Where are your custom cowboy boots? You ordered them over a year ago…and they’re still three months late?!

First off, I’ve never met a bootmaker who was behind by just one pair, so please don’t take it personally. Every boot shop, is going to have periodic problems with being short handed. I’m afraid this is nothing new, I came across a 1911 quote from Charles Hyer complaining about this very thing. For a one person shop it’s often life events like family births, deaths, illnesses…even holidays, or a brief trip out of town can get the orders off schedule . Even slightly bigger shops face these same interruptions, as well as the challenge of replacing skilled workers who want to retire.

The nature of custom work also makes it often difficult to estimate a completion date. Unusual leather colors, and exotic hides are ordered specially for each pair of boot, rarely is it material the bootmaker has on hand. Sometimes these materials are hard to locate and get in the shop. Suppliers are continually changing their stock. Bootmakers are also confronted by new boot designs, materials and hard to fit customers which are difficult to plan for.

All these things can have a cumulative effect, putting a bootmaker months or even a year behind.

A big part of custom bootmaking is the ongoing relationship you build with your bootmaker. Your bootmaker doesn’t like being late with your order, anymore than you do. Bootmakers make their living on repeat business.

A few calls to your bootshop (probably not more than once a month) may help keep your order on track, but treat the person on the other end of the phone kindly. This might be a bit metaphysical for you, but I think that part of what makes handmade boots special, is the care and personal energy that goes into making them. I think when the bootmaker is full of good will towards their customer it makes a difference in how the boot fits, looks and wears.

“To lose patience is to lose the battle.”–Mahatma Gandhi