Bootmaker
Salvador J. Maida Jr.
Salvador J. Maida Jr., known as Sal Junior, took over the family bootmaking business at Maida's Blackjack Boot Company in Houston, Texas, working alongside bootmaker Richard Salazar. A 2002 magazine profile says the work fell to him in 1977, while a later legal filing says he incorporated the company in 1983.
Known for
Maida's Blackjack Boot Company, Houston
Related: Maida's · Richard Salazar · John L. Maida
Biography
History
Salvador J. Maida Jr. — called ‘Sal Junior’ in a 2002 Texas Monthly profile — ran Maida's Blackjack Boot Company at 3948 Westheimer Boulevard in Houston. The 2002 profile says the work had fallen to him and bootmaker Richard Salazar since 1977. A 2026 federal court filing summarizing his own declaration instead says he left Houston Shoe Hospital and incorporated Maida's Black Jack Boot Co., Inc. in 1983. Sources differ on the year he took charge: 1977 or 1983.
He is a different person from John L. Maida and from Salvatore ‘Sam’ Maida, and his shop is not connected to the separate El Paso ‘Black Jack’ boot house.
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Historical references are cited with the history above.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.