History

It was back in 1965 that our company founder Filbert Guijarro Sr. first hit the road to visit stores in the Western US states, carrying samples made in his family’s boot shop across the river from El Paso, Texas, in Mexico. Hondo’s earliest customers gave Filbert plenty of tips about how to improve on his first samples. That means today’s Hondos are a result of store owners who worked together with us to reach the best possible outcomes. Even now, in an age when computerized assembly and synthetic materials very often substitute manual work to cut costs, our master boot makers still make boots the way they used to be made by the late 1960’s.

Hondo’s are lasted by hand, using pliers, one boot at a time. Inside every pair you get 9-iron leather insoles, nailed stacked sole-leather heels, cowhide lining throughout, steel shanks, 7-iron sole-leather heel counters free of synthetic backing, and a traditional Goodyear welt construction sewn directly into the insoles. The latter being a process which results in the most repairable type of boot possible, and is a must for the discerning consumer who seeks the most legitimate cowboy boot experience.

The Hondo Boot line caters to the varied activities of seasoned boot wearers, with styles designed for dress, riding, or ranch wear. Some styles feature heels with spur rests, double layered insteps (that’s called a Saddle), soles weighted by midsoles, or rubber soles, for added performance. For greater appeal, our stitch patterns colorfully accentuate vamp hues. At the end of the production line we carefully trim and treat each boot for an impeccable finish.

Today the Hondo Boot Company is still owned by the same family as when it started in 1965 and is based in El Paso, the historic cowboy boot capital of the world. We still live by our motto that “Hondo Boots are handcrafted with pride,” ensuring that that no matter what it takes we’ll continue to build a comfortable, durable, and repairable boot that we hope you too can be proud of.