T.O. Stanley
T.O. Stanley (1940-2023) was an El Paso custom bootmaker whose client list included three U.S. presidents, Hollywood actors, and country music legends. Known for muted top designs, seamless construction, and a signature S stitch on the outer vamp, he considered himself "a Bootmaker above all things."
Biography
Terry O'Neal Stanley was born on December 6, 1940, in Big Spring, Texas. Before launching his own shop, Stanley trained under two respected bootmaking figures: A.C. Williams in Dallas and Zeferino Rios in Mercedes, Texas. According to Texas Monthly's "The Next 25 Bootmakers," Stanley studied under these masters before going on to buy Rios of Mercedes from the Rios family, though the exact timeline and scope of that ownership are not detailed in available sources.
Stanley was also a rodeo competitor. His obituary in the Big Spring Herald notes that he held a 1959 World Champion calf-roping belt buckle and was a proud horseman throughout his life.
In 1979, Stanley founded the T.O. Stanley Boot Company in El Paso, where he remained for the rest of his career. El Paso was already home to Tony Lama, Lucchese, and other major boot operations, and Stanley carved out a reputation in that competitive landscape through craftsmanship rather than volume. Texas Monthly described his style as featuring muted top designs, exquisite side seams or no seams at all, four layers of lining, and a signature S stitch on the outer vamp.
Stanley's client list was unusually broad. Multiple sources confirm he made boots for three U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush. His celebrity clients included Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Ben Johnson, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Eric Clapton, Johnny Carson, John Denver, Clint Eastwood, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, Tennessee Ernie Ford, George Strait, Wayne Gretzky, George Lucas, Priscilla Presley, Linda Gray, and Nick Nolte.
Terry O'Neal Stanley died on January 13, 2023, in El Paso. He was survived by his daughter Kara (Stanley) Chilleri-Davis and his son Todd Stanley.
Why He Matters
- Stanley bridged the gap between artisan custom work and broader production, building boots for both individual collectors and retail accounts out of El Paso.
- His training lineage — A.C. Williams to Zeferino Rios to his own shop — connects him directly to two important threads in Texas bootmaking history.
- The sheer range of his client list, from rodeo cowboys to U.S. presidents to Hollywood, reflects the kind of cross-cultural reach that defined the best Texas bootmakers of his generation.
- His signature construction details — the S stitch, seamless shafts, and four-layer linings — set a recognizable standard that collectors still look for on the secondary market.