Nocona Boots is a

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is c ...

brand and a division of

Justin Brands Justin Boots is an American western and equestrian footwear brand. It is a division of Justin Brands, Inc., itself owned by Berkshire Hathaway. History H.J. "Daddy Joe" Justin started repairing boots in Spanish Fort, Texas. After receiving a l ...

, a

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 ...

corporation (NYSE: BRKa). Justin Brands is the world's largest manufacturer of western footwear. In addition to Nocona Boots, it owns

Justin Boots Justin Boots is an American western and equestrian footwear brand. It is a division of Justin Brands, Inc., itself owned by Berkshire Hathaway. History H.J. "Daddy Joe" Justin started repairing boots in Spanish Fort, Texas. After receiving a l ...

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 ...

, and

Chippewa Boots Chippewa Boots, originally known as Chippewa Shoe Manufacturing Company, is an American manufacturer of footwear, principally men's work and recreational boots. It also manufactures a limited line of heavy and casual shoes, and some women's ...

History

Nocona Boots was founded in

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 2010 census. The city, its lake, and its resurgence as a regional travel destination were featured in thJune ...

in 1925 by Enid Justin. She was the daughter of

founder H.J. "Daddy Joe" Justin, who had begun boot-making 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 ...

in 1879.

Cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaqu ...

s ordered his custom-fit boots, which were ready to pick up after their

cattle drive A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of cattle from one place to another, usually moved and herded by cowboys on horses. Europe In medieval central Europe, annual cattle drives brought Hungarian Grey cattle across the Danube River ...

s. In 1887, the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

came through Nocona, and the boot factory moved there to take advantage of better shipping. Enid started working in her father's shop at the age of 12 in 1906, where she remained for the next 12 years. After he died in 1918, other members of the family wanted to move the business to

Ft. Worth 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 ...

. Enid felt so strongly her father wanted the company based in Nocona, she stayed behind when her brothers moved the factory's equipment to Ft. Worth in 1925. She borrowed $5,000 and kept seven employees to found the Nocona Boots brand. The discovery of

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

near Nocona brought many new customers. Nocona made a 16-inch lace-up boot tough enough to survive the oil fields, bringing the wildcatters back for more. In 1981, Nocona Boots merged with Justin Industries, the then parent company of

, bringing the two boot-making companies full circle. In 1999, the Nocona plant was shut down and production moved to El Paso, Texas.

Today

Today, Nocona Boots still handcrafts premium

cowboy boots Cowboy boots are a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel that is traditionally made of stacked leather, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing. Cowboy boots are normally ...

offering collections in the Fashion, Legacy, Exotic, Western, Rancher and Competitor categories. The brand was also the first to offer cowboy boots officially licensed by The Collegiate Licensing Company, the

College A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

Boots Collection, handcrafted in the U.S.A. Nocona Boots footwear is available for men, women and children at western specialty stores across the country and online footwear retailers, including Zappos. In November 2016, the city of Nocona learned that it would receive a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture to help with costs to turn the original Justin Leather Goods building located at 100 Clay St. into a community activity center and farmers market.

References

External links

Official Website
{{Berkshire Hathaway Clothing companies established in 1925 Manufacturing companies based in Texas Shoe brands Shoe companies of the United States Berkshire Hathaway