I HIGHLY recommend to any tourist who is spending time in Antigua to take a couple hours to travel about 20-25 minutes in a camioneta (2.5 Quetzales) to Pastores to shop for boots. This small town is known for their leather boots. For a good couple of blocks the street is lined with boot shops literally one after another. They are handmade there with real leather. Most shops have a sewing machine in them and often you can see Guatemalans stitching away. The boots are gorgeous! Most are cowboy boots, but they also offer different styles. They also make boots with the typical Guatemalan fabric up the sides. The prices range from about 225Q-500Q ($29-$65) depending on the style and height of the boots.
I had a pair of boots specially made for me. I printed out a picture of a pair of boots that I liked and brought that to one of the shops. He then traced my foot and took some measurements, I picked out the two different kinds of leather that I wanted and then came back in two weeks to pick them up. They cost me 275 Quetzales ($36). I LOVE THEM! I'm glad that I waited 7 months to get my first pair because I think I might be hooked.
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This is the picture that I gave to the bootmaker
(They are the Frye Shirley Strappy boots) |
VERY spiffy. Custom designed and fitted for 275Q--incredible. Disfrutar de las botas.
ReplyDeleteballin
ReplyDeleteAwesome boots. Good choice! Mom
ReplyDeleteReally nice boots, and I am enjoying all your other postings as well.
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful.. reminds me of sandals we once had made when they also traced our feet.. but you have an entire boot and I only had straps... you have the whole enchilada... boots and straps. The bookmaker is such a pro to be able to recreate that from your photo!! How did you decide which shop from among so many?
ReplyDeleteI used my friend Rachel's host father, but other PCVs have gone other places and they have all turned out great.
DeleteOh, my goodness. Great boots, Meg. I was also wondering how you decided which shop to use.
ReplyDeleteNow I want some boots. Well, actually, I've been wanting some new boots for a while. Now I really want some.
I think that all bootshops custom make boots, but I used my friend's host family
DeleteOMG I WANT SOME. They're even better than the frye!!
ReplyDeleteGracie
Love them!
ReplyDeletewow.... I heard that you were coming back for Christmas..... I am first in line for Christmas boots!
ReplyDeleteMay I ask what shop you had these made?
ReplyDeleteI'm actually not sure what shop they were from because I went straight to my friend's host family, but they do own a shop in Pastores. It might be "Botas G," but I'm not 100% sure.
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