Texas cowboy boots are an integral part of American culture (Beard, 1999, 2005; Gibson, 2016, 2018) and have been immortalized in popular media via film and music (Beard, 1999, 2005). However, extant academic research on cowboy boot makers is surprisingly limited considering this type of footwear’s cultural significance in the United States. At present there are only two peer-reviewed academic studies (Gibson, 2016; Gibson, 2018), two master’s theses (Geitz, 2011; Barrett, 2010), and several editorial-reviewed books on this subject that are historical in nature (Beard, 1999, 2005). Academic studies on the topic are limited to the economic geography of the cowboy boot industry (Gibson, 2016; Gibson, 2018), historic background and overview of selling cowboy boots (Geitz, 2011), and a case study on the Beck Boot Company (Barrett, 2010). Therefore, the current pilot study will involve interviews (Moustakas, 2007) with boot firm owners and makers in Texas in order to understand their lived experiences. It is our aim that this pilot research will produce an initial overview of Texas boot making in order to inform a larger study that will develop a deeper understanding of this important material culture tradition (Gibson, 2016; Gibson, 2018).