Outrider Boot

The Outrider Boot is manufactured in Somerset, Pennsylvania, approximately one hour from Pittsburgh. Production takes place at the Abilene Boot Co. facility, a factory that has been operating continuously since 1948 and employs more than 50 American workers. The facility uses traditional manufacturing equipment and processes that have remained essentially unchanged for over seven decades.

The boot features Goodyear welt construction, a method where the upper is stitched to a welt, which is then stitched to the sole. This construction approach provides water resistance and allows the boot to be resoled, extending its serviceable life. Components are hand-stitched as part of the manufacturing process, which involves over 100 individual steps from start to finish.

Mark Albert founder Mark Barbera works on-site at the factory, maintaining direct involvement in production. The head seamstress at the factory has 53 years of experience in bootmaking, representing the type of skilled craftsmanship that the Somerset facility has cultivated over its operational history.

Mark Albert Boots draws design inspiration from heritage patterns found in factory catalogs dating to the 1980s. The company was founded by Mark Barbera, whose great-grandfather was a Sicilian immigrant master shoemaker who operated in Somerset from 1936 through the 1980s. This family connection to traditional shoemaking influenced the brand's commitment to preserving manufacturing techniques and supporting American production.

The brand launched in 2015 through a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $14,000, funding an initial production run of 120 pairs. Mark Albert adopted a made-to-order business model with production times typically ranging from four to eight weeks after ordering. This direct-to-consumer approach allowed the company to achieve 246 percent growth in one year while maintaining manufacturing in Somerset.

By 2017, Mark Albert had expanded beyond direct sales to include a retail partnership with Huckberry, an online retailer, as well as physical retail locations in New York City and Houston. The brand ceased operations in 2022.