Zach Lawless and the Hyer Boot Company – A helluva comeback!

By Gina Stuelke, CEO of Kenton Brothers

It’s not often that I get to meet an entrepreneur with a company that is older than ours. Kenton Brothers was started in 1897. But Hyer Boot Company made its debut in 1875!

Hyer Boot Company began in a small cobbler shop in Olathe, Kansas and became the pioneers of the cowboy boot. In 1875, a cowboy entered C. H. Hyer’s cobbler shop and asked for custom boots that would work better for cattle driving. This was the first “cowboy boot”. After that first pair, the word spread. Orders came in from cattlemen, rodeo performers and even celebrities like Buffalo Bill Cody and Marilyn Monroe.

In the early 1900s, Hyer became the largest handmade boot manufacturer in America.

They were ahead of their time by selling boots through mail order. They also came up with design improvements like the toe bug and fork construction for pull tabs. During World War I and II, HYER Boots made footwear for military personnel, including notable figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower.

Sadly, in the 1970s, financial hardships led the family to give up control of the business. When the dust settled, the Hyer brand eventually shut down. But that is not the end of the story! In the 1990s, Zach Lawless, the great-great-grandson of C.H. Hyer, found family memorabilia and felt compelled to revive the business. After reclaiming the trademark for “Creator of the First Cowboy Boot” from Berkshire Hathaway, the HYER Boot Company was relaunched. Their first boot was the Horseman & Ranch Boot.

Check out the incredible story of Zach’s journey to resurrect his 5^th generation business in this YouTube video. This is such a good video! It transcends the revival of a family business. My hope is that you can relate to this story about finding treasures passed down from your family.

Special thanks to Brad Holdhusen and his group from Prime Capital Investment Advisors who hosted a great customer event on a warm October evening at Silo in Lenexa to celebrate the American Royal and its new location in Kansas City, Kansas and the revival of Hyer Boots, makers of The original cowboy boot™!