BOOTS & Flutes: And to think that I saw it on Mulberry St.

It’s not news to learn that the Italians take their shoemaking as seriously as the French take their cheese-making. But it was news to me to learn that the Lucchese brothers brought their Italian craftsmanship to Texas back in 1880. In the 1960s, the founder’s grandson, Sam Lucchese Jr. reinvented bootmaking, handcrafted Presidential kicks for LBJ and made Lucchese the first name in bespoke bootsmanship.

This week, just in time for Mother’s Day, Lucchese Boot Co. is bringing its El Paso stylings to NoLita as Space Cowboy Boots hosts a Lucchese Classic Trunk Show, May 10-11. I’ll be hosting the show…and since mama always said never to go somewhere empty-handed, I’m bringing bubbly and oysters for a Boots & Flutes affair.

Anyone is welcome to pop-by, browse, nibble and sip, but friends, clients and fans of The Modern Gentleman are invited to make appointments for private fittings with Lucchese Design Specialist Tray Gilmore or Space Cowboy proprietors Paul Greyshock and Jaylin Ramer.

Roses are cliché…but boots are a clever and classic gift for Mother’s Day. Why not treat mama or a sweetheart to a day in NoLita? Revel in a sumptuous pairing of Boots & Flutes as I shuck Rappahannock River Oysters and pour Barboursville Vineyards Cuvée 1814 Brut & Brut Rosé while your feet and calves are pampered in shark, stingray, hippopotamus, deer, cow, buffalo or bison hide.

Friday, May 10 & Saturday, May 11. Private fitting appointments require advanced reservations: (646) 559-4779.
Space Cowboy Boots
234 Mulberry Street
New York, NY 10012

To learn more about this boutique and the backstory on its boots, have a peek below.

Bolos in Nolita: And to think that I saw it on Mulberry St.

There’s an old Steven Wright joke about a blonde Chinese girl who digs Jewish cowboys. If Bucky Goldstein hasn’t already found his way to Space Cowboy Boots, he’d better hit it before the word gets out. Hand-made boots have landed, and the Jersey-born proprietress, singer/realtor-cum-cowgirl Jaylin Ramer, has presaged the rise of retro Texas cool. I popped in looking for a pair of Frye boots for my girl, but walked out with some Cafe Glitter, a set of killer kicks that made my wife quiver with cock-a-hoop delight.

As I poured over the ostrich, crocodile, cowhide and python skin, Jaylin explained the anatomy of a boot. We inspected the shaft, the pulls, the vamp, the toe-box and the shank of dozens of boots. From inlays to outlays, single stand piping to roach stomper toes, I had no idea that my Jeffery-West shoe fetish would draw from NYC to El Paso, Texas and the soul of Stallion Boots and Lucchese Boot Co.

But Space Cowboy delivers way beyond rodeo-style shit-kickers and delicate designer models meant more for red carpets than red clay soil. I discovered raw suedes, detailed tooling, crocodile dress boots to rock with a sleek suit, and ankle-high zipper boots with alligator wing tips and brilliant black leather touches that made me wanna give up regular ol’ shoes come the next Lenten season.

While I was there, in strolled Kevin Pollak and his sweetheart, Jaime Fox. While he and I talked shop, Jaime picked up a sweet pair of pumpkin ditties that went digital when she tweeted this pic. Also shopping, were a couple of top-hatted cats who turned out to be Lisa Marie Presley’s band, in the 212 to promote LMP’s new album, Storm & Grace, with gigs at Sirius/FM and Gramercy Theatre.

I’ve been to Graceland with those to laughed…and with those who cried, thus I had to check out Lisa Marie’s tunes. As a boy who once slung steak and brew on Beale Street in Memphis’s famed Blues City Cafe while his mama served as masseuse at The Peabody Hotel, I know me some Presley. (Oh, ask me about the time my signature triple disco dip landed a ballerina in my arms for a Jerry Lee Lewis music video.) I’ll bet you an Elvis hologram that there’s a bluesy track you’ll like. Ain’t just a surname; she’s got goods – and thigh-high boots on her album cover.