Tag Archives: bespoke

I can’t stop playing with asymmetry. I love a design that isn’t symmetrical but it is balanced, so that’s always my goal.

One more update from my weekend: Every year since 1993, I’ve attended the Boot and Saddlemakers Roundup in Wichita Falls, Texas. An important part of the event is the boot making competition, where we all create our very best work … Continue reading →

Several years ago — at least fifteen — I learned about the MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant and it changed my life. My initial goal was (of course) to win it someday, so I began reading about exactly what the qualifications … Continue reading →

My 2026 cowboy boot calendar has arrived and it’s available for purchase on the website!

Look what I found in my archives* this morning. I would have sworn to you that I am unable to do boot sketches but evidently at one point I did. This drawing has to be 25 years old and apparently … Continue reading →

Yesterday I posted a photo with the leather filler in the bottom of the boots. Today, in order, you can see the stitched-in shank, the shank cover (pegged but unsanded), and the final shaped shank cover. Also costarring my little … Continue reading →

The insides of cowboy boots make me happy. Also, you won’t get a neat end result unless you’re meticulous in the parts that don’t show.

The welt is that narrow strip of brown leather that I’ve sewn onto the boots by hand. The process of sewing on the welt is called inseaming, and it’s my favorite part of the boot making process. Well… inseaming and … Continue reading →

Boots and shoes are built around a last — the form that gives footwear its shape. Lasts used to be made of wood but now they’re typically made of plastic, which is heavier, and the heels are built and rough-shaped … Continue reading →