When I first saw this little boot made by custom bootmaker Carl Chappell, I was impressed.

Then, I learned little more …and I was absolutely amazed.

This tiny boot is accurate half scale size of a size 5.5 boot. It’s smaller than the trophy belt buckle it won in this year’s boot contest!

Not carved out of clay or cast in ceramic, this “replica” is made out of leather just like a “real” boot.

The cowboy boot took Mr. Chappell more than 60 hours of work. About the same time a full-size custom pair, but that doesn’t account for the additional 20-30 hours he spent making the specially-sized tools he needed.

He crafted a tiny crimping board, hot iron …as well as an inseaming and lasting jack.

The five rows of red and white stitching were sewn one-by-one, side-by-side, using a Singer 31-17 (manual .pdf) with a size 10 needle.

In order to get the look and feel of a quality custom cowboy boot, the kangaroo hide used for the boot top had to be reduced to half its normal thickness. The foot of the boot (vamp & counter) was made from the hide of a very young alligator, near animal’s armpit, in order that the hide’s “tiles” would be the right size.

(Click here for a slightly larger view of this miniature boot.)

What was the hardest part?

According to Chappell, it was stitching the sole. He filed the needle down on his 31-15 to create a special “hidden” sole stitch…one visible along the top of the welt, but not seen when looking at the bottom of the boot’s inked and buffed sole.

Oh, yeah…those tiny toe boxes weren’t easy either.

(Click here for more information about “How a Cowboy Boot is Made“)

Contact:

C.T. Chappell Boot Shop
Carl Chappell, Bootmaker
105 S. Main
Saint Jo, TX 76265
(940) 995-2901

Note: Mr. Chappell teaches bootmaking classes four times a year.

Photo of Carl Chappell taken by Randy Cooley, Oct 2005. (Thanks Randy!)