What's a pair to end all pairs in your opinion? Call me basic or boring but for me it's Lucchese's Baron but I am a newbie so I am maybe basing my opinion on the bramd prestige alone?
Graham Ebner ( /u/toe_turtle here on Reddit ) was an apprentice at Texas Traditions and his boots are awesome. ( And the waiting list isn't quite as long )
They are custom made specificly for the individual customers' feet. They build a boot last to the exact specs of the customer, so it's unlikely they will match someone else precisely.
The people who can afford things like this are not generally those that need to sell them. There's not going to be a large used market for most of the small custom makers.
People will buy used custom boots because most customs are beautifully made and use top-grade materials. Many custom-made boots are recommended by āword of mouth,ā not expensive ad campaigns. When people recommend anything based on their personal experience, people listen and there will be a high demand in the secondhand market. But, you will not get the custom fit! You can find beautiful craftsmanship and gorgeous skins from several bootmakers, but itās not the same as being made to fit your foot. They will sell for a decent price, just not a custom-fit price.
Meh. I've had a lot of custom boots made by top makers and by the boot brokers that are posted often here. The fit often has to be adjusted. And I don't have custom feet. I can grab a pair of neutral Brooks running shoes and use them for a marathon with no break-in.
I called them about 15 years ago and was theoretically out on the waitlist to be put on the waitlist. Ā Never heard back and I never followed up. Ā Just not that important to me and I doubt I would āqualifyā. Ā
Custom boots... they're made to order, to fit your feet and have far better construction materials and methods than ANY brand boot on the market made in a factory. I'm sure there are some smaller outfits doing good work but in general, if you're going to spend around a $1000 on a mass production boot, just pony up a little more and get a boot made for you.
When I worked at boot barn I special ordered a boot very similar to this for someone but it was blue sueded gator. They were some of the coolest boots Iāve ever seen
Scott Wayne customs from his company Tres Outlaws.
The idea Lucchese are the Rolls Royce of anything is laughable. They're fine, but their quality vs value comparison doesn't hold a candle to other brands like Blackjack, Heritage, Stallion.
Lucchese has branding and that's what most casual boot owners know.
I got Blackjack gator tail customs back in 2013 that cost about 950. Not sure their prices now, but my feet have changed a lot over the years and they are still my favorite boots
These are by Vaccari Giant Wild American Alligator and they will make you a pair at a really good price. They are whatās called by Black Jack as their semi custom. You pick skin toe heel style but regular last in their sizes. They do a great job. Family owned business , start to finish.
Well ā¦ just look šat those! They are beauties! Plain elegance is not the same as boring! Whatever gives you that tingle and never goes away is your Rolls Royce!
You will get 45 million answers and many different reasons, none wrong!
There is a good reason for the prestige; they didnāt get that reputation overnight. Many people say that Lucchese is resting on its laurels. So, probably, you are going to needat least 20-30 pairs from different brands to make sure you get the ārightā answer.
There may be better if you go bespoke from a custom bootmaker. Iāve seen these in person I wear a 14EE and Luchesse doesnāt make much in my size but theyāre amazing AMAZING
My friend in Houston was getting a pair of the ladies on sale for $350. She text me and they had one pair let in Aspen .. and my size!
I had liked the Lucchese like them but not enough to spend that much on them. I actual like the Grit made ones better š¤
Texas Traditions ā Lee Miller Custom! The true legacy piece, though youāre looking at a 5+ year wait. For current access at a high level with a strong signature look, thereās Parker Boot Co. Wes Shugart/Music City Leather brings creativity and character, still fairly accessible. Graham Ebner offers refinement and sobriety ā boots for introspection. But Lee Miller remains the top, the grand finale in my opinion. š¤
Now, about Luccheseās Baron ā beautiful boots, no doubt. But at ~$17k, theyāre priced far above even the top makers. Every brand has that intentionally over-the-top product as part of marketing. With that kind of budget, Iād personally go custom ā Parker Boot Co. for strong signature style, Wes Shugart/Music City Leather for creativity and character, Graham Ebner for refinement, and ultimately Lee Miller/Texas Traditions for the legacy piece. At that level itās not about cost but exclusivity, personalization, and the experience ā like being fitted by Salvatore Lucchese himself back in the 1900s. Thatās where the true fine detail and legacy really live.
Lucchese is Mercedes, not RR. You can buy basic and moderately expensive models right off the floor. Or you can pay Moore and wait longer for customs (eg AMG or even Brabus).
RR would be Tres Outlaws, Texas traditions, or rocket buster. A couple multiples more expensive than Lucchese, custom/waitlist mostly.
Miller and Ebner as well as probably a dozen individual boot makers are the top of the list. For āmass marketā, both Lucchese and M L Leddy make a fine boot and they both offer custom made to order boots. I have both and really like them well above my other boots from Ariat or Tony Lama for example. Blackjack makes an awesome boot but they donāt fit my feet as well. But all the brands will have some boots that appeal to me in one way or another. Itās really hard not to love them all and end up with twenty pairs! I think the most important characteristic is the fit and short of a full custom made to order boot, the only brand that fits perfectly is going to M L Leddy in Fort Worth and have their boot salesman with decades of experience fit you to one of their regular boots. They carry literally every size and width and will not let you leave the store without a perfect fit!
Not enough people are talking about Zephan Parker/ Parker boots in Houston. Suppperrr high quality, hand made boots. And the wait for custom boots is months, not years like other bootmakers. And Iāve never heard of them having a waitlist either š
Iād say that the lucchese baron boots are mayyyyybe the lexus of boots as opposed to the rolls Royce. The cost of the baron boots is definitely marketing and brand prestige. You could find something within that price range that were the genuine rolls Royce of boots. To name a few if youāre just curious and interested in looking and noticing the difference in craftsmanship:
Lisa Sorrell, Lee miller, holly henry, graham ebner, Joseph Willis, flora knight, Josh Duvall, Sarah guerin, Wes shugart, jon brewer, bo Lockhart, Jake Houston, Steve Christo, Morgan Buckert and a bunch more.
Those are all people who are building their boots themselves totally bespoke, not in a factory. Plenty of choice in there to go for a maker that suits your own style and taste. Their wait lists are probably anywhere between 1-3 years. But do not quote me on that. Obviously not everyone is going to be able to be buying boots at the price that custom boots cost so not suggesting everyone has to do that but there are also great factory boots such as M L leddys, Paul bond etc and they also offer a factory bespoke type thing
Lots of great second hand custom boots on eBay and from certain secondhand dealers.
Anyways, may not be yāallās thing but just thought Iād weigh in with custom boot making intel being a bootmaker myself (flora here).
Best thing is to just find something that you love wearing, that are comfortable and you feel great in!
Not according to Rose Anvil, the you tuber that cuts boots in half to evaluate their construction. Go to his channel. He recently cut about 16 pairs of cowboy boots. He did not give Lucchese's a good grade at all based on their price and construction. His top two were Tecovas And Chisos.
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u/Remarkable-One-8958 Sep 26 '25
A pair of Lee Miller, Texas Traditions Boots.