Lucchese (pronounced "Loo-casey") is synonymous with "boots" worldwide and an interesting "foot" note in San Antonio's rich and colorful history. The Lucchese brothers, Sam and Joseph, arrived in the frontier town of San Antonio in 1880 from Sicily, armed with knowledge and dedication to Old World shoemaking. San Antonio was a major military outpost (still is!), and the brothers soon established the Lucchese Boot Company in 1883 to cater to the boot needs of the large cavalry contingent at Fort Sam Houston. An early San Antonio photo hanging in the present store at 255 E. Basse Road in the Alamo Quarry Market shows a Lucchese-booted cavalry regiment, riding proudly past the old Lucchese store downtown. As military officers were transferred to other posts, they continued to send back to San Antonio for Lucchese boots.

The brothers eventually pioneered the specialty footwear for the range, known today as the "cowboy boot." During the 1920s, under Sam's son, Cosimo, the company's reputation spread among affluent ranchers throughout the West. In the '50s, Hollywood discovered Lucchese's, and Cosimo's son (also named Sam) began fitting a long line of celebrities, many of whose boot-fitting photos adorn the store's walls -- Gene Autry, Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, Sandra Bullock, Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Lyndon Johnson. A letter from John Wayne reads, "I guess I know where my best Christmas present came from -- Sam Lucchese."

Lucchese's present store is a fascinating place to visit. Authentic Indian artifacts of museum quality, including Anasazi pottery, perch on shelves, while other Western memorabilia -- an antique ivory-handled Colt revolver, a chair constructed of cow hides and horns, old branding irons -- are scattered among the wide array of sophisticated Western clothing, sportswear and leather accessories. Also on display are intricately hand-detailed boots, specially commissioned in the 1930s to represent each state in the union. While the modern Lucchese's carries a broad range of men's and women's western apparel and accessories (everything from brief cases to bolos), its most sought-after item is still the hand-made boot. These come in a mind-boggling variety of colors and exotic leathers -- alligator, crocodile, ostrich, lizard, kangaroo, calfskin, goatskin and stingray. There are an assortment of "cuts," too (belly, tail or back cuts for American alligator), and color choices cover a wide spectrum from popular "black cherry" to golden "peanut brittle."

Steve Whitefield, director of consumer relations, will be happy to fill you in on what makes a Lucchese boot so special -- the twisted cone "last" on which they are hand-shaped. This special "last" (a foot-shaped form over which the leather is stretched) exactly replicates the ridge bone of the human foot, which slants off toward the big toe. (The typical factory boot is machine-made and cannot follow the intricate curves and nuances of the real, human foot.)

Lucchese boots represent a true art form in which each workman's knowledge has been passed down from individual to individual carefully over the years, with the craftsmen specializing in areas of expertise -- from nailing in the lemonwood pegs to stitching Lucchese's signature hand-cording.

Lucchese's originally pioneered separate right and left foot "lasts," and its footwear today is considered the most orthopedically correct around because of its perfect arch support and steel shanks. (Physicians actually have prescribed Lucchese footwear to treat back and foot problems.) Another Lucchese boot secret is its separate leather lining, contributing to an incredibly comfortable fit.

Lucchese's sells and ships its boots worldwide, but here in San Antonio you can get your Lucchese boots (or belts, buckles, hats, caps, shirts, skirts, jackets, jeans and more) right where it all began. The legend continues!

Lucchese Boots, Apparel and Accessories
255 E. Basse Rd., Alamo Quarry Market; 828.9419; 800.548.9755