A Handmade Texas Legend Can Be Found Right here in San Angelo

There is nothing more vital to the culture of Texans than boots and saddles. One Texas boot shop Is celebrating 100 years this year.

Martin Luther Leddy started his boot and saddle-making business in 1922 in Brady. After outgrowing his original space, he moved to San Angelo in 1936. Comfortable custom-made boots were not a fashion statement in 1936.  They were essential for cowboys.

Using a ledger system, Leddy measured the feet of 1920's cowboys who paid $25 a pair for custom-made boots. Notes on arches, tracings, and measurements were faithfully recorded in a 17x11 inch leather-bound book.

Those books still exist today carrying the records of long-gone 1920s-era cowboys who labored so hard to raise Texas out of the dusty ground of West Texas.

Many generations of family stories are captured in these ledgers, including many famous feet. The Leddy family won't drop names, but googling reveals that movie stars like Paul Newman and sports figures like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Sam Shepard owned their pair of Leddy boots.

Today, the tradition of family ownership continues. Leddy's now offers a complete offering of Western wear and other products including hats, belts, sterling buckles, jewelry, accessories, and a full line of tailored and fitted clothing, including the M.L Leddy private label.

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There aren't many businesses that make it 100 years, much less continue to be run by the same family.  Today, fourth-generation Leddy family members keep the magic of this Texas history alive.

One could say that you aren't truly Texan until you've had your pair of custom-made Leddy boots or a Leddy saddle. I won't disagree.