BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (Oct. 29, 2024) – Award-winning leather artist Lisa Sorrell shares her knowledge on the most recognizable staple of country music fashion—cowboy boots!—during the Speaker Sessions program at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum at 7 p.m. ET, Nov. 12. The program, entitled “From the Saddle to the Stage: Country Music and the Evolution of Cowboy Boots,” will be held in person and virtually; there is no cost to attend.
“There is little academic research on the history of cowboy boots,” said Dr. Rene Rodgers, head curator of the museum. “It’s a tradition that’s generally passed down from master to apprentice. Lisa Sorrell has unique perspectives on the tradition that any lover of shoes—or boots—will appreciate!”
With more than 30 years of experience, Sorrell makes shoes, cowboy boots, and leather art pieces in her Oklahoma shop, working from flat pieces of leather and the client’s measurements, and using hand tools and vintage machinery. She maintains a portfolio of original designs and is well-known in the bootmaking world for her design skills. She literally wrote the textbook on the topic: “The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay.”
Cowboy boots have long been the standard footwear of country music, both for performers and their fans. The Speaker Session will highlight how cowboy boots contributed visually and aesthetically to country music from its beginnings to today and explores the history of the cowboy boot. Sorrell examines how they evolved from plain black boots the cowboys of trail drives wore to the brightly colored, high-heeled, pointed-toe footwear we recognize today. The talk will also explore how this evolution happened alongside, and for the benefit of, entertainment.
Those unable to attend the Speaker Session in person may also enjoy it from home via WBCM Radio Bristol’s YouTube channel. For more information and to RSVP, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.