From an idea to the final product, a lot of planning, precision, and craftsmanship goes into making custom cowboy boots. From toe, heel, and top styles, to the type of leather you want, there many elements of the process that must take place before the following step can be completed.

Today let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at how a boot goes from design concept to finished product at Little’s.

More Than Just a Boot

Creating custom cowboy boots isn’t just a task; rather, it’s a painstaking process blending precision, creativity, and decades of extremely refined skill. It involves an understanding that every foot is unique, with each design reflecting the wearer’s personality. Every stitch, every design element weaves a tale.

When you wear a pair of custom cowboy boots, you are wearing a product that took months of dedication and attention to detail to create. The result isn’t just aesthetically pleasing but also combines durability and comfort that you just can’t get off the rack. Each pair of boots infuses a varied blend of rich tradition and modern innovation that becomes a unique creation of a skilled artisan.

What Goes into the Design Elements?

It all starts with an idea, a concept, a sketch. Many of the steps involved in bootmaking reflect those of age-old shoe making techniques. The first step is to take foot and calf measurements; the second step is to choose your leather, as well as the toe, heel, and top style.

When it comes to boot tops, this involves:

  • Preparing paper patterns
  • Cutting the tops, lining, pull straps, and front and back stays out of leather
  • Skiving edges of top pieces
  • Assembling tops
  • Sewing tops and pull-straps with overlays, inlays, and stitch patterns.

1. Choosing the Leather

There are many different types of leather you can choose from, including:

  • Ostrich
  • Crocodile and alligator
  • Elephant
  • Kangaroo
  • Calf

The artisans at Little’s meticulously choose and cut from corresponding portions of leather skins to ensure harmonious pattern matches.

From selecting the type and tone of the leather, to choosing inlays, overlays, beading, and stitching, this is where all the magic happens in regards to the truly customized portion of the design phase.

2. Choosing the Toe, Heel, and Top Styles

From a classic to modern look, you have limitless possibilities in choosing these important design elements to customize your boots:

  • Toe Style: Whether you like traditional round toes or sharp pointed toes, you can choose from square box, small round, medium round, and large round. The one you choose will depend on your preferences: more room for toes with round; less room with fancy pointed toes.
  • Heel Style: Take the purpose and function of the boots into consideration. From fashion to walking to riding heels, choose from 1 3/8 in. Flat Walking Slightly Tapered, 1 1/2 in. Flat Walking Tapered, or 1 5/8 in. Semi-Walking. If you’re going for comfort, try a lower block style. If you’re going for fashion, opt for a higher tapered heel.
  • Top Style: There are varying heights and beautiful designs available to capture your personality. This will essentially bring out the design of the whole boot.

3. Taking the Measurements

To ensure a precise, comfortable fit for your custom cowboy boots, your bootmaker will trace and measure your foot in various places to create the “last”. This is a polyethylene form shaped like your foot, and is the determining factor in the size and shape of the toe and the height of your boot. Custom measurements allow your bootmaker to adjust the last and the basis of your boot.

Now it’s time to create custom patterns and work with you to finalize the design. Your designer will tireless assess the Individual pieces of leather against one another to guarantee a precise match on both boots. From crafting vamps and creating custom insoles to stitching and beading, there are approximately 300 steps involved in building a pair of custom cowboy boots. Overall, it takes up to nine months to make a custom pair of cowboy boots.

The first consultation is just the first step in the journey. From tracing your foot on paper to handing you the finished product, we take great pride in the process.

In the end, you can count on:

  • Hand-selected materials (the finest leathers and materials, hand-selected for quality, durability, and beauty)
  • Precision in every stitch to uphold our commitment to perfection
  • Custom fit and comfort (your boots are tailored to your foot’s unique contours for a perfect fit) every time.

Contact Little’s Boot Company Today

Now that you know what’s involved in the long journey from concept to boot, book an appointment with us at (210) 923-2221 to kick off your custom boot design and fitting.