine and the sole won’t look nearly as pretty. But after they dry I can sand them flat without worrying they’ll swell up again when the wearer walks through puddles.

I came in yesterday to lay soles and stitch soles. These are both jobs that I don’t like being interrupted while doing so I often choose to do them on a weekend. If everything goes well it’s quick and easy, although I do like to wait and let the glue cure for 30-45 minutes before I rough-trim the sole edges prior to stitching. Some makers guide off of the last inside the boot when they stitch soles but I guide off the sole edge so it has to be trimmed to shape before I can stitch soles.
Today I’ll peg these soles and then the only thing left to do will be finish the soles and sole edges, and build the heels. Oh, and the reason one sole is darker than the other is because there’s always one sole that stays wetter longer than the other one.

I worked incredibly hard all day long, but only about an hour of it was in the boot shop so lacing in one pair of shanks is all I have to show for it. I did cut and prepare the shank covers and the soles and if I have any blessedly quiet moments I’ll be ready to go.

I finished the toes on the fire fighter boots this morning and inseamed them this afternoon; now I’m going home!