Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

Title: :”Somewhere in Kansas”

Most of my clients would choose something from my portfolio and change it up a bit if they had ideas, but I had one customer that always wanted to give me some ideas and have me design something completely new just for her. She and her husband commissioned several pairs of boots and I used to be apprehensive about her orders every time — she was LOVELY, but I felt very inadequate as an artist and designing something new on demand scared me. Looking back now, I appreciate how she forced me out of my comfort zone. This pair of boots is an excellent example of how, with her encouragement and support, I surprised myself sometimes!

Title: “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again”

I created and ordered my 2023 cowboy boot calendar today. The website will allow orders but they won’t be in stock for a couple of weeks. www.sorrell.shop, on the home page

I remember once when I worked for Jay Griffith; we were making a pair of boots with a chocolate top and hot pink inlays. We didn’t have any hot pink thread so Jay told me to stitch around the hot pink inlays with red thread. I argued with him and came very close to refusing — completely convinced that he was wrong and the boots would look terrible — but when I finished, even I would have sworn that the red thread was indeed hot pink. That’s when I learned that thread colors on leather will surprise you occasionally and not look the way you imagined.

Boots are named “Always Wanting You”

Joe, the owner of these boots, was one of my very first customers when I started my own business. He stuck with me through poorly-made boots and boots that didn’t fit, and he always believed in me and encouraged me. I think it’s safe to say that Joe is one of the reasons I made it in the cowboy boot business — I can easily imagine giving up in despair without the support of customers like Joe.

This boot features a high vamp; the foot part extends up the leg. It’s technically difficult to do but he loved this style and requested it repeatedly until I finally worked up the courage to try it.

They’re named “Bluebonnet Lane” in honor of Joe’s home state of Texas.

A western lace-up boot is called a packer, and I believe this was the first pair of packers I made. As you can see, I always find opportunity for design in blank spaces. I made these boots for myself and they were never featured in a book — only on my own website — but a few years after making them I attended the Western English and Sales Association in Denver and found an exact copy of them in the booth of one of the boot factories. No one ever officially asks me to design for them but they sure find my work inspiring.