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Handmade boots. Real people. A city stitched with legacy. El Paso, Texas, is a city built by makers. Known for its vibrant culture, deep-rooted traditions, and unmatched craftsmanship, El Paso has officially earned the title of the Boot Capital of Texas as of May 20, 2025, and for good reason.
For over a century, the city has been home to generations of master bootmakers and artisans whose hands bring leather to life. With every stitch, they’ve built a legacy of authentic, handcrafted cowboy boots worn by everyone from ranchers to celebrities like Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift, to even prestigious fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Ralph Lauren, to name a few.
Meet the Makers: El Paso’s Iconic Bootmakers. These five celebrated bootmakers showcase the soul of the city’s bootmaking tradition, and each create art you can wear, rooted in culture, and built to last. Warning: you might fall in love with a pair (or two)
Founded by Marty Snortum and partner “Boss Lady” Nevena Christi, Rocketbuster Boots is where bold design meets classic craftsmanship, and every pair tells a story. Based in Downtown El Paso, Rocketbuster is anything but ordinary. Their custom boots are handcrafted from scratch, inspired by the wild, imaginative ideas of their clients, and brought to life by a talented team who hand-carve, paint, and stitch each detail in-house.
The origin of Rocketbuster is just as legendary as its boots. One night at a bar, a stranger noticed Marty’s 1953 Cadillac Hearse and offered him a trade, the entire assets of a small cowboy boot company. Marty, a longtime collector of vintage ray guns and cowboy boots, shook hands and walked away with the company, Rocketbuster. The name immediately resonated with his love for space and western flair. With Nevena’s background in textiles and design, and Marty’s creative vision, Rocketbuster quickly evolved into one of El Paso’s most iconic and offbeat bootmakers. Their designs range from classic western styles to wildly unique looks featuring metal accents, tooled hooks, and vivid hand-painted art. While the designs are bold, Rocketbuster uses only high-quality leather to ensure longevity and durability. “These aren’t boots made to be worn out, they’re built to last,” said Nevena.
Fun fact: In 1999, Rocketbuster held a Guinness World Record for creating the World’s Largest Cowboy Boots, a jaw-dropping size 328-D. You can tour the store and sit next to these Instagram worthy boots, which Nevena calls the “El Paso Game of Thrones Experience” with an armchair look and feel.
Gerardo Guerra, founder of Black Jack Boots, began his journey in bootmaking as a young child working with his father in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. With no days off or vacations, he learned the craft the old-fashioned way, through hands-on experience. After moving to El Paso with his family at age 11, Gerardo continued honing his skills. By the time he was in college, he was working part-time at a local boot factory, and it was then he realized his true calling.
In 1996, after more than a decade working with some of the best bootmakers in the business, Gerardo decided it was time to start something of his own. What was originally meant to be a small workshop quickly gained national attention, particularly for Black Jack’s exceptional American alligator boots. The company grew from a modest 3,000-square-foot space with only three employees into an 18,000-square-foot facility with a team of over 28 skilled artisans. Today, Black Jack Boots are sold in major retailers like Cavender’s Boot City, The Boot Store, and many others across the U.S. Black Jack’s rise was also fueled by innovation, by creating the square toe boot, which went on to become a major trend in western wear fashion. Gerardo considers bootmaking a true art form, where every pair reflects quality, passion, and craftsmanship. His team works with exotic and smooth leathers, including crocodile, ostrich, lizard, and more, and every boot features solid leather-stacked heels for durability and longevity.
What sets Black Jack apart is the strong sense of unity and tradition within the team, many of whom are part of El Paso’s longstanding bootmaking culture. “Everybody right now in the boot industry is working together,” Gerardo says, and he is proud that El Paso is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. Black Jack Boots reflects one man’s journey, his family’s legacy, and the long-standing craftsmanship that represents what being the Boot Capital of Texas truly is.
Born and raised between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Pedro Muñoz grew up immersed in the “vaquero lifestyle.” Pedro grew up riding horses around his family’s cattle ranch in Mexico, and he fell in love with cowboy culture at a young age. He received his first pair of boots at just six years old, and 45 years later, that spark has grown into a full-blown legacy through his company: Stallion Boots & Leather Goods.
In 1980, Pedro launched Stallion with a mission to preserve the art of true handmade craftsmanship. What began as a small custom boot operation has evolved into a global name in luxury western wear. His team of artisans, many of whom began as apprentices and have since brought in their own family members, are the heart of Stallion’s workshop. Pedro is passionate about mentoring the younger generations, hiring young craftspeople who share the same light and drive he had when he started. For Pedro, his bootmaking team is his family, and Stallion Boots is proof that heritage, pride, and craftsmanship can thrive across borders. Despite speaking two languages, they all share one: the language of boots.
Stallion’s boots are known for their striking silhouettes. From soft-tanned alligator and crocodile to calfskin, ostrich, stingray, lizard, kangaroo, and exotic snakes, Stallion works with nearly every hide imaginable. One of their boldest innovations? They are currently the only company in the world using fossilized walrus and mammoth ivory, carved into wearable art in exclusive boot designs. Stallion Boots continues to reflect Pedro’s lifelong passion: to keep bootmaking alive, rooted in craftsmanship, and passed on to the next generation.
Founded by Thomas Arditti in 1999, Tomasso Arditti Boots is a true tribute to the lost art of traditional bootmaking, a craft defined by patience, precision, and passion. While his family encouraged him to pursue a career in law, Thomas followed his own path, driven by a love for fine leather goods like shoes, belts, and wallets. What he created instead is now one of the most respected luxury boot brands in Texas and a name known well beyond state lines.
Unlike mass-produced footwear, Thomas Arditti prides in his boots being made to order and made to measure, all built one pair at a time by real people, and not machines. Each boot goes through more than 100+ steps, from hand-selecting and matching the skins to cutting, hand-stitching, and hand-welting with lemonwood pegs, chosen specifically for their flexibility and durability. The boots are sewn freehand on a 100-year-old, 3115 sewing machine, a technique that is nearly extinct in the modern boot world.
Thomas works with a tight-knit team of second-and third-generation bootmakers, each with decades of experience. Their combined knowledge makes Tomasso Arditti one of the few remaining brands in the country to practice “freehand topstitching,” says Thomas. This company creates boots that are not just worn but admired by many in the community.
From alligator and calfskin to hippopotamus and rattlesnake, Tomasso Arditti sources some of the most luxurious and exotic leathers available. Their offerings include classic cowboy boots, ankle boots, and high-end accessories that appeal to clients who crave rarity and refinement.
Recognized by Texas Monthly as one of the Top 25 Custom Bootmakers in Texas, Tomasso Arditti has also crafted boots for icons like Pope Francis, Marilyn Manson, and Mikhail Gorbachev a testament to the brand’s global appeal and timeless artistry.
A 100-year-old family brand, CABOOTS (short for Champion Attitude Boots) is led by fourth-generation bootmakers Priscilla Sanchez and Joey Sanchez, who proudly carry on their family's legacy in El Paso. CABOOTS has been officially recognized by the Texas Historical Commission and honored with the Texas Treasure Business Award, a distinction awarded to businesses that have contributed to the state's cultural and economic heritage for more than 50 years.
The story of CABOOTS began when Joey Sanchez’s great-grandfather immigrated from Guanajuato, Mexico. He started out by making boots for the Fort Bliss Cavalry and eventually launching his own family business. Over the years, CABOOTS has crafted boots for rock stars, movie stars, and icons like Denise DiNovi. Their boots have a rock-and-roll edge, boldly expressive and full of attitude. The name “Champion” was inspired by Joey’s great-uncle, a champion wrestler in El Paso. Their original shop sat across from a shoe repair store, where passersby would ask to see “the champion.” Over time, the nickname stuck and evolved into the brand we now know as CABOOTS.
CABOOTS also had a role in more significant moments in history like the Bracero Program, which brought in talented artisans from Mexico to the United States. At one point, CABOOT's monthly production hit 10,000 pairs, a strong testament to their dedication to bootmaking in El Paso and the industry overall.
By preserving their craft over the years, CABOOTS have secured their position as one of the most recognizable bootmaking families in the city. The Sanchez family has contributed to the development of El Paso's bootmaking heritage and the legacy is carried on proudly.
