w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m
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Jeff's store started as Carter's Cobbler Shoppe, opening its doors in down-
town Bozeman in 1994. It quickly became apparent that boots would be their
bread and butter. Perhaps a name change was in order... something that would
capture what they were finding out. They became Carter's Boots and Repair.
"We definitely sell a lot more cowboy boots than work boots," Jeff says. "If
I had to guess, it's 70/30 split on those. But we also sell a lot of hiking boots."
Now in its third decade, the little shop in downtown Bozeman is in-
ternationally recognized for its exceptional craftsmanship. They've sold
high-quality boots to satisfied customers in Japan, Switzerland, Australia,
Russia, Germany and France. However, most of their repairs are from with-
in the United States, many from right here in Montana.
"We take pride in the work we do because we enjoy the work and the
people that we get to meet and work with on a day-to-day basis. We try and
take care of everyone who walks through the door."
Their boots are really something special, too. Hand-made from top to bot-
tom out of leather and steel, with no artificial fillers, they'll hold their shape
after 1000 miles of walking or riding. These aren't your big box store off-
the-shelf boots, these are handcrafted works of wearable western art. That's
how a small storefront in a small mountain town grew into an internationally
recognized boot shop that was able to keep food on the table and put their
photos by TOM RATH
