To get a tough job done, you have to wear the right gear. Though cowboy boots are now an international item, they started as a purely American phenomenon. After the Civil War, boots were made for a new breed of adventurer who drove great herds of long-horned cattle up the legendary Chisholm Trail.  Features were added for purely practical considerations to the early models.  Designed for long hours on horseback over rough terrain, it had a high, underslung heel to hook around the bar of a stirrup, a pointier toe for easier mounting and the same high top for protection against brambles, snakes and other hazards of the brush.

Following in the wake of the cowboys, custom-boot makers worked all along the trail through Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. With the changes of time and railroads, the boots became a bona fide art form, resplendent with flashy colors and intricate designs.  Formal rodeos and Western movies with the popular stars such as Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and others caught the nation's fancy and mass production began in the 1940's.

Today, Blucher Boot Company continues the tradition and legend of Mr. G. C. "Gus" Blucher, who was designing and crafting boots for cowboys before the turn of the century. He soon distinguished himself as a designer and builder of special boots for America's cowboys.  He was an innovator who used the underslung heel for practicality and cut fancy patterns for ultimate decoration.  He gained the attention of the early boot masters, Messrs. Hyer and Justin.

In 1915, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, he incorporated his own company and operated there until 1917 or 1918 when he moved the operation to Olathe, Kansas, where the finest boot craftsmen resided.  Gus Blucher practiced his art for almost fifty years until his death in 1932.  The boot company moved through several hands until 1997 when it was moved to its present location in the middle of "Ranch Country" America in Okmulgee, Oklahoma--a piece of the historic earlier times.

Today, the company is known for producing a boot the equal in quality and craftsmanship to that of Gus Blucher of the early years and Jay Griffith in the later years.  Boots are made by hand, but only after a very careful fitting process is completed.  The beautiful boot is less so if the fit is not great.  The boot maker uses an extensive series of measurements to build a pair of boots around wooden lasts.  The resulting fit is one of incredible comfort. Measuring, cutting, sewing, refining and detailing are crucial to the quality outcome intended.  The process is labor intensive and relies on standards and quality for differentiation.

Perhaps the real excitement is the quest for a personalized pair of boots in which the wearer chooses a particular style, color and material.  Everything from the shape of the toe to the height of the heel and the animal of the skin is left to the individual.  Blucher top patterns are from the historic collection or of the individual design.  Initials, ranch brands or other marques are not uncommon in the personalization process.

Blucher has preserved the records of the business over the years, thus recording for posterity the accumulated generational purchases of the loyal following.  The boot making arcade is a well-maintained museum of American lore.  Organized card catalogs and seasoned fitting books have been kept since 1915.  Hand entries have been made meticulously on customers' sizes, boot style preferences, cattle brands and personal initials.

The Blucher boot is a respected name among cowboys and businessmen. The responsibility for quality rests in the hands of the bootmakers who take great pride in their craftsmanship. The company supports the quality effort with every resource required to maintain the satisfaction of demanding customers and the legend of Blucher boots.

Blucher will continue to build first and foremost a boot for riding that will be considered the top gear for the job.

Read The Blucher Legend