Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

I’m in England for a shoemaking conference and this morning I gave an hour-long seminar on skiving techniques after the conference ended, for a small group of students that attended.

Introducing: “Somewhere Between Right And Wrong”

I saw a boot constructed like this somewhere online (I don’t remember the shoemaker but the boots were bright blue) and I was immediately obsessed with the way the quarter is inserted into the vamp. I made several changes but I copied that detail. Then, because I’m still a very inexperienced shoemaker, I put these uppers together in my head several times so I’d understand how they were constructed and the order they needed to go together. It worked too — once the day came that I actually sewed all the pieces together, everything worked as anticipated.

Spending an afternoon with Satan and Joshua Hedley. I could get more work done if I’d stop turning up the music and dancing.

I laid, stitched, and pegged three pairs of cowboy boot soles this week.

Also, this update makes me think of my daughter Paige, who asked me once in a shocked and tentative tone if I knew there were words in boot making that meant *other things.*