A Boot Collector Feature
Went to Nashville chasing a music career, found a bootmaker to the stars in a bar instead, and ended up building boots for Hollywood by appointment only in Boulder, Colorado.
John Allen Woodward's path into bootmaking started in Nashville, Tennessee, where he'd gone to pursue a music career. A chance meeting with a bootmaker to the stars in a local club redirected him entirely — he apprenticed under that bootmaker, building boots for well-known country music entertainers before heading west. In 1992, he founded Woodward Boots in San Diego, California, running retail locations in La Jolla and the Gaslamp Quarter before eventually relocating his studio to Boulder, Colorado's historic Pearl Street Mall.
Today Woodward works out of 1505 Pearl Street in Boulder, operating by private appointment only alongside his wife Angie and their dog Rocky. His pieces have appeared on screen in Fox's Empire and Netflix's The Get Down, and his client list draws from entertainment, industry, and fashion.
"You have an idea that you pull out of space, and you gather a pile of raw materials on a bench and at the end of the day, that image becomes real."John Allen Woodward
Fine leather work that goes well beyond boots alone — belts, wallets, buckles, and jackets all come out of the same studio, often finished with silver and gold hardware alongside the leatherwork itself. The appointment-only model keeps the business intentionally small and design-driven rather than production-focused.
From a chance Nashville bar meeting to a private Boulder studio outfitting entertainment's biggest names.
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.