HYER Boots

In 1875, Charles H. Hyer began making boots in his home in Olathe, Kansas, where he also worked as a shoemaker and leatherwork instructor at the Kansas State School for the Deaf. In 1876, a cowboy commissioned a custom boot for horseback riding, leading Hyer to design a boot with a pointed toe, higher heel, and scalloped top. This design later became associated with the modern cowboy boot and led to the founding of the Hyer Boot Company.

The Hyer Boot Company expanded, employing family members, former students from the Kansas State School for the Deaf, and immigrant craftsmen. The company developed a mail-order system with measuring instructions, enabling customers throughout the United States and internationally to order custom boots. By 1919, the company sold an estimated 15,000 pairs of boots each year and was recognized as one of the largest handmade boot manufacturers in the United States.

Notable figures such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Will Rogers, President Calvin Coolidge, and President Theodore Roosevelt wore Hyer boots. After the death of Charles H. Hyer in 1921, his sons continued the business. In the 1960s and 1970s, the company faced challenges related to a decrease in skilled labor and changes in manufacturing processes. The Hyer family sold the company in 1977 to the Ben Miller Boot Company of El Paso, Texas, which later phased out the Hyer brand.

In 2023, Zach Lawless, a descendant of Charles Hyer, relaunched the brand as HYER Boots after acquiring the trademark. The relaunch maintained the original boot designs and incorporated updated materials and features.

HYER Boots are manufactured in Mexico. The company highlights its Kansas heritage by naming all boot models after Kansas towns and including Kansas City in its marketing.

The earliest Hyer boots included a pointed toe, higher heel, and scalloped top, which were developed for horseback riding and meeting the needs of cowboys. The revived HYER Boots line retains these original design features and includes modern materials and updates in its construction.

HYER Boots produces a range of cowboy boots based on the brand's historical designs. In 2024, the company worked with the American Royal to create a limited-edition cowboy boot marking the American Royal's 125th anniversary. This design highlighted shared history in the Kansas City Western and livestock scene.