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| IT’S PERSONAL: These Lucchese Classic boots styles can be ordered as is or customized down to the tiniest detail. photography courtesy of Vollmer PR |
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Local bootmaker Big Trail Ranch marries Old West craftsmanship to technology on its new website, bigtrailranch.com. Diamond-encrusted cowboy boots with your initials gleaming in gold or a pair made with brightly colored croc skin can now be yours with the click of a mouse. The site’s Custom Boot Builder feature allows customers to design a pair of Lucchese Classics (known for handmade, original design; comfort; and style) to their liking. “The sky’s the limit,” says Trey Gilmore, Big Trail Ranch’s chief operating officer. “The customers’ needs are first. We give them exactly what they want. The site is directly linked to the Arlington showroom.”
The possibilities are endless. Start from scratch or pick a pre-designed “inspiration boot” and customize it. Buyers can have a company representative guide them through the online purchasing steps or elect to visit the showroom at the Rangers Ballpark for a face-to-face experience (if you order five or more pairs, someone will even come to you). Choose from hundreds of fine leathers, including cowhide, goatskin, and exotics such as ostrich and kangaroo. Select the color (more than 100 available), toe shape, heel, height, collar, scallops, stitching, pull-tabs, and inlay patterns, then personalize further with initials, logos, and accents. Finally, view a digitally rendered color image of your creation for approval before your order is sent to the Lucchese factory in El Paso, where your boots will be handcrafted in 10 to 12 weeks. Prices start at $500, but the most expensive pair ever made sold for $38,000 and boasted diamonds and gold-leaf.
Big Trail Ranch Design Studio, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington. 800-375-9382. bigtrailranch.com.
