Bootmaker
Al Franklin
Al Franklin runs Franklin's Handmade Boots in Mineola, Texas. He learned the trade in 1985 from Jack Reed of Henderson, working evenings in a shoe-repair shop for about $8 an hour starting at age 19.
Known for
Franklin's Handmade Boots in Mineola, Texas
Related: Jack Reed · Rusty Franklin
Biography
History
Al Franklin runs Franklin's Handmade Boots in Mineola, Texas. In an interview recorded in April 2019, he said the reason he became a bootmaker was Jack Reed of Henderson, Texas. In 1985, while patching boots in a shoe-repair shop at age 19, Franklin asked Reed to teach him; Reed agreed to let him come in on evenings, paying his way at about $8 an hour.
A photo caption from the shop dates it to August 1985 and names the repair-shop teacher there as Joe ‘AJ’ Berry, then in his mid-40s, who worked in boot and shoe repair. The caption notes Berry had died a few years before, though no date is given. Franklin is a separate craftsman from Rusty Franklin.
Sources
Identification and markings
Maker-specific markings guidance has not been documented yet. Preserve the complete stamp and compare it against dated sources.
Sources and references
Historical references are cited with the history above. Each catalog record includes its own supporting evidence.
Encyclopedia references: CowboyBootsDB and maker archives linked where available. Historical dates and attributions can vary by source.