These owners all say they offer a personal service to their customers, allowing their little shops to compete against the mega-stores and malls. On this Tuesday, for example, a customer comes into Al's Bootery for a pair of black boots. Sorcher helps the customer with the boots and engages in friendly conversation that covers everything from a mutual acquaintance to the college plans of the customer's son. Well, let's correct him on one thing. These are western boots because a lot of people who wear boots are not cowboys. . . .
Western boots are high shoes, that's all.
Spend a little time with Sorcher and you begin to notice a pattern. He sells western boots, drives a truck, and wears a hat to work, the type you'd probably see businessmen wear in Texas. If I had a wish, I'd go back to the late 1870s for a month and see what that was like when the West was just beginning and railroad was going West. When Al's first opened, the store sold just about everything, including ice skates. Now, Sorcher has decided to narrow his wares to adult shoes, specializing in men's boots.