Nocona Boots was founded in
Nocona, Texas, in 1925 by Enid Justin. She was the daughter of
Justin Boots founder
H.J. "Daddy Joe" Justin, who had begun boot-making in
Spanish Fort, Texas in 1879.
Cowboys ordered his custom-fit boots, which were ready to pick up after their
cattle drives. In 1887, the
railroad came through Nocona, and the boot factory moved there to take advantage of better shipping. Enid started working in her father's shop at the age of 12 in 1906, where she remained for the next 12 years. After he died in 1918, other members of the family wanted to move the business to
Ft. Worth. Enid felt so strongly her father wanted the company based in Nocona, she stayed behind when her brothers moved the factory's equipment to Ft. Worth in 1925. She borrowed $5,000 and kept seven employees to found the Nocona Boots brand. The discovery of
oil near Nocona brought many new customers. Nocona made a 16-inch lace-up boot tough enough to survive the oil fields, bringing the wildcatters back for more. In 1981, Nocona Boots merged with Justin Industries, the then parent company of
Justin Boots, bringing the two boot-making companies full circle. In 1999, the Nocona plant was shut down and production moved to El Paso, Texas. ==Today==