A Boot Collector Feature
Alan Bell learned the trade under Tex Robin in Coleman before building one of Texas's busiest husband-and-wife boot shops.
Alan Bell studied bootmaking under Tex Robin in Coleman before striking out on his own in Abilene. Twenty-five years later, per a Texas Monthly feature on the state's top custom bootmakers, his shop had become one of the busiest husband-and-wife bootmaking operations in Texas, with his wife Pauline handling top stitching. The shop built a reputation on versatile leather work and a signature stitch pattern carried both inside and outside the vamp, with pairs at the time starting around $625 and roughly a one-year turnaround.
A direct line back to Tex Robin's Coleman shop, carried forward as a true husband-and-wife operation. Clients have included race car driver Kyle Petty and cowboys from major Texas ranches, including the 6666 and Pitchfork.
A Tex Robin apprentice who built his own busy family shop.
Pairs from smaller, custom, or long-closed makers rarely come up for sale, so this search may not find anything. It’s worth checking back now and then.