Tag Archives: bespoke

Many years ago I made a pair of boots that featured diving woodpeckers and I’ve always wondered what happened to them, because they were so obnoxiously wonderful. Tonight, I received an email from the client’s daughter. She kept the boots … Continue reading →

A pair of boots I’m stretching, and a pair of boots that are almost finished

Freshly-laid soles with a double row of wood pegs

I’m tired and don’t want to lay soles today, but when I prepare soles the day before and they’re ready, I don’t really have a choice. I’ve put the soles on three boots and this is the final one!

I spent a peaceful afternoon inseaming boots. Many boot makers won’t go home until they complete a pair, and I only did a pair and a half, but I figure that second boot will still be here tomorrow!

Hahaha! If you’ve heard the story of how I became a boot maker, you know that Jay Griffith–the first boot maker I worked for–was a grumpy old alcoholic who used to scream and cuss at his employees, which terrified me. … Continue reading →

Cowboy boot toes: The trick is making them match.

For those of you who were paying attention, there was no “It’s a Boot Life” video for November or December. Sometimes I have too much to do and cloning myself hasn’t worked out yet. For my January video I demonstrate … Continue reading →

I have a lovely trio of boots to keep me company in the shop today.