A Boot Collector Feature
Started with a liquidated savings account and what its founder calls a divine calling to "Save Texas" — one handcrafted boot at a time.
Chris Conrad founded Republic Boot Company in 2011 in Houston's Heights neighborhood, liquidating his own personal savings to open the shop. By his own account, the business grew out of a kind of calling: a drive to "Save Texas" through boots built to honor the state's cultural heritage rather than just sell footwear. Master bootmaker Raul Cerillo, a third-generation craftsman trained in León, Mexico, later joined Conrad's team — Cerillo's own résumé includes boots built for Roy Rogers, Steve McQueen, and President George H.W. Bush.
Republic positions itself deliberately between the fully bespoke end of the market and ready-made retail: the shop builds genuine custom orders, sometimes running thousands of dollars in materials ranging from cowhide to king cobra, alongside a ready-made line called the 1836 Collection, named for historic Texas figures and landmarks. The brand's profile has grown well beyond Houston, with features on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, and during a Super Bowl broadcast.
A deliberately in-between positioning — more accessible than a purely bespoke shop, more personalized than off-the-rack retail — plus a Texas-history-themed ready-made line that gives casual buyers a way into custom-grade craftsmanship without the full bespoke price tag or wait.
One man's savings account and a stated calling to "Save Texas" — now a shop with boots on a president's feet and a Super Bowl broadcast behind it.
See more at republicboothouston.com