Eric Ahlgrim
Fashion is not a one-size-fits-all experience, and Tennessee native Dustin Bowen has built a business with that in mind.
Owner and Chief Designer of Bowen Bootwear, a hand-designed, full-service boot studio in Nashville, Bowen uses his love for upcycling and designing boots that challenge industry norms to create custom works of art. Bowen views bootwear as an extension of personality, and he pours his heart into every handmade detail from start to finish in this custom-made process. As a result, his boots and leatherwear are loved and worn by folks around the world, including some famous faces like Post Malone, Thomas Rhett, and Jeffree Star, to name a few. Combining the traditional art form of boot-making with modern designs, Bowen is designing boots that are truly one-of-a-kind.
Stepping Out: I was touring as a drummer, and that wasn’t paying the bills, so I got a part-time job working at this mom-and-pop boot shop. In the back, we had a little shop where we would take secondhand boots, restore them, and put them back on the shelves with our fingers crossed that they would sell. Nine times out of 10, they would. It was really cool. We were putting different heels and soles on them, reshaping the toe, cutting the boots down, putting zippers in them, dying them, all kinds of crazy stuff just to see if they would sell. I just took to it and started buying boots on the side and doing it on my own in my home, and also taking those boots out on the road and selling them out of the back of the van at our shows to make some money. It started picking up for me; a lot of people were asking for them. When I realized that music was more of a hobby than a career for me, I was like, ‘Maybe let’s take this boot thing a little more seriously and go work for someone reputable.’That’s when I went to Lucchese Bootmaker, and I started out as a sales associate there at their Nashville store in the Gulch. I worked my way up to an assistant manager, then a general manager, and eventually, I took over their custom design program. I’m very grateful for my time there. I learned a lot and developed my own style. I thought, ‘Let’s take a whack at this. Let’s branch out.’They’re a little bit more Western classic cowboy, which I can do, but I was starting to cater towards people that were looking to step outside of the box a little bit. The support has been absolutely amazing.
Dig Your Heels In: Constantly learning something new, that’s the beauty behind this art form. It’s so rich in history, there’s always something to learn, which I love about it. Whenever I started to put my own flair on it, though, it was not accepted very well by the boot community. I ruffled quite a few feathers. It did kind of make me question whether or not I was supposed to be part of this community. Am I breaking some rules here that shouldn’t be broken? But then I got to thinking about it and realized no matter what I’m making, whether it’s boots, sneakers, a sweater, it’s fashion. I’m in the fashion business, and it’s an art form, and art shouldn’t have any barriers around it. You shouldn’t be put in a box. It pushed me to continue on with my vision, to keep pushing forward, and not let that dream die. I am the happiest I’ve ever been. I get to create new pieces of art with new people every single day. I can’t believe this is what I get to do, and I’m so grateful for it.
Perfect Fit: [Bowen Bootwear] started just a little over three years ago. I’ve been operating here in Germantown in a private studio, and we’ve done stuff for everybody from Thomas Rhett, to Post Malone, to Jeffree Star, comedian Anthony Jeselnik, actor Henry Golding, anybody from all over the world. As the brand develops, we’re realizing that we’re not a one-trick pony. We don’t do just one style or set thing. We call it kind of a fantasy factory— if you’ve got an idea, let’s lay it on the table. Even if it’s something that we’ve never done before, let’s see what we can do. How we do things is: you book an appointment with us; our website is a landing page to see all our recent work and book your appointment. We do in-person fittings, but we also do virtual consultations as well. Book your fitting, come in with us, I’ll take all of your foot mappings and measurements, and then we will build out your custom last that we form the boots around. From there, we choose all of your materials, which I can source for you. I’m able to get you all kinds of different materials from around the world. We use smooth leathers, exotic leathers, and game hides. If you’ve gone on a hunt and have the hide and it’s tanned to turn into leather, you can bring that to us and use your own hides. The company is based here in Nashville, but my shop where we build everything is in El Paso, Texas. I’ve got eight bootmakers with a minimum of 20 years of experience each, and we hand-make everything from the ground up.
These Boots Are Made For You: It’s whatever you want it to be because the boots are completely custom. They’re Western fashion influenced, cowboy boot influenced, that’s kind of the base that we start at, but from there, the sky is the limit. You name it, and we can do it. I’ve turned a lot of sneaker-heads into boot- heads just because of the flair that we put on it and the different spin. I grew up in Tennessee. I wore cowboy boots a lot of my life, but I would never consider myself a cowboy. But I feel that what we do embodies that cowboy spirit; gives you that boost of confidence to go out there and ‘go get ‘em’ kind of thing. Step outside the lines a little bit, maybe do what’s not necessarily considered kosher within the cowboy boot world. Do whatever you want, wear what you want, be who you are. But we do stick to the true art form of boot-making, that has not been lost. That is a firm foundation for us. The beautiful art form of boot-making and shoemaking is something that we want to keep alive, so mixing that with more modern design is who we are. We’re not a retail store, so you don’t just walk in and buy the same thing that the next person does. You’re able to come in and create what you want. At Bowen, if you have a specific thing that you’re looking for, we’ll figure it out and we’ll build it for you from the ground up. We try not to say no here. What sets us apart is the individuality of being able to express yourself freely with your style. And now, in a world of fast fashion, I think that people care more about sustainability, too. We let nothing go to waste. I let people know, “Yeah, we can build a pair of boots, but we also have this extra leather, so we can make you a matching belt out of it as well. Let’s make the most use of this hide so we’re not wasting anything.” I think people appreciate that as well.
Quality Care: Quality is always top priority. I can’t stress that enough, our quality is top- notch. [Boots] can look cool all day long, but if the quality is crap or the fit isn’t right, you’re not going to want to wear them they’ll just sit there in your closet. We only use premium leathers from some of the finest tanneries in the world. My boot makers’ parents and grandparents were boot or shoemakers as well, so it’s just kind of in their blood. Building relationships is top priority for me as well because we are a working studio, and creative space. During your appointment we’re getting to know each other; we’re building a relationship between each other. I want to know who you are, what does your day-to-day look like, what do you want these boots and shoes for, what’s your story, and how did you come across Bowen? The work that I do is not transactional. It’s not one and done, thank you, bye, see you later. We build relationships, friendships, and trust here. I want this to be a place where people can go that they trust and that they’re comfortable exploring their own creativity, because I get to be creative every day, and I absolutely love it. I want people to have a place where they’re able to do that as well.