Made by one of the Trujilio brothers in the 1950’s, these cowboy boots are fondly known as the “Elvis Boots” …although, really the name inlaid on the front is “Ellis.”
They are beautiful and beat-up boots. The inlay is surrounded by tiny stitches in variegated thread. I can tell the design was carefully planned out by the tightly packed top, but the grassy green stitches along the edge of the vamp give it a playful improvised look.
The vamp musta been something to see, before some misguided soul inked over the red inlay. I guess he had his reasons.
Believe it or not, I own these boots. They were a generous gift from Bryce Sunderlin… who bought them from Tyler Beard years ago. These boots were photographed in The Art of the Boot (p. 37) and Cowboy Boots (p. 107.) I got them this summer, or they would have been in my book too.
Factory-made? Custom made? Take a peek inside the secret language of cowboy boot labels, signature stitches and inking. I’ve posted a bunch of photos of cowboy boot labels and signature stitches on Flickr. I’m hoping it’s a help to boot collectors and a tribute to makers.
Move your mouse over the photos to view extra notes and info.
Add your own photos to Flickr and join the fun! Points awarded for artistic merit. (If you run into to trouble you can e-mail me your photos and I will post them.)
This weekend is 16th annual High Noon Auction. This event has evolved into the country’s largest and most recognizable show and sale of Western Americana antique, fine art & memorabilia. This is no fleamarket…we are talking here about tablecloths and track lighting.
Even if you can’t make it to Phoenix by Saturday, you don’t have to miss any of the excitement. Here are the cowboy boots up for bid …and you cannow bid live & online through your eBay account!
