My favorite places to get MTO or custom boots online is from Nicks Handmade boots, JK Boots, or Wesco. You can also try Junkards or White’s for custom boots. Expect your MTO boots to take 4-12 months as the process is quite lengthy.
There was a time when I thought the only people who wore custom made boots were either from the 1600s or some kind of royalty.
Fortunately that’s no longer the case, and made to order boots are well within reach.
And in my experience, these are the best options out there for getting your hands on a pair of custom boots online.
5 Reasons Why Custom Boots Are Better
Why would you want custom made boots? Well, there are many benefits to having your footwear made to order—here are a handful of them.
1. Comfort
Custom made boots offer sizing not just in length but also multiple widths (not just regular or wide), so you’re going to get a much better fit. They’re going to feel better because they’re made to fit your foot, not a generic foot. Additionally, custom made boots can include features that improve comfort, like extra cushioning, arch support, and toe lacing.
2. Quality
Custom made boots are often made with higher quality materials and craftsmanship than mass-produced boots. That translates to greater durability, so your boots will last longer and require fewer repairs or replacements.
3. Customization
With custom made boots you choose the style, materials and colors to best suit your preferences and needs, so you get exactly what you want. Customization means you have the chance to put your personal spin on your footwear, making them solely yours (see what I did there?).
4. Value
While custom made boots may initially be more expensive than mass-produced boots, they usually offer better long-term value due to their durability and personalized fit. It’s the old “cry once” mantra: investing in a high quality pair of custom made boots that will last for many years will end up costing you less in the long run.
5. Sustainability
Made to order boots use less resources than mass-produced boots because there’s no excess inventory. They are often made using production methods that cut down on waste. And by investing in products that will last for years to come, you can reduce your environmental footprint by consuming fewer resources and generating less waste.
5 Custom Bootmakers Online
1. Nicks Handmade Boots
Lead time: 26 weeks
Nicks is a hearty boot brand from the Pacific Northwest, specializing in rugged work boots that will last a lifetime. They have an extensive catalog of styles to choose from (everything from work to chukka, chelsea, tactical and more) and they’re super customizable.
Pick your leather, last, toe structure, hardware, and much more. If you care about the details, this is the way to go. And Nicks provides plenty of images to help make the process easy.
The Overlander is a classic work boot with thick USA tanned leather and a Vibram lug sole. These things are no-nonsense, tough as hell (seriously, they attach the soles with screws in addition to the double stitching!) and just may outlive you.
The Overlander is a classic work boot with thick USA tanned leather and a Vibram lug sole. These things are no-nonsense, tough as hell (seriously, they attach the soles with screws in addition to the double stitching!) and just may outlive you.
2. Junkard Company
Lead time: 24 weeks
Junkard is an Indonesian boot brand making mostly service style boots, but they also offer moc-toe boots, brogues, and loafers.
They represent a great value, offering multiple construction methods such as the ultra-waterproof (and laborious) Norwegian welt. They also have a wide selection of leathers, from domestic pull-ups to imported chromexcel and shell cordovan.
The SC2078 in Shell Cordovan is one of Junkard’s best-selling models and is a modern day interpretation of WWII military boots. A boot like this will pair just as easily with a bespoke suit as it will with jeans and a T-shirt. It’s a refined style at a decent price point, especially for a made to order boot. Personally, I love the look of the undyed edges on the black shell cordovan; it’s a nice touch and shows off that gorgeous leather.
A boot like this will pair just as easily with a bespoke suit as it will with jeans and a T-shirt. It’s a refined style at a decent price point, especially for a made to order boot. Personally, I love the look of the undyed edges on the black shell cordovan; it’s a nice touch and shows off that gorgeous leather.
3. Wesco Boots
Lead time: 15+ months
Another Pacific Northwest brand, Wesco has a well earned reputation for outdoor geared boots.
Like Nicks, they have a wide variety of styles that are customizable (work and dress models, engineer, roper and more). Their site features an illustrated “virtual boot view” to help you visualize things as you build your perfect pair.
It’s a helpful tool if you’re not completely up on your boot terminology or just not great at keeping track of all the details in your head. However, if you want a pair of Wesco boots, be prepared to wait: the current lead time for custom orders is more than 15 months.
The Jobmaster is another industrial strength work boot with everyday good looks. It’s also Wesco’s most customizable model, meaning your chances of getting something truly unique are even better. If you want something a little different, go for the burlap leather upper; it’s a throwback look that never goes out of style.
The Jobmaster is another industrial strength work boot with everyday good looks. It’s also Wesco’s most customizable model, meaning your chances of getting something truly unique are even better. If you want something a little different, go for the burlap leather upper; it’s a throwback look that never goes out of style.
4. JK Boots
Lead time: 8 weeks
JK Boots is a family owned and operated business hailing from the, you guessed it, Pacific Northwest.
They’ve made a name for themselves among loggers, firefighters, and other hardworking people, and their customizable selection reflects that. Mostly logger and firefighter styles, these boots are solid. Plus they have one of the shortest lead times, currently only 8 weeks.
The Superduty is a classic logger boot, and JK’s most popular style. And while this boot may be built for heavy duty work detail, it’s also ridiculously good looking, especially in a smooth upper and rough bottom combination.
The Superduty is a classic logger boot, and JK’s most popular style. And while this boot may be built for heavy duty work detail, it’s also ridiculously good looking, especially in a smooth upper and rough bottom combination.
5. White’s Boots
Lead time: 24 weeks
Baker Shoe Company (who owns White’s and Wesco) offers several customizable White’s and Wesco styles. The White’s models are varied: service, firefighter, logger, and semi-dress. There are tons of customization options and loads of leathers to choose from, including some really nice Horween Horse Hide.
If you’re looking for rugged versatility in a boot, the Bounty Hunter is the one for you. It not only looks the part, it plays the part. These durable bad boys will feel and look great whether you’re exploring the backcountry or heading out to happy hour.
And they now offer a Horween Leather Horsehide option, which is not only beautiful, but also more flexible and abrasion resistant than cowhide. It costs more, sure, but horsehide is worth every penny.
If you’re looking for rugged versatility in a boot, the Bounty Hunter is the one for you. It not only looks the part, it plays the part. These durable bad boys will feel and look great whether you’re exploring the backcountry or heading out to happy hour.
Time for MTO?
Custom made boots are not just for the rich and famous. They’re very attainable and there are many benefits: increased comfort through better fit, higher quality materials and craftsmanship, unique customization options, more bang for your buck, and the satisfaction of buying a product that’s more sustainable for the planet.
Of course, these aren’t the only places to get made to order boots online. These are just some of my favorite options.
There are places that claim to sell custom made boots for $200; steer clear of them. Prices that low means they’re cutting corners, most likely by using cheap materials.
If you want something special, you’re going to pay for it. Custom boots are an investment, an arguably worthwhile one.
Lastly, if you want a pair of made to order boots, expect to wait for them. The shortest wait time on this list is a couple of months, and the longest is well over a year. There are multiple reasons for this, the main ones being long backlogs of orders and lack of availability of materials. But the long and short of it is that custom things take time to make. But in my experience, the wait is well worth it.
FAQs
How long does it take to build a pair of custom boots?
Currently it can take anywhere between 2–15 months depending on the brand and style.
How much does a pair of custom boots cost?
Prices can range from $400–$1,000 with many styles costing over $600.
Are handmade boots better?
In general, yes. A boot made by a skilled craftsman using quality materials will be superior to a mass-produced boot.
