Country Cool

For the founders of American-made brand Miron Crosby—these boots were made for rockin’.

Written by Jenn Thornton

Sarah Means and Lizzie Means Duplantis, the fifth-generation sisters of a family with a cattle ranch in Marfa, Texas, have cowboy boots in their blood. They kicked around in them all the time growing up. Their uncle owns several cowboy boot brands, including 160-year-old manufacturer Mercedes of Rio, and their father? Well, to this they say: “Our dad doesn’t even own a single pair of loafers or dress shoes—he literally only wears cowboy boots!”

Cleary, these sisters picked the right business with Miron Crosby, the bespoke boot brand they launched in 2017. “To us, Miron Crosby embodies the ‘American dream,’ not only through the way we hand-craft every single one of our products, but also because our brand is such a family-oriented business,” say the duo, who trace the origins of their boot company to their frustration at “the lack of elevated options that were authentic, but not too masculine, or alternatively, not too kitschy.” Where, they wondered, were the “cool cowboy boots” like those they had designed throughout their lives?

Today, “cool” at Miron Crosby means artisanal, a boot created by a fashion designer in New York and hand-made by experienced artisans in Texas. In addition to the brand’s seasonal stock boots are swanky custom options that take roughly six to eight months to complete. Initials and numbers added to either the pull tabs or boot shaft is a detail that gives the product an heirloom quality that resonates with the Means. “We absolutely value quality craftsmanship and view our boots as wearable works of art,” say the sisters. They’re also limited. “Nothing is mass produced, which we’re really proud of!”

While basically every major designer from Chanel to Ralph Lauren have “dipped their toe in the ‘western waters,’” say the Means, its best to see Miron Crosby as more of a serious and committed dive. The sisters have been wearing cowboy boots all their lives, but they also represent the modern-western generation, and see their challenge as getting others to see “ ‘western’ in a different, more fashion-forward context that can be styled for everyday use” without forsaking its traditions. “The world loves the romance of the American West just as much as we do, and our goal is to create a line that is approachable for the average person who isn’t from the stereotypical west, going to a ranch or the rodeo, by taking an authentic product and elevating the details and design so that it is wearable everywhere with everything.” Someone, say, a little like John Wayne, who set the bar for what the quintessential American cowboy looked like but grew up in Southern California.

The Means are working hard to make Miron Crosby a nationally recognized brand—Gigi Hadid rocked a lustrous leather pair in Vogue and Grammy Award-winning musician Kacey Musgraves is a fan—while minding their Dallas Flagship. Plus, they are partnering with the Rialto Jean Project on limited-edition design “The Splattered with Love Shorty,” with proceeds to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. And it’s pretty chic, to boot. mironcrosby.com