With Matt Dillahunty accompanying me (he likes and wears cowboy boots), I visited Lee Miller’s shop in Austin yesterday (“Texas Traditions”) and, with the help of Lee and Carrlyn—his wife, shop manager, and sometime helper—I got measured and ordered a fancy pair of custom boots.
As I mentioned two days ago, I consider Lee the best bootmaker in the U.S. (ergo in the world), and he makes boots for all kinds of people, famous and unknown. One of them is Lyle Lovett, a steady customer who has brought some of his friends (including Lauren Bacall) to Texas Traditions for custom boots.
My boots won’t be ready for 4-5 months: they’re going to be really special, but you’ll have to wait to see them. When I went to the shop for the 2.5 hour process (a half hour of measuring my feet, and two hours to pick the colors, leather, design, stitching, heels, toe, pulls, toe bug, etc. etc.), I of course couldn’t show up sporting pedestrian footwear, as that would be declassé. So I wore a fancy pair of boots that another famous bootmaker, Terry Stanley, made for himself and then gave to his shop manager in El Paso (Stanley and I are the same size, 9D). I bought them from the manager.
They are old boots made of pangolin hide, and have really complex stitching and an inlaid “S” in pangolin on the front (partly visible in the photo below). Lee was impressed by them, as they’re really lovely boots, so he took a photo and posted it on his Instagram account. Lo and behold, the “likes” came in immediately, and one of them was from Lovett. So here’s my soupçon of fame:
Matt took pictures of the measuring process, and I took others of Lee, Carrlyn, and one pair of very famous boots. Those will be posted soon. Meanwhile, go here to see photos of Lee’s shop and boots taken when I first visited over five years ago.
Very nice, but I hope no one makes pangolin hide boots now – all species are very threatened, particularly as pangolins are the most trafficked rare animal – http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/news/pangolin-range-states-meeting-protecting-world%E2%80%99s-most-trafficked-mammal
Darren Naish’s TetZoo fat SciAm covered pangolins this week –
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/surprises-from-placental-mammal-phylogeny-1-pangolins-are-close-kin-of-carnivorans/
Nope, their importation and manufacture of products from the hides is now forbidden. I think they still make them in Mexico, where every regulation is flouted, including the prohibition of importing and selling anything made from sea turtle hides , which are regulations in the US. You can still see sea turtle boots for sale on eBay, and when I see them I report them, but eBay has never done anything about this.
That’s pretty neat, liked by Lyle Lovett! Looking forward to seeing the result. And, are these the first boots you”ll have that are custom-made for yourself?
By the way, I was at the most recent Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas and one of the Sunday Papers was a fascinating talk about a legal cult — meaning a cult among lawyers. It was titled “Kool-Aid and Cowboy Boots: Ideological Totalism in the Practice of the Law.”
I mention it because the charismatic group Leader wears regularly wears cowboy boots and his devoted followers therefore frequently adopt the same footwear style, in courtrooms if they can. So be aware. Someone might mistake you for a lawyer.
I told this story to my daughter, who’s currently studying for the Bar exam, and she said no way would any lawyer get away with wearing cowboy boots in a Charleston SC court of law. She can’t even get away with a pants suit in most of them.
“I told this story to my daughter, who’s currently studying for the Bar exam, and she said no way would any lawyer get away with wearing cowboy boots in a Charleston SC court of law.”
Well if the boots are smooth leather or eel skin, and one doesn’t reveal the shaft of the boot, what the bloody heck is the problem? Must one show shoes with laces? Are there legal “canons” addressing this? Is there a bloody law agin boots of any sort? This is simply men, as is their wont, trying to control women! I believe that I would test that and let the judge deal with the bloody public ridicule and embarrassment, if he thinks he could bear up under and get away with it! He just might in South Carolina, Bob Jones University Country!
“She can’t even get away with a pants suit in most of them.”
So, can male lawyers get away with their versions of “pants suits”? Does the judge want women to wear skirts/dresses so they have to watch how they cross their legs? Does he want the opportunity to be able to see up their skirts?!?
I don’t know — and now is not a good time to ask her. From what she’s told me previously, it probably relates to some of the judges being particularly old-fashioned or conservative… and bossy about “their” courtroom.
Some battles you fight; some you strategically don’t. You’re probably right about the boots passing muster if they’re covered enough to look like shoes, though.
Of course, the “S” now stands for “strident”, no?
Nothing quite like an evolutionary biologist setting fashion trends!! Good for you Jerry!!
Now I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished product. There’ll be plenty of head assplosion when all is said and done, I predict….
b&
Beautiful boots! Can’t wait to see the new ones. My envy will shade me quite a deep green as I stroll around in my workaday Ariats 🙂
Enjoy.
Any recommendations for a first time boot purchase? I’d like something nice but not too expensive.
How expensive? I presume you want a quality boot that won’t fall apart and will last you for years.
Definitely something that will last. Don’t mind splurging for something nice. Lets say somewhere in 400-700 $ range.
Being my first boot, I’d probably get something relatively plain if that helps narrow down the possible recommendations.
So if Lyle likes them, it follows that Mary Chapin Carpenter likes them too.
So won’t you let me help you Prof’sor
Just pull your boots on the way I do
And buy your pants just a little longer
And next time somebody laughs at you
You just tell ’em you’re not from Texas
That’s right you’re not from Texas
That’s right you’re not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
Just wearing those boots would make me feel twice the man I am without them.
“A beautiful T.O. Stanley boot came in today.” Just the one boot, all by itself.
I am so jelly.
Nice boot!