The Art of Bootmaking

Making high-quality boots is truly a work of art.

flatlay of sketches of cowboy boots and pieces of leather

Justin has been handcrafting western footwear since 1879, when our founder H.J. Justin first mastered the art of bootmaking. He then established our industry-leading brand, which continues to pride itself on designing high-quality boots more than 140 years later.

Our product designers spend months sketching beautiful and functional designs working directly with our factories to identify the best materials available. At our El Paso factory alone, more than 90 bookmakers and artisans touch every pair of boots made through our 135-step process.

Hand-drawn illustrations by Rudolfo Pachecoh of a Texas boot featuring the Alamo, bluebonnets, oil fields, and longhorns.

Hand-drawn illustration by Rudolfo Pachecoh of a boot, along with his unique stitch and inlay patterns.

Among the many world-renowned boot designers who have proudly worn the Justin name, Rudolfo Pachecoh certainly left his mark on our legendary boot brand. Pachecoh was a true artist known for conceptualizing a design on paper and then putting it into leather.

As the company's chief custom designer at the time, he led the design of our collegiate boot collection and boots for several notable celebrities. In particular, in the mid-1960s, Pachecoh famously built a custom pair of boots for Golden Globe Award Winner Jayne Mansfield.

Learn more about the Justin story.