BUSINESS FEATURE Republic Boot Co. Art, history and culture collide at Heights shop O ver the years Chris Conrad spent living internation- ally—from southeast Asia to “[The stock boot] is made like our customs with the right leather, all the di erent materials and the construc- tion style,” Conrad said. BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
Russia to Italy—the people he met all showed pride in the cultures and traditions of the area. For Conrad, the experience made him think about Texas culture and what it means to people around the world. When the Houston native moved back home in 2010, he sold everything he had to open a hand- crafted boot shop in Katy, diving head rst into a journey that involved blending art, history and the rugged individualism for which Texas is known. Over the years, Republic Boot Co. moved from Katy to River Oaks to its newest spot on 11th Street in the Heights, the grand opening for which took place April 8. The new agship store, triple the size of the original, gives Conrad a chance to bring what he calls a Houston-centric experience to a wider audience. “It’s a ton of work, and it hasn’t been easy, but it’s a labor of love,” Conrad said. The focus of the store includes boots, bags and belts, Conrad said, all of which are made with leather from hand-picked hides. The range of products also includes custom hats, gun cases and tally books. Republic was founded as a custom boot maker, but Conrad has since added a stock line of readymade boots, which he said allows custom- ers to take a boot home immediately instead of having to wait ve to six months for a custom job.
In an e ort to provide customers a memorable experience, Republic also has a small bar area serving beer and handmade whiskeys and a music stage, where Conrad said singer-songwriters perform on the weekends. “Music is a passion of ours; singer-songwriters come through, they just get up on stage and jam,” he said. “It’s the whole thing. You come in here, and it’s an experience.” Customers looking to make custom boots can control all design elements, including colors, materials, hides, textures and grain structures. They can also come in with a general idea and have the artists at Republic ll in the blanks, Conrad said. “It could be intricate; it could be weird,” he said. “We do whatever they want.” Conrad said his ancestors moved to the Heights in the 1800s to Harvard and 4th streets, making the new store special to him. The walls are decorated with pieces of boot-making history, including the wooden molds used at Palace Boot Shop, a historic boot maker that operated in the early 1900s in Houston. Conrad said he enjoys being able to do his part to bring a slice of Texas culture and history to visitors from both near and far. “When they come to Houston, you have to give them the full experi- ence,” he said.
Owner Chris Conrad started making handcrafted boots in Houston in 2010. (Photos by Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact Newspaper)
Custom boots are made on-site at Republic Boot Co., including the hand-shaping of the toe boxes, the welting process and the artistic design. HOWTOMAKE A BOOT
• The insole and mold are formed to t a speci c customer’s foot. • The boot is built by hand around the mold. • Welting is done to attach everything together. • An artist on sta completes the intricate details of the stitching.
An employee at Republic Boot Co. shapes the heel for a pair of custom boots.
Republic Boot Co. 1133 E. 11th St., Houston 832-767-6586
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www.republicbootcompany.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Sun.
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