Today we’d like to introduce you to Zephan Parker.
Zephan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas is where my story begins. Houston is where my wife and I were married and where the lives of my three children Emma, Isaac, and Natalie began, but the journey as a bootmaking craftsman took place a few years later and 200 miles northwest in Lampasses, Texas, in the Jass boot Shop.
My family history is filled with men and women in the western world. From my uncle Richard Caldwell who was a Vaquero horse trainer in Northern California to my other uncle JR Caldwell who is one of the most reputable horse trainers in the Southwest. The respect for this way of life was instilled in me growing up. Tradition, craftsmanship, pride, and hard work are only a few qualities that embody the life of cowboys and those in the western world. It is these qualities that are woven into the fabric of the American way and with these as the backdrop of my inspiration I was set to make my mark on a historical world found mostly in the black and white films of John Wayne and Roy Rogers.
Not long after my son turned three years old my family and I packed up our lives and headed from Houston to central Texas. Once we arrived we settled down for the next few years in the small Texas town of Gatesville. It was here that I would find my motivation and opportunity to become a customer of custom western boots. I contacted many different bootmakers wanting to know their stories and experience. I wanted to know what set the custom boot apart from the cowboy boot in the local western store. While buying a pair of handmade boots I found myself in the shop of one of the Jass brothers in Lampasses, Texas. It was here that I would be trained to make my first pair of custom boots.
After my training in Lampasas I bought one of the infamous 3115 Singer sewing machines, a machine that can be found in nearly every boot shop in Texas. I started stitching boot tops in our sun-room in the back of my home. While in Gatesville, I began traveling to other boot shops to enhance my boot making techniques, honing my craft.
From the Kimmel Boot Company under Eddie Kimmel in Comanche, Texas, to the Wheeler Boot Company under Dave Wheeler in Houston Texas, these men shaped my skill set and process to maximize the quality that Parker Custom Boots would produce. By utilizing the training and advice from these two shops I was able to create a process that is time tested and customer approved!
After a few years we packed up once again and headed back home to Houston, Texas. We launched our first store in a 400 square foot store front as a shoe repair and custom boot shop in the Oak Forest Garden Oaks area, but after nearly a year we out grew that space and had to relocate. Now in the Spring Branch District of Houston we are in a nearly 2000 square foot space.
Originally, custom fit and quality were not the only reasons bespoke boots spoke to me and drew me in. Growing up as a kid I always loved art and when I realized that the cowboy boot could be a canvas for expressing a passion of mine, I was set on a dead course to build something interesting and unique. With each and every customer I try to find a way to make that boot unique to them. Sometimes it’s just a color or initials, or sometimes even a family brand or landscape.
At Parker Custom Boots we pride ourselves on superb customer service- we believe in honest and integrity and display this in our craftsmanship. All of the leathers and materials in our store are handpicked and of the finest quality available. From custom western boots, belts and wallets, this ensures a well-built product that is superior in quality and is timeless in its elegance and style.
This consistency has given us very satisfied customers that have returned over and over. At the end of the day, our customers want a boot that fits great and is something that no one else has- and we make it our job to exceed those expectations.
Today, Parker Custom Boots has been featured on ESPN, Fox, and our local ABC 13, along with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, The Houston Safari Club and various others who have kindly displayed our work and encouraged the art of craftsmanship. We enjoy every day and look forward to making boots for many years to come.
A handmade, custom cowboy boot is truly “hand-cut, hand-made, and handed down!” A combination of style, craftsmanship, and artistic expression! Quality is something we need, style is something we want, and a craftsman is someone who brings those two worlds to reality!
Has it been a smooth road?
One of the biggest difficulties in apprenticing in any craft trade is that there is no pay at first, so you’re often spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars in order to obtain the right training to do the right job.
As with any business there is always risk. My wife stays at home with our three kids, she also home-schools them, so as the sole bread winner it has at times been a challenge to make sure I could provide a quality of life they can enjoy. Many long hours and sleepless nights have been part of my reality, yet persistence overcomes resistance and we have made it through those times!
Houston is a tricky market as it is important to find real estate that is affordable and yet easy to access for our customers.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Parker Custom Boots – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My company is a custom western boot company in Houston, Texas. I make handmade custom boots and belts from a wide range of materials which include American Alligator, Ostrich, French calf, and Italian Kangaroo.
I take flat pieces of leather, cut them and make a three dimensional boot to the specifications of a customer’s foot. I do not sit around and build stock boots, I build boots for individual customers. Every piece I cut is for someone who has placed an order.
From fancy dress boots to working cowboy boots we specialize in providing a boot that meets the demands of life wear and tear, whatever that job may be!
Meeting customers’ expectations is what we do every time. I spend as much time as I can designing the boot, whether simple or complex, that meets the customers’ desired preference.
Fit is very important and I take several types of measurements to ensure that fit is properly done. Style and finesse are useless if the boot does not fit!
What sets Parker Custom Boots apart from others is customer service and our guaranteed fit for every pair we make! We never cut corners on quality- it is of the upmost importance that we only purchase the finest materials available, and this shows in our work.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Houston’s diversity amazes me. The men and women that walk through our doors are always such interesting, kind people who get to share stories from very different backgrounds. We really enjoy the conversations and friendships that are made. There are different areas in Houston that feel like its own small community somehow- a community that takes the encouraging of small businesses very seriously and truly wants them to thrive and flourish. The Oak Forest/Garden Oaks community (where I was born and raised) has been especially encouraging- they are always reaching out to us in any way they can to make our name and purpose known to others. It has meant a great deal to have this kind of support when you are a family owned business.
Our city is very large and has a booming economy, which works both good and bad for a smaller business. It can be very easy to get lost in the vastness of such a bustling place. One side of town can seem like years away. On the upside it provides an economy of men and women that can afford American, handmade goods. Awareness in this city can be exhausting, but it is necessary to thrive.
And, last but not least, Houston also has the Largest Rodeo on earth, which once a year brings an awareness back to the western way of life- especially the Western Boot!
Pricing:
- Our starting price for our handmade custom boots is $1500
- Handmade Custom Belts start at $125
Contact Info:
- Address: 4123 Hollister Rd. Suite L
- Website: www.parkercustomboots.com
- Phone: 832.640.5397
- Email: parkercustomboots@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/parkercustomboots
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/parkercustomboots
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/parkercustomboots
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
