The temperature is predicted to be in the upper 50s (°F) today, and almost all the snow is gone. I do not think it will return. And so it’s time to break out the good boots. This pair of hornback American alligator boots comes from maker J.B. Hill of El Paso, custom produced for someone on the XXX Ranch (I’m sure I’ve shown these before). There’s gator trim on the shafts and pulls, too, shown in the second photo.
The shafts are “softy” buffalo, and you can see the stitched XXX Ranch logo, as well as the gator collar and initials of the owner in gator on the boot pulls. For some crazy reason, people don’t like to buy boots with other peoples’ initials on them, even if they don’t show, and so you can pick these things up at a bargain price on eBay. (Photo below taken with iPhone.)
Beautiful pair! How do you take care of shoes and boots? Shoes trees/wax/polish?
Cedar boot trees, a special leather cleaner, and applications of either Bick 4 leather conditioner or Meltonian colorless boot cream.
Those are gorgeous. I might have to start trolling eBay for boots.
Winter is over? I remember that a bit of snow returns just about this time every year.
I hope not – got off a plane at O’Hare on Saturday to find that the temp was 53 degrees F lower than it had been when I got on. That’s a difference you can really feel.
But it is warmer today – feels a little like mid-Jan in CA or Feb in TN. mutter, mutter, weather, mutter…..
I’m with you in the “who cares if someone else’s initials are on it camp,” K.B.! I’ve had a number of second-hand shirts with other men’s names on the breast. And in middle and high school I had a pre-owned bowling ball and carrying bag inscribed to “Jim Catfish King.” It only adds to the delight of owning perfectly serviceable and stylish items obtained for pennies on the retail dollar.
Especially with interesting names like “Catfish King.”
Right? I was never a good enough bowler to earn a nickname, much less one as colorful as that .
Those are a sweet pair of boots.
Mike