Spirit by Lucchese

Founded in 1883 in San Antonio, T.X. by Sam Lucchese Sr. and his brothers, Spirit of Lucchese was originally known as, Lucchese Boot Company. Officers in the U.S. Calvary traveling through the area and soon began requesting custom made boots. Before long, Lucchese was preferred by not just Texans, but throughout the nation and even the English militia.

Customized footwear was new to the footwear industry and Lucchese had found a market for many interested in purchasing individualistic riding boots to fit their style and foot shape. Lucchese would go on to become incredibly successful in the coming years and moved from providing boots to military, to customers interested in boots for everyday use.

Sam Lucchese came to America from Italy in 1880 at just 17 years old. Just three years later in 1883 Sam had started his own footwear business. Customized boots were what he was known for and his personal records reflect his attention to detail and customer service. Files have been found where he kept each of his client’s names, measurement and style preference. It is not hard to see why Mr. Lucchese’s business grew into a national and even internationally known brand. With over 100 steps that went into the boots, if the final production did not meet Sam’s high expectations, he refused to sign off on the finished product.

Fort Sam Houston, located in San Antonio was home to many militia members. Boots were an important part of their uniform and Sam saw an opportunity to create custom style footwear. What made Mr. Lucchese’s boots so special is the, "twisted cone last”. Instead of laying flat like most boots, the "twisted cone last” allows the foot to easily glide into the boot creating a comfortable, custom fit that the Spirit of Lucchese is so well known for.

Dyes and leathers are scrutinized and examined to ensure that they meet the high standards that Mr. Lucchese put into place so many years ago. From start to finish, over 100 steps are taken to create any boot sold by Spirit of Lucchese. Mr. Lucchese was once quoted as saying, "The final truth is that throughout the whole boot factory, the quality chain is no stronger than its weakest link.” This rings true in the entire process of the Spirit of Lucchese production. While the initial seems of the boots are put through a machine, the second time they are hand-stitched. Each step is double checked before moving on to the next step so that no mistakes go unnoticed.

Many years have passed since Sam Lucchese created his very first boot. However, quality footwear has only been perfected after 125 years of expert craftsmanship. American icons from John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck and LBJ, just to name a few, have chosen Spirit of Lucchese as the choice in footwear.  Even presidents and royalty have been known to wear Spirit of Lucchese. May 2009 marked a significant milestone for Spirit of Lucchese. The State of Texas, House of Representatives and Senate passed legislation officially recognized Lucchese as an important part of Texas history.