ARTICLE- Healing Soles For More Than 40-Years

HEALING SOLES FOR MORE THAN 40-YEARS If you didn’t already know that it was there, you’d probably just drive right on by without giving it a second thought. But, what goes on inside the little shop on Alma Street in Tomball continues to touch the soles of so many, as it has for more than 40-years. “One of the great things about owning a shop like this is that someone always comes in with a request for something that they can’t find anywhere else,” said Marlene McGill of JM Boot & Saddlery. “That’s always the challenge, and my husband, Jim, and I love accepting that challenge.” Though only in Tomball since 1999, Jim McGill can trace his leather working lineage back to the early 1900s. “My mother used to tell me how she and her brothers, Vernon and Harris, grew up 60-miles from town along the Missouri River in North Dakota. Being that far from town it was usually easier to fix a saddle than to go without.” That tradition is what has kept Jim working with leather for most of his life. Much of the McGills’ day-to-day business is repairing old, worn-out boots and saddles. But, it’s creating custom western footwear that is most fun for the couple. “We make all kinds of boots from calf skins and bull hides, all the way to ostrich, elk, alligator and even frog skin,” Jim said with a laugh. “Frog skin is not very durable, but it does make a pretty boot. We made some for Ronnie Milsap back in about 1985.” Performers Reba McIntire and Gladys Knight, and businessman Steward Morris of Stewart Title Company are just a few of the celebrities to slide on a pair of western boots made by Jim and Marlene McGill. “Roger Staubach, the former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, will be coming in early 2005 to be fitting for a pair of custom boots with an American flag on the front and a Texas flag on the back,” said Marlene. “He was quite excited and said that he would wear them with pride.” There is a world of difference between a custom boot and a mass produced chip-kicker. “Almost all the boots on the market today, for example Tony Lama, Justin and Nacona, are made by the same company in China,” Marlene said. “These products are just thrown together to make the sale and get the buyer out the door.” “People don’t understand why we can’t sell boots for $49.00 when they can buy a pair with cardboard insets and injection molded soles at Wal-Mart for that price,” she said. “Our boots are individually made for the person who will be wearing them. The bottom line is we’ve been in this for a long time, and we certainly know what we’re doing. We’re not the most expensive boot you can get, but we’re not cheap.” The price range for the JM brand of custom boots varies according to the hide and additional work such as decorative stitching, inlays, and logos. “We start at $595 for a domestic leather work boot made of calf skin, cow or bull hide,” said Jim. “Then you move up to a goat skin or Spanish calf at around $720. Next would be full quill ostrich at $1175, and then alligator runs anywhere from $1,600 to $3,000 or more depending on whether the customer wants full gator or gator only on the bottoms.” For most of their careers, Jim and Marlene have been a staff of two. But, recently a third member was added to their team. “A few months ago we were fortunate to have Ryan Salman join us,” said Marlene. “Ryan was taught boot repair by his grandfather, Sam Ricca who had a boot and shoe repair here in Tomball for many, many years. I have to say, he taught his grandson well.” Even with Ryan now on staff, production time for a personalized pair of boots can be lengthy. “Depending on the order and the time of year, it can take around 60-days to make a custom pair of boots,” Jim said. “But, after the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo each year, it’s usually an 8-month wait due to the large number of orders we take and getting the hides needed to produce them.” JM Boot & Saddlery used to make saddles once upon a time, but today they are content to just make repairs. “The market for saddles in Houston is deplorable,” Jim said. “You can by a low quality Mexican saddle at about $250, when a good American made work saddle should run anywhere from $2,000 to $3,600 and last a lifetime.” “A lot of people have moved out into this area, bought a couple of acres and gotten their child a horse,” Marlene said. “They will spend a lot of money on the horse and the training, but then forget that what their child rides on is important, too. When something goes wrong with a cheap saddle they will bring it into our shop in a box and we’ll put it back together as best we can.” And, what do the McGills plan to do next? “Just keep on cruisin’ along and maybe slowing down a bit,” said Jim. “I plan to keep on making a few pairs of boots and then retiring.” But, Jim has to laugh at the prospect of retirement based on old age given that his mother is now 96 and his dad is 92. Looks like the McGills are good stock, and as strong and comfortable as western boots made with pride one pair at a time. (copyright 2004 - Michael Baxter) www.baxwrtr.com