Justin Boots is an American western and equestrian footwear brand. It is a division of Justin Brands, Inc., itself owned by

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from which it invests the float (the retained premiu ...

History

H.J. "Daddy Joe" Justin started repairing boots in

Spanish Fort, Texas Spanish Fort is an unincorporated community in north central Montague County, Texas, United States at the end of Farm Road 103 one mile south of the Red River. History Native Americans long used the fertile areas near the Red River for farming ...

. After receiving a loan to purchase materials, he began making his own cowboy boots. Justin was an early user of decorative stitching, incorporating rows of stitches across the boot tops as a means of stiffening the leather, preventing it from folding around the ankles.Irvin Farman.
Standard of the West: the Justin story
'. TCU Press; October 1996 ited 14 February 2012 . p. 209–. In 1887, Justin married Louanna “Annie” Allen. In the early 1890s, Annie Justin developed a self-measuring kit, making it possible for customers to order the company's products by mail. When a railroad was built in Nocona, Texas, in 1889, the Justins moved there to capitalize on the larger market opportunity. "Daddy Joe" and Annie had seven children — three sons and four daughters — who each helped with the family business. In 1908, Justin told his two oldest sons, John and Earl, that they would become equal partners in the family business. He then changed the name of his boot company to H.J. Justin & Sons. The Justins moved the business to

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...

in 1925, except for daughter Enid Justin, who believed her father would have wanted the business to remain in Nocona. She later founded Nocona Boots. In 1947, annual sales reached $1 million. Three years later, Joe’s grandson, John Justin Jr., bought out the company’s stock and gained control of the company. On Nov. 3, 1950, John Jr. became vice president and general manager of H.J. Justin & Sons, Inc. The company merged with

Acme Brick Company Acme Brick Company is an American manufacturer and distributor of brick and masonry-related construction products and materials. Founder George E. Bennett (October 6, 1852 – July 3, 1907), chartered the company as the Acme Pressed Brick Compa ...

in 1968 to become First Worth Corporation. In 1972, John Justin Jr. was elected president and chairman of the board, and the company’s name officially changed to Justin Industries, Inc.

Nocona Boot Company Nocona can refer to: * Nokoni, one of the Comanche bands * Peta Nocona, a Comanche chief * Nocona, Texas Nocona is a city along U.S. Highway 82 and State Highway 175 in Montague County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,033 at the 201 ...

became part of Justin Industries when John Justin purchased the controlling shares from his aunt, Enid Justin, in 1981. In 1984, the company acquired Chippewa Shoe Company. In 1990, Justin Industries purchased competitor

Tony Lama Boots Tony Lama Boots is a western boot brand and a division of Justin Brands, a Berkshire Hathaway corporation. History Tony Lama was born to Italian immigrant parents in 1887. He first learned the leather and boot trade as an 11-year-old shoemaker's ...

. In 1999, John Justin stepped down from his role as chairman of the board of Justin Industries, Inc., and in 2000 the board of directors for Justin Industries approved the sale of the company to

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net ...

and the Berkshire-Hathaway Corp.

Support for Rodeo

Justin Boots supports professional cowboys through the Justin Sportsmedicine Team and the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. The Justin Sportsmedicine Team made its debut at the

National Finals Rodeo The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money-winners in the season for each event. The NFR is held each year in the fi ...

in 1980 and provides emergency attention to injured competing athletes onsite. The Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund was established in 1989 to provide financial assistance to injured rodeo athletes and has since raised more than $1.1 million.

References

External links

Justin Boots site
{{Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Manufacturing companies based in Fort Worth, Texas Shoe companies of the United States Leather manufacturers 1979 establishments in the United States