A Boot Collector Feature
J. L. Mercer started working in his father's shop at age eleven — seventy years later, he was still selling boots out of San Angelo.
J. L. Mercer began working in his father's bootmaking shop at age eleven, and seventy years later was still at it, according to a Texas Monthly feature on the state's top custom bootmakers — selling boots from a rickety San Angelo storefront and at rodeos, cutting-horse competitions, and the State Fair of Texas. The feature noted his focus on basic work boots, roper boots, and crepe soles, with pairs at the time starting around $450 and a three-month turnaround.
Seven decades in the same family trade, selling boots as much on the road as from the shop, with clients that have included Lyndon B. Johnson, former Texas governor Mark White, actors Barry Corbin and Tom Wopat, and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus.
Seventy years in the trade, one storefront and a lot of rodeos.
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.