STOCKMAN BOOT

Jim Bultsma was born in Chicago in 1959. Jim met Jana Birdsall in 1983. They were married in 1985. Gradually, through Jana, Jim came to appreciate the work of her father, Monte Birdsall. Monte was a bootmaker, then living above and working in his store, Stockman Boot Shop in Rapid City, SD. Jim wanted to learn the trade and Birdsall was a willing teacher. Birdsall's own two sons, Jim and Jeff, had already learned boot repair and custom boot making from him... Bultsma made his first pair of custom boots in 1986. He also learned how to repair boots and then teamed up with Monte in 1993 to work at Stockman Boot Shop. He learned how to make regular cowboy boots from Monte and then taught himself to do build Packer boots, a lace up type of cowboy boot... Custom boots are those made individually for each customer using their personal measurements. It is a fine craft involving the skill and knowledge of a bootmaker working to satisfy the needs of an individual client. Stockman Boot and..