Rebooting the West & Antiques Roadshow in Colorado

There’s something timeless about a pair of well-worn cowboy boots. Scuffed leather, intricate stitching, and stories in every step give them a character all their own. For Matt Holzer, a vendor at the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, these boots aren’t just footwear. They’re a living symbol of the American West.

Holzer restores and sells vintage cowboy boots with passion and purpose. For him, each pair is both a work of art and a piece of history. He shares how cowboy boots have become iconic in Colorado culture, noting that some believe the first true cowboy boots may have been commissioned by a Colorado cowboy from a Kansas bootmaker.