A Real Pain in the Foot

A lot of people (myself included) bemoan the fact that while there's more and more "stuff" out there to purchase, the quality just isn't "like it used to be."

My grandmother had a chicken-yellow General Electric stove. This monstrosity had such a heavy, baked porcelain finish on the top that nothing short of a nuclear blast could put a scratch, let alone a chip on it. In the 40 years that she used it, a single small burner had to be replaced.

Wall paint doesn't last as long and doesn't cover as well. No one plasters any more - it's all drywall.

I found the same preponderance of cheap footwear when I was looking for my Aragorn, Boromir, Faramir and pirate boots.

Now, the good thing about being a perfectionist is that when you finish, you have something to be truly proud of. The bad thing is, it usually takes much longer to get what you want. Sometimes, it's taken so damn long you aren't even sure you want it anymore ... but I'm stubborn.

A lot of the footwear from the various "Ren" sites falls into one of three categories - (1) cheaply made, (2) poorly designed or (3) all of the above. All expensive. Can you imagine a zipper on a Middle Earth boot? I don't think so -- they remind me of those idiotic half-boots that went the way of leisure suits.

I found Caboots (pronounced like "ka-boom") using "pirate boots" as my Google search item. Joey and Priscilla Sanchez are the owners and have family-owned custom cowboy boot business.

At this time I was also finishing off a pirate costume and I ordered a pair of custom pirate boots from the company. Joey asked for several measurements and the process began. When I got them about 4 weeks later, I was really pleased with the way they felt and fit.

(By the way, if you're looking for some classic pirate wear, go to to Center Stage Costumes. I got a really great looking pirate sash there - black satin and gold fringe. Check out their hats on Page 3 of their site!)

Seriously - when you have a really good custom shoe or boot made, it feels better than wearing sneakers! This is what Joey produces. Snug, great ankle support and a massage on your lower leg that indeed puts a spring in your step.

When I needed the pair of Aragorn boots made, my first thought was to ask Joey. I sent him a bunch of pictures and asked if he could make up a pair. Yup. Since this was really a made-to-order pair, it did take a while longer - maybe 8 weeks - and when I first received them, the top lacing was on the side of the boot as opposed to the back. I gave Joey a call and he said to send them back - no problem. A week later, I had a pair of Aragorn boots to be proud of! (Joey later told me once he put the pictures up on his site, he sold about 100 more pair.)

The Boromir boots were easy - Joey had a pair of plain black "Han Solo" boots that worked perfectly (and fit perfectly too!)

So when I wanted a Faramir pair, Joey was more than happy to oblige. The color was a little lighter than I had wanted, but - Fiebing leather dye rides to the rescue! - it not only darkened the leather to the right shade, it also gave just right amount of "weathering" to them.