COBRA ROCK

On my last full day in Marfa I got lucky. After exploring the Judd and Chinati Foundations at my leisure (and free of charge), I found myself in line at the community BBQ behind Logan Caldbeck and Colt Miller of Cobra Rock Boot Company. I'll be honest: the deeply religious shoe maniac in me already knew who they were before our proper introductions. Swapping stories in between bites of brisket and potato salad, the bootmaking duo told me about their move to Marfa three years ago and about their workspace and store on South Dean Street, a dream actualized. They've lovingly hand crafted each beautiful boot out of there ever since, and I can't wait for mine. 

Tell me about the South Highland Boot:

Our design is inspired by the history and style particular to West Texas. We were doing a lot of hiking in Fort Davis and thought to make a practical desert boot, but we had been making classic cowboy boots for a long time. There were certain things we wanted to hold on to: the snub nose, the square toe, and the riding heel - all reminiscent of 1940's hollywood era cowboy boots. Those qualities combined with contemporary and functional elements are what make our South Highland Boot. And they're unisex. We naturally find inspiration in things from the past, but when it comes down to it, we aren't interested in making reproductions.

If not in Marfa, I would live in:

Logan: I'm really happy here.

I grew up in:

Colt: West Texas

Logan: British Columbia, Canada

I can't stop listening to:

L: Nico!, CCR, Sunset Rubdown

C: Shovels & Rope, Lee Hazelwood, and country classics...Gram Parsons, The Byrds

My favorite film is:

L: True Stories, Midnight Cowboy, Seven Samurai

One piece I will never get rid of is:

L: I had these caribou antlers while I was living in Montreal that were really special to me, but they were too enormous to bring to Marfa. After Colt and I started dating, he actually made me a pair of cowboy boots and inlayed a copy of the antlers on each boot. Those boots. 

My star sign is: 

L: Leo, the diva one...

C: Virgo

I sometimes channel:

L: Enid Justin, of the Justin Industries, really inspires me. She founded her own boot company Nocona in 1925. We actually went to Nocona, Texas to find her grave, but we couldn't. We'll have to go back. 

My dream car is: 

L: A VW Fastback

C: A Chevy Scottsdale pickup, mid 80's

photo of the South Highland Boot courtesy of Cobra Rock Boot Company

We've been stationed at Jared's cabin for a week now. We thought we'd stay two days, people joked we'd never leave, but now it doesn't seem like such a joke. I thought we'd be traveling the wild southwest by now but really we're just an hour north of our old home, hiding under the redwoods, our jeans caked in mud, watching a lot of Twin Peaks, eating a lot of oysters.

I met Jared years ago when I was a pipsqueak paying my dues at Levi's. He had just moved up from LA where he was working as a craftsman at the beloved Mister Freedom. Today Jared still tuckers out at Levi's but finds time to play something great in White Fence. He steers clear of the city after work and heads back to his honest home in Bolinas where his Bengal kitties wait. 

If not in Bolinas I would live in: I would probably go back to LA

I grew up in: Central Pennsylvania

I can't stop listening to: Sandy Bull and Gene Vincent records

One piece I will never get rid of is: my grandfather's denim chore jacket from the Navy. 

My star sign is: Leo

My favorite film is: The Lonely Are the Brave. 1962, Kirk Douglas and Gena Rowlands!

My dream car is: '63 Jaguar XKE coop. I always wanted one, dad had one. My dad had austin healys, xke's, you know, what else...a little sunbeam, all these little sports cars, but it was the 70's so those things were just in that 10-15 year old range. They were just cheap, they weren't collectibles at that time.

My dream motorcycle is: I have it. It's the one in pieces in the garage. Zundapp KS 601 95.