Austin-based Chisos Boot Company is rethinking what makes a comfortable western boot. Founder Will Roman, a self-described stubborn Texan, started the company in 2019 after years of struggling to find boots that provided both durability and all-day comfort. His back pain led him to test numerous brands and materials, but nothing offered the right combination. 'There is not another insole on the market like this,' Roman said, referring to the proprietary comfort insole that is central to his design.
The Chisos comfort insole features a leather top over a multi-density polymer build with gel pads at the heel and ball of the foot. Roman spent months developing it, rejecting memory foam because it compresses and loses support after a few hours. Instead, he chose materials that maintain rebound throughout the day while still allowing the leather to mold to the wearer's foot like traditional insoles. However, the insole alone is not the whole story. Chisos boots are built from the ground up with the comfort system in mind. The last runs larger, the heel counter is taller and made of firm vegetable-tanned leather, and a conformed steel shank supports the arch. This stable platform is designed to minimize the small posture and gait adjustments that can lead to discomfort over time.
Chisos emphasizes stability over extreme softness. A boot with too much give can force the body to compensate, leading to fatigue and pain. The company's boots feature a walking heel with about an inch and a half of lift, which Roman says provides a practical balance for walking stability and arch support. A wider toe box, including the refined square toe on styles like the No. 2, allows toes to sit side by side, improving balance. The comfort insole sits between the foot and the traditional leather stack to dissipate impact on hard surfaces without sacrificing the boot's resolable construction. 'Changing your boots out is probably not going to solve back discomfort overnight,' Roman said. 'But it can make a big difference. It worked for me, and I hear from customers every week about how switching to a pair of Chisos has enabled them to wear boots again.'
Chisos boots are built to improve with age. As they break in, the foot forms impressions in both the comfort insole and the leather footbed beneath it, reducing micro-movements needed to stay balanced. The boots don't peak on day one; they continue to adapt to the wearer. Cross-section videos on the company's YouTube channel show the interior construction, including stacked leather heels, leather heel counters, and channel-welted construction, demonstrating the quality that sets them apart.
The company, named after the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, produces small-batch, hand-lasted boots with traditional Goodyear welt construction. A portion of every sale supports Texas land conservation. Chisos boots are available at chisos.com and at their Austin storefront at 3507 S 1st St.
