‘Blessed to live here’: Panhandle resident making boots since 1985

PANHANDLE, Texas (KFDA) - Ruben meets with a boot maker in Panhandle who has been serving the area since 1985.

Earl Sinclair, owner of Sinclair Boots, says the first pair of boots he made was in 1985. He learned the trade at TSTI.

“I was farming at the time for a guy and went to Amarillo to pick up parts, and next thing I knew, I signed up, heard it on the radio and from Panhandle, always enjoyed the community,” said Sinclair.

Panhandle is a good place to keep calling home.

He says he’s always done leather work of some sort, and the first pair he built was for himself.

“When I put them on, it’s the first time I ever had a pair of boots that actually fit me right,” said Sinclair. “And I thought, ‘Man, I want to keep doing this.’”

Over the years, Sinclair says he had to have other jobs