Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

Introducing: “In The Garden”

The only thing left to do on these little boots is put in the sock liner with my LS logo.

I did computer work until noon but then I got back into my shop and worked! I inseamed two pairs of boots and finished building the heels/pulled the last on a third pair.

Both cowboy boots are side seamed now, and both lace-up boots are lasted. The little lace-up boots fought back and I’m glad to be done.

You may notice that these boots are completely different than anything I’ve ever made before. I could see in my head exactly how I wanted them to look but I didn’t know if I had the skills to pattern them. Hey, it only took me three tries and I learned a lot! Let’s hope I remember some of it in case I ever need to do anything like this again.
Other than a slight curve at the top of the boots, the side seams are a straight line. All of the curves in the ankle area were creating by “springing” the pattern — positioning the front and back tongue in a way that forces a curve into the boots. One side seam has a sewn-down band covering the seam and one is a band that disguises a hidden zipper.

When I purchased this hand-dyed indigo alligator, I pinned a note to it reminding myself that whatever I made from the leather would be named “Crash Course in the Blues.” It’s a Steve Wariner tune with the line “she was a California angel wearing alligator shoes” although I always sang “boots” instead of “shoes.” I thought maybe a customer would come along for this piece of alligator but they never did so I claimed it for myself.
Now “Crash Course in the Blues” belong to me!

I almost got some boots finished today.

This is my original design and I feel it’s the best design I’ve ever done.

I was trained in design by Jay Griffith, who worked with Archer La Force, who worked with Gus Blucher, one of the early cowboy boot makers. I don’t remember ever seeing asymmetry in the work of Kansas boot makers — that appears to have entered the cowboy boot design lexicon through the work of the Mexican/border makers. It took me a long time to use asymmetry, especially in my flowers. I was trained to make very carefully symmetrical flowers but one day I stopped doing that and it improved my work immensely.