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Boot history · 1950s, 1970s

The exotics era

Tony Lama pushed exotic skins and bold styling into the mainstream. Ostrich, lizard, and alligator went from oddity to aspiration, and the custom shops, Paul Bond, Charlie Dunn, Ray Jones, built five-year wait lists on reputation alone.

Encyclopedia references: CowboyBootsDB and maker archives linked where available. Historical dates and attributions can vary by source.