A Boot Collector Feature
A small, family-run Georgia shop still using 40-penny nails as shanks — a construction method dating back to the late 1800s.
Manny Gutierrez runs Manny's Boots as a small, family-owned operation out of Reynolds, Georgia, built around construction methods that predate almost everything on the market today. Every pair is hand-lasted for proper balance and fit, taking roughly fourteen individual measurements per customer and creating an individual last that's kept on file for future orders. The boots use Goodyear welt construction with a channeled leather insole hand-stitched to the upper, and shanks made from 40-penny nails — a technique dating back to the late 1800s that's mostly disappeared from modern bootmaking.
Old-way construction built for longevity over speed, described as award-winning work, alongside repair and resole services and a retail counter that also carries Ariat, Los Altos, and Danner.
Boots built the old way — 40-penny nails and all.
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.