Ask the Bootmaker Holly Henry

won awards at Wichita Falls and Sheridan
got a new client from Wichita Falls
- reached out on Facebook Messenger
- doesn’t really use Facebook much
- wife saw your boots at Wichita Falls
first time entering work at a trade show
had been to the shows with mentor as a vendor
Jim Brainard
extra pressure for show boots
never perfect
said “there goes my ribbon” a hundred times
finished them much faster than usual, over a couple weeks
were for a customer
many makers will take whatever boots they made most recently
entere two pairs, one a last-minute hustle
one was made pretty much just for show
get a kind of fever at a trade show, already planning what to do for next year
can ship boots in, but being there has an edge and excitement
weakest skill topstitching
been an apprentice for five years, mostly bottom work
can’t be in journeyman, since won an award
“do it scared”
professional photographer from age 14
on Flickr
went to school for it
felt out making saddles, but no uptake
took a class at art school, fell in love

Wichita Falls journeyman pair

two mentors, Jim and The Mad Tailor
worked for a few NYC hat makers after graduation
learned to sew, pattern with him
making things stand out
apprenticed with Zephan Parker in Houston
- she’s from Houston
- classic boot shop
- classic apprenticeship
- inseamed and bottomed hundreds of pairs
have only made about 10 boots start to finish, but lots of repair experience
learning to break boots down gets you thinking about how to construct
Jim is very good with machines
gotten strong helping move machines around
New York City, Texas, Colorado
not a city girl

true custom process
have people bring in boots for repair where measurements were mailed in, but boots don’t fit
“true custom”

“the politics of stitch patterns”
classic shops or makers have personal patterns
“you don’t touch those” unless you can ask them for permission
can be inspired by them
tries to maker her own, struggling with it
not hard to make them look classic, it’s mostly innate
Graham Ebner made armadillo getting abducted, with mushrooms, still look classic
Blucher Boots out of Oklahoma very distinctive, can see lineage in people who trained there

might be subconscious
proud to be in the minority
have a monthly Zoom call
many talented women now
“plot world domination”
everyone is welcoming, men and women
good to go to both trade shows, since people tend to only go to their local event

worked as a wrangler in Houston, went to Boot Barn to find a beater pair, couldn’t go back to off-the-shelf