Bootmaker
Ronny Stewart
Ronny Stewart was an orthotics designer who partnered with the Romero Boot Company in 1940, helping pioneer boot patterns built to fit the foot. After a period in Los Angeles during the Korean War, he settled permanently in Tucson, Arizona in 1955, founding what became the Stewart Boot company.
Known for
Co-founder of Stewart Boot; orthopedic boot-fitting design
Related: Stewart Boot Company · Aldolfo Romero
Biography
History
Ronny Stewart, an orthotics designer, partnered in 1940 with the Romero Boot Company — described by the Stewart company's own history as ‘the premier bootmakers of the era’ — to develop patterns and procedures for fitting the foot. A period on Temple Street in Los Angeles during the Korean War was followed in 1955 by a permanent move to Tucson, Arizona; Victor Borg took over the company in 1970.
True West's 2006 account spells his name Ronnie Stewart and places the partnership with Aldolfo Romero in León, Mexico, in the 1940s, saying the two parted ways in 1955, after which Stewart took his company to Tucson but went bankrupt. Sources differ on the spelling of his first name (Ronny or Ronnie) and on whether the partnership was centered in León or elsewhere. Company materials describe him as a designer who partnered with bootmakers rather than as someone who built boots himself. No birth year or death year has been found.
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Historical references are cited with the history above.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.