What comes to mind when you heard the word “Texas”? For me, it’s cowboys, cowboy hats, and boots. No self-respecting cowboy, cattle herder or ranch hand would be caught dead without a pair of sturdy boots on their feet. In that part of the country, it’s de rigueur. And H.J. Justin, the founder of the Justin Boots Company, knew that.
A boot repairman from Lafayette, Indiana who landed in Spanish Fort, Texas in 1879, he outfitted cowboys on their way up the Chisholm Trail with boots made right in the comfort of his own home. Even his wife got in on the business, developing something they call a “fit kit”, which was basically just a chart and a tape measure. Armed with these two items, cowboys already wearing H.J. Justin’s boots spread the word and the company grew. Eventually, H.J.’s sons joined their dad and it became a true family run business.
Today Justin Boots is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffet, who is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. If there’s anything The Snowball can do, it’s take a company and make it even better. Not that there was much to improve upon since its founding principles remain the same. According to the company website, The Justin Boot Company still holds true to the dedication put forth by founder H.J. Justin:
“No boot shall ever bear the Justin brand unless it is the very best that can be produced from the standpoint of material, style and workmanship. It is my wish that I might leave behind me an institution which will uphold the standards and the spirit of the true west.”
If you’d like to know more about the history of the company, you can check it out here.
The reason I’m telling you all of this? Well, I have a little surprise for you. What could I possibly have that you want, you say? Well, other than the recipe for my mother’s famous Eggplant Caponata?
I have a pair of boots. That’s right, people…BOOTS!!
Justin Original Workboots has come to The Daily Rant (my personal blog), and they’re giving me a pair of workboots to pass along to one of my lucky readers. For FREE!!
I gotta say, for a flip-flop girl, I’m flippin’ excited about this. And because I also love all the Life On The Road readers, I asked them if I could include y’all (see what happens when you start talking about Texas?) in the giveaway, and they said yes! So, I’ll be giving away one pair of boots to one of my readers (to be chosen from comment entries on both The Daily Rant and Life On The Road) in addition to getting a pair for myself and a friend, which will be used for a future product review.
The friend I’ve chosed to be the recipient of those boots, is someone I’ve known for over twenty years, a guy who’s owned his own construction company for even more years than that. He wears boots daily; climbing ladders, walking over debris on jobsites, standing for hours on end at his shop. He actually wears them out. Once he’s given them a good beating, I’ll be asking him what he thought; about fit, comfort, style, etc. Everything one cares about when wearing a workboot. As a fellow Native New Yorker, I know he’ll have no problem telling me exactly what he thinks.
Then, once fall hits, I’ll be hanging up my flip-flops and giving you my personal opinion on the boots I choose. I already know which pair I want. If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time, you know I don’t hold back with my opinions. If the boots pinch my toes like a too tight stiletto heel, you’ll be the first to know!
Whether you’re a trucker, a roofer, a carpenter or just a person who likes to wear a boot, it’s important to have a high-performance workboot that’s also comfortable. That’s why Justin Original Workboots launched their J-Max collection last year. They provide performance, function, comfort and stability. But that’s not the only thing you need to know about Justin Original Workboots (JOW). Here are a few more tidbits before we get to the giveaway details…
The J-Max Collection is handcrafted right here in the United States of America!! That’s kinda rare these days, isn’t it? And the boots today are made to the same high standards set over 130 years ago by H.J. Justin. Can’t beat that, can you?
Also, and this is really going to thrill some of my readers, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the J-Max Original Workboots are going to Camp Patriot. Camp Patriot provides the opportunity for disabled veterans to go on outdoor adventures – everything from fly-fishing to archery to kayaking to snowmobiling to climbing Mount Rainier!
There are more than 2.3 million disabled veterans in the United States today, people who lost the ability to pursue some of their dreams due to injuries suffered in the line of duty. So not only can you help support someone who has dedicated a portion of their life to the military by buying a boot from this line, but you’ll be wearing an American made pair of boots to show for it!
In addition to the boot giveaway here and at The Daily Rant, Justin Original Workboots is having a Dirtiest Workboot Contest (Wow, a contest within a giveaway?! Who woulda thunk?). They’re asking fans to submit photos or video of their dirtiest workboots and whoever gets the most votes will win a year’s supply of Justin Original Workboots and RIGGS WORKWEAR by Wrangler- they’ve figured that up to be six pairs of boots, six pairs of pants and six shirts. So go get dirty, people!
Please take a moment to check out the Justin Original Workboots website, their Facebook page and also their Twitter feed. Between these three locations, you won’t miss a minute of what Justin boots is up to!
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: Just answer the following question in the comments section of this post:
Where is your favorite place and why?
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