Your boots will be made available for you to try on for a prefit. At this time you should relay information to me regarding tightness, looseness, toe length, entry through the throat (if they are too loose heel slipping may occur, although some slipping is required by the nature of boots).
The price of your boots or garment includes one session of post-fitting adjustments. Additional adjustments made at extra cost. Size changes after leather and lasts are ordered may be made at an additional cost to be determined on a case by case basis.
I buy the finest quality leather I can obtain for the given purpose, e.g.:
- Italian kangaroo for the finest dress boot
- Ostrich and elephant for extraordinary durability, as well as longevity of good appearance;
- German or Italian soling for longevity of wear. Sole-savers are an additional option available to extend the life of your soles even more;
- Orthopedic lining for longevity of wear and comfort
These leathers are obtained through suppliers I am familiar with and have dealt with for years. However, if you are looking for something I do not usually carry, I will do my best to locate the type of leather in the color you want. It is part of my work to help you select materials best tailored to your needs.
The quality of the boots and products I make is represented in the samples available for you to look at. Boots can be decorative or serviceable or, to a degree, both. For example, an Italian kangaroo boot would not be serviceable long for riding, but an ostrich or elephant boot would be.
There's more to a boot than the construction. You are receiving artistic design and innovation, color coordination, materials and leather selection for the boot made especially for you. Inlaid boots are all individually created and unique in their own details, reflecting the owner's taste, style, interests and personality. Your custom boots should bring a smile to your face whenever you look at them. Boots are often synonymous with the decorative aspect of jewelry and are often collectible as a commodity. Coordinating clothing and accessories are also available.
Pull-on dress western boots, 1-piece top western boots, shoe boots, mules, sandals, dress shoes (oxfords and loafers) and English field boots are available, as well as other types of footwear.
I will make any of these, or garments and accessories, with my own patterns and my own personal styles. Each bootmaker has their own style, just like their own handwriting. So, although I will try to make the boot or item you wish, it will have my own style. It cannot look exactly like a boot made by someone else.
The time from order date to delivery date of your product will vary depending upon the number of orders placed before yours. Generally, the waiting time is 6 months to 18 months, but I will do my best to accommodate any special dates you may have. The completion date also depends on the timely return of information to me.
I will quote a set price for the boots or product you order unless you are ordering something with detailed inlay. You will then be given an estimate of the price and before production starts you will be sent a copy of your boot or garments pattern pieces showing the exact detail of your item and the price.
Shipping costs, including insurance and taxes, will be added to the above cost. No tax is added on out-of-state orders.
I will try to accommodate minor revisions, e.g., (color of stitching on tops or soles, shape of heel). Changes in color or type of leather can be made at an additional charge for the new leather, if production had not commenced. Changes in the sizing will be made at an extra charge.
Two-thirds of the price of your order is required to reserve your space on the production schedule. Please be advised that we will not schedule your order, nor gather the raw materials to work your order, until we receive your reservation payment.
No cancellation of orders will be accepted after your lasts or leather is ordered. No refunds on any portion of the monies received will be given.
When you order a pair of Stephanie Ferguson boots or product, you are hiring me to design and execute your individual item to the best of my ability. I am a quality craftsman who takes pride in my work.
The quality of your individual product will be comparable to my samples I have available for your review. The boots or product you are ordering will be individually handcrafted, not computer-made or mass produced. There may be imperfections in the leather or in the stitching, wrinkles, marks of various kinds or color variations. Any material, fabric, leather, etc., that is put on a moving object will have to move and give with it and will bend, crease or wrinkle in various places. The heavier, darker the material, leather, etc. is, the less obvious this may be.
The many processes involved in building handcrafted items are very stressful to leathers. The more a project is processed (wet, dried, stretched, pulled, hammered, nailed) the more likely these processes will have effects on the product. And, each individual skin reacts differently, also.
If you have ordered boots or footwear, please break them in gradually. Wear them a couple hours the first few times you wear them. Although numerous clients have told me they have done so with great comfort, please do not wear them 16 hours straight, right from the start, without a break-in period.
Stephanie Ferguson
Custom Made Boots and Leather Apparel • Custom Sewing
