A Boot Collector Feature
A Wyoming-born bronc rider who couldn't find boots with good soles, so he flew to Mexico with almost nothing and built his own brand.
Ty Skiver, a Wyoming-born cowboy who spent years as a professional bronc rider, got serious about bootmaking around 2016 after struggling to find boots built with quality leather soles. With little money to his name, he traveled to Mexico and set up a production partnership with bootmaker Fernando, starting with an order of just twelve pairs. He'd also trained under renowned bootmaker Gary Tucker and previously designed for Lucchese and Old Gringo. His wife, Darcie Spero, a Fallon, Nevada native with deep rodeo roots, joined the business and brought the marketing know-how that turned it from a side project into a real operation, run out of Fallon while Ty travels the rodeo circuit.
Hand-tooled, heavily customized boots — business logos, hunting scenes, personal motifs — generally priced below a fully bespoke custom pair. Skiver brought 400 pairs to the 2022 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and builds custom chaps annually for more than a dozen top NFR competitors.
From a $50 trip to Mexico to outfitting the NFR.
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.