A Boot Collector Feature

Allens Boots

Austin's landmark "wall of boots" retailer since 1977 — and, since 2018, a bootmaker in its own right, with its own brand and a full custom, made-to-measure program.

The Story

Allens Boots opened on October 3, 1977, founded by Steve Allen Greenberg on Austin's South Congress Avenue, and grew into one of the most recognizable Western retailers in Texas — the kind of shop that draws celebrities and locals alike into its famous "wall of boots." For decades the business ran as a pure retailer with an unusually deep bench of outside brands, at various points including a dedicated Lucchese section and one of the more extensive Old Gringo lineups of any retailer in the state.

That changed in 2018, when Allens launched its own in-house manufacturing line, "Allens Brand," moving the shop beyond retail and into actually making boots. Custom pairs are hand-built at the company's own facility in El Paso, Texas, following the same seven-point measurement and design process a dedicated custom bootmaker would use. In 2023, Allens grew its custom capability further by bringing L.M. Easterling Custom Boot Co., the longtime El Paso shop with its own Fredericksburg storefront, into the Allens family of brands. The store also carries Azulado, a newer boot line that collectors connect to the period between Allens and Old Gringo parting ways and the launch of Allens Brand.

What They're Known For

Two things at once now: the broad, deeply stocked retail side that built the shop's reputation over nearly fifty years, and a genuine custom program — hand measurement at multiple points on the foot and calf, a design session with an in-house team, and construction by hand at the El Paso shop. That puts Allens in a small group of longtime Western retailers that have become real bootmakers in their own right, rather than staying strictly on the selling side.

Labels & Markings

A marking from a pair in the TW Collection. Select a photo to see it full size.