CUSTOM COWBOY BOOTS

CLASSIC AMERICAN WESTERN DESIGNS

Authentic Cowboy boots made to order!

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A pair of antique Krentler boot lasts from 1920s, next to
boots made last fall at CT Chapell's Boot School.

COWBOY BOOTS AS FINE ART

Cowboy boots offer what is considered by many, the best fitting footwear. On the style side, the limits are your imagination and what you are willing to spend on the boot. Then the fit of a custom made cowboy boot has some aspects other shoes can't offer. These are better weight distribution and heel mid-foot alignment, and the support of leather at the instep.

A cowboy boot has a 1.75" heel which is comfortable for men and women. It distributes the wearer's body weight evenly over the foot. Shoes with a lower heel put much of the weight on the heel. And women know the effects of heels 2" and over on their toes. Fitting the last, is when the bootmaker adjusts and the instep measure so the boot feels nearly broken in from the first wearing. Footwear with low heels can cause the foot muscles to work harder if you pronate. Professional athletes, like football players, choose athletic shoes a size smaller. So putting a size 13 foot in a 12.5 shoe tightens up the instep by 1/2" and shortens the to by 3/8th of an inch, and some skip socks, using powder instead. This closer fit giving them more feedback between the 'astro turf' and a better support since they spend so much time on their toes. This groined down a size is not recommended especially for walking. But your custom cowboy boots should be the right width measure and have toe room.

Attractive custom footwear is even more important because peoples' feet are changing from inter-cultural marriages. And footwear has changed in the last several decades and it fits people differently. A custom cowboy boot has more 'fit points' matched to your foot measurements than you would find in factory made shoes. I noticed technical thesis from Chinese graduate students discussing methods of reducing fit points in a last so it is easier to complete the shoe. The more fit points, the better the fit, the more precise the pattern, the more careful and timely the manufacturing process. Here is a shoe with few fit points: a croc clog, yet they give my niece blisters because her long, slim feet fall out of the shoes whose length is right.

IS STYLE EVERYTHING?
For cowboy boot makers, the old wooden lasts are often thought to have better a style, and classic lines. Their design in the 1910s added some features of women's boots, the dramatic arch or cone. Their fit allowed for long toes, joint room, and higher insteps. Bootmakers like these lasts because a custom fit with alot of style is created by adding layers of leather to fit the customers foot and restoring the style line with some sanding. A custom fit offers comfort, support and style without breaking in / breaking down the shoe.

Like many colonial artisans and craftsmen, the first last makers in America came from England. Most famous for their good fitting lasts, were the Hegg brothers, who later joined with Krentler, and then were bought by Western Last Company. These oldlasts fit the feet of leaner people whose feet had higher insteps and arches. But today people's feet are different with lower arches, more pronation and often enlarged big-toe joint. This is due to many factors: genetics, weight, growth conditions such as daily sneaker wearing from an early age, and flip-flops. These shoes offer little rear and mid-foot stability, and cause the foot bones to grow differently. The support from the Buster Brown oxfords children wore for in the early 20th century was important for foot health. If you are looking for an arch support, a cushion may not be your best solution. The Birkenstock Blue SIlk Footbeds with a 1.5 heel are my choice. Try them on before you order, you must fit the smaller foot.

WHO IS RIGHT?
A podiatric MD will say that the bunion is genetic. A pedorthist will tell you he can prevent the bunion by stabilizing the foot. Who is right?

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NEWS!

11/06/2008 Shoe pattern books on Amazon's CreateSpace.com .

There are about 15 pair vintage cowboy boot lasts are for sale - see the LASTS page. And I have two extra Singer top stitching machines. For technical information on how to make footwear, please check the BOOKS page. And please note that Rex Kelly is retiring this fall. The party is on October 31, 2008, and had generously invited Alvin Tostig to make the toast. For thouse of you who don't know Rex Kelly, he is the Gonzales, Texas rancher whose name was written on allfeed bags and adopted us as a mascot.

If you need a fit-kit or the latest style selection brochure, please send email.

Plastic Last with chisel toe

THE LAST MODEL

A boot or shoe is made by shaping wet, sewn material around a form of wood or plastic. This form called a 'last," is what gives the shoe it's fit and size, toe style, and permits the maker to attach the sole and heel. Lasts are cut by duplicating and grading machines called lathes, and have been so since late 1700s. US Government patents list lathe and duplicating machine patents many before 1900.

My Gilman brand, duplicating pattern lathe designed to make lasts, was preferred by last model makers in America. It was acquired in 2004, was sold in August 2008. locating some finally found some antique, authentic wood, Krentler/Western wood cowboy boot lasts from the 1920-40s were made on such a machine. These came from Edward Martin's Colorado shop, through Craig Harris at Harris Boots.

AMERICAN LAST HISTORY
Beginning in the early 20th century, last factories cut lasts four at a time on a Reed duplicating lathe. These wood lasts were sold to the shoe making company for about $1.50 per pair back in the 1940s.

Wood lasts are made of a special wood, known as rock-hard maple. Wood used for last making must be hard so the water used in lasting doesn't change the shape. The Roger Moor lumber company in Canada sold the pre-cut blocks of wood until 1993. Without the maple, last makers can use another wood found in Italy and named "carpeno." There is also a white beech tree found in Europe that is hard enough, and is used by German and Hungarian makers.

In production, wood lasts were under constant repair because bottom pegging pierced the wood in nearly the same place for each pair of boots made. Even though lasts were made from furniture-grade maple, worn lasts were considered worthless and burned for firewood. In the 1960s, a solution to the short-life of wood lasts appeared when more sophisticated plastics were created. One of the hardest materials was selected for lasts, HMW-HD-PE (High-Molecular-Weight, High-Density Polyethylene) is now used for lasts. New lasts ordered individually cost about $150 domestically. But expect this to increase as the cost of plastics, relative to the petroleum industry rise with gas prices.

Please send email if you have questions about the site, or the custom boots. Please support classic and custom footwear by buying our reprints on women's fashion shoes and shoe pattern designing.