Texas and New York Meld in These Sophisticated Cowboy Boots: Elegant Dallas Brand is Set to Have a Houston Rodeo Moment

Leave it to a couple of Texas ranch girls, with New York City creds, to shake up the long-established concept of the western boot. Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means grew up on the family’s sixth-generation cattle ranch near Marfa before testing the career waters in Manhattan and then, back in Dallas, sending shock waves through the cowboy boot world.

For those unfamiliar with their Miron Crosby line of elegant western footwear, the recent pop-up shop at The Dunlavy provided many an oh-la-la moment. Consider the  boot display that included the “Carolina,” embellished with hand-inlaid and appliqued  birds atop branches, or the tasseled bootie dubbed “Little B.” Consider also that these boots are hand-lasted at Rios of Mercedes, a 160-year-old manufacturer which happens to be owned by the sisters’ uncle.

More than 100 guests, friends and Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo honchos perused the selection of boots for men and women as well as a collection of vintage turquoise jewelry from Shiprock Santa Fe gallery and Mignonne Gavigan‘s wildly popular beaded jewelry. It was just a sampling of the wares that the duo has in their shop which opened in Dallas’ Highland Park last June.

“We aspire to be more of a fashion brand,” Duplantis said. “People have been doing cowboy boots and doing them well in Texas for generations. We really want to be kind of more women-centric and fashion forward. A little more elevated.”

That is not to say, however, that their creations are off the wall.

“We are definitely committed to the western silhouette and our boots are definitely cowboy boots and constructed in that way,” Duplantis said. “But again, it’s with a fresh perspective. They are really works of art.”

In addition to off-the-rack boots, Miron Crosby has a custom component that allows customers to modify an existing boot silhouette or create a one-of-a-kind pair. That latter process can take from four to five months.

“Cowboy boots are under represented in a lot of markets so we are excited to take it to a more contemporary, luxury marketplace,” Means said.

As the Miron Cosby website explains, “We love fusing the authenticity of West Texas with the fashionable creativity of New York.”

The Houston event, planned in time for folks to get their boots before the upcoming rodeo,  was hosted by Meredith Chastang, Peggy Hollis, Brooke Hollis Hortenstine, Ashley Pearce, Julie Shannon and Natalie Steen. Hortenstine’s father, Wayne Hollis, is a HLS&R executive committee member. He was there along with fellow committee member Joe Van Matre and Lifetime Vice Presidents Carolyn Faulk and Bill Yates.