These Boots.......


Today was the day I finally visited Tucson's last remaining custom boot shop, Stewart Boot Company.  Victor Borg has owned the company since 1970 but its history goes back much further.
Owning a pair of custom-made cowgirl boots was a top item on my list of To Do's since I first moved to Tucson, AZ in 2007. Whenever the subject comes up in conversations with locals, I always get the same answer; you have got to go to Stewart Boot Company and have a consultation with Victor.  Several years ago, my airline seat mates on a flight from Tucson to Newark, NJ told me that while in Tucson on business they had made the pilgrimage to the Stewart Boot Company for their custom boots order.  How much longer was I going to wait to get the boots of my dreams?  
I researched other authentic cowboy/cowgirl boot manufacturers.  Lucchese's boots are nice looking.  But no one's boots came close to being comfortable to wear for more than a few minutes.   How did those cowboys do it, wearing their boots everywhere like a pair of well broken-in sneakers?  I still have my ol' trusty pair of Dingo boots from 1980, but my feet have changed quite a bit over the decades, and these boots are no longer as comfortable as I remember.  The idea of having shoes of any kind custom made always seemed like such an outrageous luxury that I kept putting it off for some future time when I was feeling more extravagant.  
Victor and Linda Borg's boot making shop is an anachronism sitting in an old section of South Tucson on a side street that doesn't see much traffic - except for those in the know visiting Stewart Boot Company.  On this early morning, in the middle of the week, on a sweltering June day, there were quite a few of us at the shop.  There were a couple of first-timers like me, along with several repeat customers, as well.  
I arrived at the shop a few minutes before the morning opening, greeting Victor and Linda as they drove up, parked, and proceeded to unlock the front door.   It's a vintage Tucson building constructed of old-style adobe brick, a few small windows, assorted cooling fans and no air-conditioning.  Victor went straight to work explaining the process of fitting me for my first pair of REAL COWGIRL BOOTS. As luck would have it, I had worn my driving mocs this day, which to Victor's trained eyes clearly mapped all the ways in which my feet and my body attempt to adapt to a pair of ill-fitting foot protection.  Victor told me this actually made his job much easier than if I had worn newer shoes or sneakers. After examining the insides and outsides of my shoes, he informed me that I have one foot that is slightly longer than the other, heels that are average width, feet that are wide width, and one arch that is shorter than the other.  Who knew?  Apparently, my collection of poorly fitting shoes have been the cause of my back and knee pain for more years than I care to count.
Then, we progressed to selecting the color, style, heel and stitching designs for my future boots.  As I was ushered into the bowels of the building, where the real work takes place, I was shown piles of animal skins tanned and ready to become boots, heavy-duty sewing machines and shoe-making machines dating back to the early days of the last century, all humming away under the expert hands of Victor's team of elite boot makers. The boot shop also contains an archive of every person's feet whoever purchased a pair of boots from Victor since the 1970's - all carefully cataloged and stored in boxes stacked to the ceiling in one room at the back of the building.  The outlines of my feet and the wooden forms created from those outlines will soon join this archive.  
Using my old Dingos as my starting point, I selected a rich brown leather, a low heel and a simple modest stitch design for the 10-inch boot tops and toes.  Victor promises me that these boots will fit me better than any shoe I have every owned, and I will even be able to dance country two-step in them all night!  
My grandfather learned the art and craft of shoe-making as a young man in Naples, Italy.   He owned and operated a shoe making and repair shop in Plainfield, NJ into his early 80's. I grew up going to his shop, being fascinated by the machines, and still love the smell of leather, polish, and glue all mixed together. My boots should be ready for final fitting and pick-up in about 7 months.  These are in memory of you, Grand-Pop.  Stay tuned.  

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