Justin Boots

Justin Boots are a brand of cowboy boots, owned by the Justin Brands company, which is in turn a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. Justin Brands additionally owns brands Nocona and Tony Lama. The company is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.[1]

Brief Cowboy History

The modern day cowboy boot is one of the most recognizable facets of American culture, and is dominated by the big five companies-Justin, Tony Lama, Nocona, Hyer, and Acme. Cattle ranching in the United States existed as early as 1767 in California, but did not begin until the 1820s in Texas. However, what most people think of when they picture the legendary cowboy lifestyle of the "hard working man," did not begin until 1867 with the construction of the transcontinental railroad. [2]
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Early Justin History

The look of the nineteenth-century cowboy boot has three important components: the high heel, the below-the-knee cut, and the side seams on the legs. [3] Justin cowboy boots have had a strong hold in the market as the true leader because of their reputation for quality craftsmanship and materials and their uniquely superb appearance.[4] H.J. "Joe" Justin, born in Lafayette, Indiana in 1859, sought out for Texas in 1879, eventually landing in Spanish Fort, Texas. While working at a barber shop, he learned how to repair boots and soon after he completed his first pair at home. He then opened a shoe repair and boot shop in which cowboys passing though town could place orders and pick up their new hand-crafted boots on their way back down the trail. [5]
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Justin's Growth Begins

Joe's new wife, Annie Allen, created the made-to-measure boot mail-order kit, a brand new idea for this market. The kit included a twenty-inch ruler, a chart diagramming foot and boot parts and a hand-written letter stating the prices of the few leathers that were available at that time: black calf, retan and kangaroo. [6] The business began to boom after the Justin family moved it to Nocona, Texas, whereupon Joe added his two sons John and Earl as partners in 1908, creating H.J. Justins & Sons. In 1910, the real growth began, with Justin boots being sold in 26 states, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba for $11 a pair. [7] By 1925 John and Earl decided they were outgrowing Nocona and started looking toward Fort Worth, which could provide better railroad services, a larger labor pool, a larger bank and better post-office facilities. [8]
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John Jr. Continues the Growth

In 1948 John's son, John, Jr., bought the controlling interest of Justin Boot Company from his uncle Earl. He was wise enough to realize that times were changing and so were interests in cowboy boots. Blue, green, red and yellow leather were one of the newest additions he brought into the factories, in many differing contrasting combinations, along with wing tips and fancy collars. This started to mark the age of the boots as more of a fashion necessity than a working necessity. [9]

Justin Cowboy Boots have come a long way in their tumultuous past. Their most recent acquisition of Tony Lama Boot Company in 1991 made them the dominating company of the industry. Justin Industries, composed of Tony Lama, Nocona, and Justin, produces a staggering 3.5 million+ pairs of cowboy boots annually! [10]