Over the past three decades, Wyman Meinzer has worn Russell Moccasin Co. boots exclusively in the field. He bought his first pair in 1987, a decade before he was named the official State Photographer of Texas. Instead of buying a stock model, he custom ordered a hard-wearing Wisconsin-made boot designed to stand up to the rugged terrain. “Here in West Texas we have a lot of lechuguilla and, of course, cacti, and then if you’re in any other part of the state, it’s a lot of cacti,” he told us. “So I like the fact that these boots resisted some of the thorns that I would often get in my shins and my calves when I was wearing boots with lower tops.”
Recently, Russell Moccasin Co. decided to offer Meinzer’s boot in its catalog for other outdoorsmen to purchase. The Wyman Boot — based on the Mountain climber style — is made from red maple oil tan leather and features a 15-inch shaft, double-vamp construction, treated oak leather midsoles with turkey wedges and Vibram Sierra soles. The boot also has a Poron slip sole for extra cushion and a turtleskin slip sole to prevent thorn punctures. “Here in Texas in the Badlands, or over in the West Texas Mountains, I do a lot of climbing,” Meinzer said. “You have a tendency to break boots over if you don’t have a mountain climber because this particular style of boot has a steel shank in the heel which prevents that move from occurring.”
The boots are secured with 10 eyelets and quick lacing studs on the shaft. “What I think will be a real plus is they have reduced the army quick lace studs from eight to a side to six to each side,” Meinzer said. “I believe that this will reduce the amount of ‘slip outs’ when trudging through acacia and briars.”
Priced at $578, the Wyman boots are custom made to your exact foot measurements. Field-tested for decades, this style is guaranteed to deliver protection and comfort for years to come. “The thing is they’re just very comfortable,” Meinzer said. “Once I got them and started wearing them, they fit me like a glove and I just stayed with them all these years.”
