A couple of years ago, Steve Pinker visited Austin, and I urged him to try to get Lee Miller—in my view the best custom bootmaker in America—to make him a pair of cowboy boots. Miller isn’t taking new customers because he has a backlog of several years, but he did take Pinker, perhaps because of … Continue reading Steve Pinker’s new boots

I’m told that my boots will in fact be done tomorrow, and shipped shortly thereafter. The pictures, however, are a few days behind. Today’s bit is largely about the “toe boxes,” the thick piece of leather that protects the toes and also gives them an attractive boxy shape.  Cowboy boot toes come in a number … Continue reading My last pair of boots. 8. Toe boxes

Don’t ask me how many pair of cowboy boots I have; let’s just say it’s in the same ballpark as the number of Ymelda Marcos’s shoes. But I’ve filled my closets and so am getting just one more: a custom pair made by Lee Miller in Austin, Texas. I first visited Lee’s shop in March of … Continue reading My last pair of boots

 This is the next-to-last series of photos documenting the making of My Last Pair of Boots by Lee Miller of Austin Texas.  They’re actually done and have been shipped, but many bootmakers are superstitious and don’t like to show the finished product until they’re sure it fits, so I’ll put up the final series after I … Continue reading My last pair of boots. 10. Finishing the bottoms

I believe my boots are almost done, but we’re behind on the photographs. All will be revealed! The boots are by Lee Miller of Austin, Texas, and the photos and captions (indented) by Carrlyn Miller. I have no idea how anyone manages to stitch in such intricate ways! Here we are going to begin to … Continue reading My last pair of boots. 6. Finishing the tops

Here are the latest photos on the progress of my Last Pair of Boots, under construction by the estimable Lee Miller of Austin, Texas. They were sent, and the captions written, by Lee’s wife and business partner Carrlyn. You can see how laborious it is to make this kind of inlaid decoration of the tops (“shafts”). It won’t be … Continue reading My last pair of boots. 4a: Decorating the shafts

 My boots, made by the estimable Lee Miller of Austin, Texas, are supposed to be ready today, so I should get them in the mail next week. The pictures are a few days behind, but we’ll continue today with the “bottom work”: putting on the shank (a hammered nail to give support in the arch), … Continue reading My last pair of boots. 9. The shank and insoles

Here is part four of the sequence showing the making of my Last Pair of Cowboy Boots, constructed by the famous Lee Miller of Austin Texas. They’re a fancy custom pair, and today you’ll get an idea of the design. (See previous parts here: initial fitting and construction, parts 1, 2 and 3). The notes below are … Continue reading My last pair of boots. Part 4: Design and tops