A short history of the Cowboy Boot
From early times horsemen have worn protective footwear. Tall top boots were worn in the fifth century by Attila's cavalry, twelve-century Genghis Khan's horsemen and North American Spanish settlers and Mexican vaqueros. The American cowboy recognized the importance of the vaqueros boot and in the 1860's adapted the tall top, hard leather and heavy soled style into a higher heel version that became the foundation for cowboy boot styles that exist today.
The earlier boots combined the lower heel of British Wellingtons and various US Cavalry styles. By 1870 the stovepipe or cattlemen's style became the popular choice with black, 14 inch or higher shafts and level tops. About 1900 the first toe wrinkles appeared on cowboy boots to make the vamps flat and smooth and around 1915 the "toe bug" as it now called added a floral twist to the wrinkle. The shaft stitching was the cobbler's method for securing the outside leather to the lining as the existing glues and adhesives were insufficient to maintain the required strength.
Over time the shaft stitching got fancier and fancier and western lore has it that boots were retail priced by the rows of stitching, one row $10, two rows $20, three rows $30 and so on. By the 1920's when Hollywood started featuring cowboys, the styles included multicolor stitching, brightly colored inlays and exotic leathers.
Many small boot companies started in business to support not only the cowboy but also the large number of US Cavalry men that were transferred from Civil war duty to taming the west. Some of the companies grew and survived are still in existence today making cowboy (and cowgirl) boots for both horsemen and urban consumers.
Justin Boot Company started in 1879 with Big Daddy Joe Justin in Spanish Fort, Texas near the Chisholm Trail. Cowboys passing thru would order boots from Joe and pick them up on their return trip. When the railroad was extending west just 18 miles south thru Nocona, Justin picked up and moved to Nocona, Texas.
In 1908 Justin Boot Company became H.J. Justin & Sons when Joe's two sons
(John & Earl) became full partners. In 1925 the sons moved to a larger
facility in Fort Worth but their sister Enid stayed behind in Nocona and
started a competing boot company she called Nocona Boot Company. In 1981 Enid
Justin retired and sold Nocona Boot Company to her nephew John Jr. who was
then President and sole owner of Justin Industries. Miss Enid continued to
serve as honorary chairman of the Board and consultant for Nocona Boots
until her death in 1990.
Tony Lama learned the shoe industry
growing up in upstate New York. He worked from 1900 to 1912 as a cobbler
for the US Army at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas and started his own boot
repair business in 1912. Local ranchers would provide him cowhides and
request that he build them new boots. As his reputation for quality grew
throughout the southwest, business expanded and he started make boots for
other retailers throughout the region. In 1970 Tony Lama, Sr. died and his
son Tony Lama, Jr. took over and continued to expand the company. In 1977
Tony Lama, Jr. hired Sam Lucchese, Jr. as director of research and
development. Sam had had sold the famous Lucchese Boot Company to a division of Wrangler Jeans because of
health problems. Sam Jr was in this role until his death in 1980. In 1990,
when Tony Lama Jr. wished to retire he sold Tony Lama Boot Company to Justin
Industries. Prior to his death in early 2001 John Justin sold Justin
Industries to Warren Buffet and his Berkshire
Hathaway Family of Companies. Today Justin Industries, still
headquartered in Ft. Worth, Texas owns Justin Boot Company, Nocona Boot
Company, Tony Lama Boot Company and Chippewa Boot
Company.
Lucchese Boot Company started in 1883 in
San Antonio, Texas when Sam Lucchese Sr. and his five brothers from Italy
started repairing and making shoes and boots, mainly for the US Army and
Cavalry. There were many other boot makers in the San Antonio area because
of the army presence but Sam's dedication to quality and production
efficiency carried the company forward.
Sam's son Cosimo disagreed with
his Dad's production methods and caused his own son Sam Jr. to leave the
company to work for Acme Boot Company for 4 years before returning as
President of Lucchese Boot Company in 1961 when his father Cosimo died. Sam,
Jr. believed it was possible to increase production while maintaining the
highest Lucchese standards for boot making and Lucchese was considered the
finest line of western boots in the United States.
Lucchese's customer
list reads like a who's who of American icons and European royalty: Teddy
Roosevelt, Will Rogers, John Wayne, Lyndon Johnson, Johnny Cash, the
Rockefeller family and assorted kings, queens and shahs.
The Lucchese
ownership has changed over the years from Lucchese family ownership, to Wrangler, to Acme Boot to Hat Brands, the
owner of Stetson, Resistol and Charlie
One-Horse but now Lucchese is an independent boot company continuing Sam's dedication to producing the finest fit, construction and highest quality achievable by master boot makers.
Today, some people consider the cowboy boot as a fashion accessory. However, authentic cowboy boots have been endorsed by the American Medical Podiatric Association and have always provided the necessary arch and foot support required to have "happy feet" at the end of a hard workday. It is always recommended that you have your both feet sized and properly fitted for your cowboy boots by experienced and knowledgeable western dealers to assure the comfort and foot support that helped the American cowboy tame the wild west..
Sources:
http://www.justinboots.com/en/heritage.html
http://www.noconaboots.com/history/default.asp
http://www.tonylama.com/en/heritage.html
http://www.lucchese.com/history.php
http://www.lucchese.com/legend_video.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acme_Boots
|