Fifty Bucks and Hotel in Mexico - How Skiver Bootmakers Reintroduced Art to the American Cowboy Boot

As the old saying goes, behind every successful cowboy is a wife with a good job in town. While it may not have quite the same ring to it, in the case of Ty Skiver, the saying goes more like this: “Behind every successful custom bookmaker is a good woman with an eye for detail, a passion for preserving America’s cowboy culture, and killer social media and marketing instincts.” 

If you haven’t met Ty Skiver and Darcie Spero of Skiver Bootmakers now is your chance. Ty, a cowboy, and Darcie, the daughter of a cowboy (who has a wife with a good job in town), have spent the last few years bringing Ty’s artistry from small niche custom bookmaking into the limelight. Or, more aptly – into the arena. 

While boot-making and leather crafting are not always thought of as art forms, nothing could be further from the truth. Leather crafted in the form of art dates back to 1,300 B.C. Since that time, leather has been painted, dyed, and decorated, all in the name of art. Further, the art of boot-making in America dates back over 150 years to the Chisolm Trail cattle drives. 

Growing up in Big Piney, Wyoming, Ty cut his teeth on bull ropes and BS. Riding his first calf at age four at a hometown rodeo, he was well on his way to a life behind the bucking chutes. As soon as he was old enough, he began riding colts for local ranchers. By high school, Ty was riding broncs and was fully immersed in the cowboy way. 

It was during these early years that Ty discovered his love for leatherwork which led him to an opportunity to work for local saddlemaker Ron Reese. Before long, he took an interest in tooling leather, the process by which intricate designs are carved into a piece of leather with the help of tools like awls, bevelers, and groovers. This can also include using stamps to imprint designs into a pattern. Tooling is where most of the artistry in leatherworking lies and where Ty found his passion. 

Starting with the basics, Ty made wallets and belts using his few carving tools. Eventually, he learned how to make chaps and saddles. However, like many young men, Ty found himself chasing adventure instead of a traditional career. Although for cowboys and pirates, those can be one and the same. So, off went Ty to meld the two together. By the early 1990s, he had become a professional bareback rider and was making his mark across Wyoming and the West. 

After a few years and a few hundred wild and woolly horses, Ty elected for the PRCA early retirement plan and left bronc riding to return to his roots in leatherwork. Lucky for him, while he had been working the rodeo circuit, his old mentor Ron Reese had been working Utah, learning to build boots. Back in the business and under Reese’s tutelage, Ty made his first pair of boots. 

Once again pursuing his passion, Ty sought out top-notch bootmaker Gary Tucker after seeing his work in a book in the mid-90s. According to Ty, Tucker began working for the famous bootmaker M.L. Leddy in 1964 in San Angelo, Texas. Starting out sweeping the shop floor, Tucker eventually became one of the most sought-after cowboy boot makers of his time. By 1996, Ty had tracked Tucker down and asked him to teach him his methods. Through Tucker, he began learning the old ways of boot construction like how to measure a foot correctly, and the finer points of the craft of boot-making. 

In 2012, Ty was crafting designs for Lucchese Boots, the well-known San Antonio bootmaker. From there, he moved on to Old Gringo Boots and eventually became a freelance boot designer. 

But despite his love for leatherworking, life got in the way. While he continued in his craft and supplemented his income with ranching, Ty’s work remained relatively small-scale, which is not uncommon for saddle makers and leather crafters of all types. 

In 2016, Ty was heading to the National Finals Rodeo, NFR, with his wife Wendy, to watch his stepson R.C. Landingham compete in bareback riding. In search of a nice pair of boots, Ty came up dry. Virtually nothing of merit could be found with a good leather sole. Finally, he decided to re-sole an old pair of his own boots. That was when Ty decided to pursue boot-making more aggressively. 

A few months later, Wendy passed away after a long battle with cancer. Uninterested in a return to ranching, Ty continued to pursue his love of leatherworking. “I wanted to make real boots,” said Ty. So, he set off on his journey in earnest. 

A few years after losing Wendy, Ty ran across a long-time family friend, Darcie Spero. Darcie, a Fallon native, is the daughter of Vaughan and Kim Bendickson, who was a saddle maker and leather craftsman for many years. Darcie was no stranger to cowboy and ranch life. Growing up in roping arenas and standing on the backs of bucking shoots, she learned how to saddle a horse from the wheel well of a two-horse bumper-pull trailer. The cowboy way ran as deeply in her veins as it did Ty’s. Coincidentally, her parents lived that aforementioned scenario - the one about successful cowboys and wives with good jobs. 

The match was a fine one and still is. However, Ty’s journey from where he was when they joined forces to where they are today has not always been a smooth one. Even though he had recently begun working with the incredibly talented bootmaker Fernando, that did not mean Darcie was fully on board when Ty announced on a moment’s notice that he was heading to Mexico to find a way to get his boots made the way he wanted. His goal was to design, create, and do the artistic leather work and let someone else handle the structural component.

After airfare and lodging, Ty had $50 left to his name to last the week. “But I got a free lunch and dinner at the hotel,” joked Ty. During his stay, he made a pair of boots with Fernando, with whom he had become acquainted as an old connection at Lucchese. He was so impressed with the boots that he ordered 12 pair on the spot. Unfortunately, when it was time to pay for them three months later, Ty was out of funds, and it was Darcie who picked up the bill. 

Once Darcie became a part of the enterprise, things began to shape up for Skiver Bootmakers. Call it synergy, good luck, or pure old-fashioned hard work the magic of Ty and Darcie together became a sight to behold. As they gradually developed an online presence, the entire dynamic of their budding custom boot business began to change. Ty’s artistry and craftsmanship paired with Darcie’s business and marketing acumen, took them to a whole new level. They brought 400 pairs of boots to their booth at the 2022 NFR in Las Vegas. A far cry from the initial dozen pairs he had ordered on a wing and prayer.

In addition to his booming boot business, Ty makes custom chaps each year for over 12 top-ranking competitors at the NFR. With each passing year, his artistry evolves, and his work becomes more sought after than ever – a testament to his years of experience, raw talent, and dedication to his craft. 

Traveling to rodeos and events across the west, as well as working with locals in their Fallon shop, Skiver Boots are becoming a highly prized item in professional rodeo circles. Their boots are extremely customizable, with most pairs less expensive than full custom handmade boots. Darcie often helps customers find the perfect fit for what will usually turn into what they call the most well-made, comfortable boots of a lifetime. 

With designs sporting everything from business logos to hunting motifs and much more, the masterful artistry in Ty’s boots is undeniable. If a customer can imagine it, Ty can probably build it. And if a custom-designed tooled pattern and vibrantly died color combination is what you’re after, the sky – or rather the Skiver is the limit.