THESE BEST BOOTS ARE MADE FOR GAWKIN’
I’m in one of my favorite parts of Texas—the Brush Country south of San Antonio—with miles and miles of chaparral lying ahead of me. I like it because it’s an expansive place with a rich history. It’s here where American cowboy culture grew out of the vaquero way of life and, to this day, both vaqueros and cowboys work on large ranches in South Texas. Good boots are part and parcel for anyone working cattle from the saddle. It’s not surprising, then, that South Texas is home to many first-rate bootmakers.
In the world of custom cowboy boots, the Rio Grande Valley in particular is known for its bootmaking heritage, both for the number of bootmakers concentrated in the four-county area at the southern tip of Texas and for the high quality of their work. My purpose for this trip is to order custom boots from two of the Valley’s master bootmakers, Armando Duarte Rios in Raymondville and Henry Camargo in Mercedes.
Both Rios and Camargo have operated their shops since the early 1980s. Their creations have attracted clients who place orders year after year, from politicians and entertainers to ordinary folks. The success of these two craftsmen is testament to their ability to do what all great bootmakers must: Satisfy their customers’ needs when it
