Lucchese Bootmaker Is Leading the Expanding Allure of Western Equestrian Style
by David Graver | Cover Photograph Courtesy of Lucchese / Tom Bender
January 2026
Originally published in Douglas Elliman Equestrian Winter 2026.
Texas bootmaker and luxury lifestyle brand Lucchese Bootmaker stands as the pinnacle of American craftsmanship. The heritage label—known for its handmade cowboy boots—was founded in San Antonio in 1883 by brothers Salvatore and Joseph Lucchese, two Sicilian immigrants. What began then as a footwear supply operation for United States Army officers transformed into an icon of Western culture. Today, Lucchese boots are as at-home on cattle ranches as they are on fashion-week runways.
Thanks to luxury materials and a commitment to artisan-led production, Lucchese has weathered footwear trends for its 142 years of continuous operation (pausing only to relocate operations from San Antonio to El Paso in 1986). From President Lyndon B. Johnson to Bing Crosby, Johnny Cash, and now Chris Stapleton and the Dallas Cowboys, Lucchese has long adorned public figures. As both national and international interest has expanded, Lucchese maintains loyalty to its Texan roots. In 2009, the State of Texas Legislature honored the company’s commitment to Texan history and culture.
In 2025, Lucchese released its acclaimed Code Collection. “It refers back to our archival patterns that were designed in San Antonio before the move to El Paso,” Trey Gilmore, the Lucchese Director of Product Development and Men’s Design, tells Elliman Equestrian. “Every season, we push the envelope a little further. Certainly within the world of cowboy boots, we’ve got permission to lead that charge.”
The Code Collection acts as a microcosm of Lucchese’s design capabilities—from its inclusion of bold color to detailed ornamentation. “In the days of old, that was how the wearer of the boot told their story, whether it was experiences on the trail or their interests,” Gilmore continues. “We use the story of the cowboy on the trail and what they see along their way: wildflowers in the pasture, the cards they would play around the fire with a sip of whisky. That was their life. Cowboys, drovers, and farmhands wore boots every day. They were not only functional pieces but part of the story of their life.”
When Lucchese first began, there was not even a difference between right and left boots made by any producer. “Now, you hear people talk about soaking their boots in water before they put them on for the first time,” Gilmore says, “but that was actually how they set the hard leather insoles and uppers to their feet in the beginning.”
It takes more than narrative detailing for a brand to last longer than 100 years. “We do what we know how to do, which is make fine, handmade cowboy boots,” Gilmore explains of such success. “That’s something we know unequivocally how to do. There are many elements that go into that, but probably the most important is fit. The last—the form that we use to build the boot on—is something that our third-generation bootmaker, who studied the anatomical makeup of the foot, built for us.” Over the years, Lucchese has developed lasts with numerous variations in toe shapes and heel heights.
There’s not a lot of automation in the process, which is defined by hand-guided stitching. The Lucchese team trains new hires up to standard. “Twenty or thirty years ago, it was more of a generational skill that was passed down within families. Grandad built boots for Lucchese, so the father did, and then the son. It was a point of pride to carry on those traditions. It’s important to train people in our way to make cowboy boots,” Gilmore says.
On average, 150 to 200 hands will touch every pair of Lucchese Boots. Further, “We quite literally have not changed the way we make boots in over 100 years. We tried to buy the bootmakers new stitching machines to make things faster. They don’t want them. They want the old Singers. They make their own parts. When you go to the factory, they are antique machines,” Gilmore says. They have a mechanic team to keep these machines running.
“A cowboy boot is really a blank canvas,” Lucchese Director of Women’s Design, Holly Mery, who has been with the company for 15 years, says. “We don’t follow trends. We use the boot as art pieces with color, flora, and fauna. We are creating heirloom-quality wearable art. People need to try them on to feel and see the difference. There are very few boots that are meant to be passed down from generation to generation.”
Led by Mery, the Priscilla, Lucchese’s popular women’s boot, also changed the industry. “It carved a footprint for women in the cowboy boot trend,” she says. “Every season we come out with new colors and new finishes. Everything we do in metallic does well. The glitz cream color is an off-white color. It started a trend—with everyone wearing them to weddings, and baby showers, and graduations. It helped Lucchese become a household name with younger women.” In January 2026, the Priscilla debuted in an eye-catching gold platinum.
Lucchese looks at its commitment to premium materials as part of stewarding its reputation into the future. “We use a lot of U.S. tanned leathers, but we have to go where other leathers come from,” Mery says. “It’s about going to the source. There are a number of exotic tanneries around the world. We travel the globe to procure the best of the best.” This includes ostrich from South Africa to a number of lamb and bovine tanneries in Italy.
Leather does not power the company, however; the individuals do. “Lucchese does not happen without the people, specifically the bootmakers. Without them, we would not be able to continue our story and continue building the product at the level we always have,” Gilmore says. “That single-handedly is the most key facet to this story.”
Mery notes that although boots are their core, growth from categoric expansion is important to their future. “Our handbags and accessory collections have rounded out our assortment and allowed us to be a full lifestyle brand,” she says. “We bring the same Western details into our luggage and handbags. We have a huge duffle bag that’s entirely hand-tooled.” In addition, Lucchese launched a collection made in Italy—composed of python leather. Not only is the Italian connection part of the brand’s history, but it allowed the El Paso factory to focus more on boots.
With 31 stores across the country—22 of them in Texas and more opening nationwide—we are witnessing Lucchese becoming a true household name. Boots are being styled with black-tie ensembles and haute couture, as well. “To go from a humble cowboy boot maker to an authentic, head-to-toe lifestyle brand that can lead discerning consumers, brings us pride,” Gilmore says. “We have a serious responsibility to continue on this legacy and steer Lucchese into its next chapter. We are just a few pages in this story.”
Related STORIES
