As the summer months begin to meet us warmly, it’s time to plan our hikes, repair our gear and let the excitement for upcoming adventures build. With the previous season’s wear becoming apparent on that well-loved pair of boots, it might be time for something new. Colorado is home to many gear experts and makers, yet few surpass the knowledge and skill of bootmaker John Calden.

shoe workshop tools — *Photo courtesy of John Calden*

Residing in Estes Park and working out of his shop for the last 40 years, Calden has had the opportunity to outfit some of the world’s best hiking and mountaineering experts. Dr. Thomas Hornbein, author of Everest: The West Ridge and namesake of the Hornbein Couloir, David Breashears, the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest more than once, and Jeff Lowe, accomplished alpinist with over one-thousand first ascents, are just a few of the athletes he’s assisted.

What about these boots makes them so special? Other than the labor of love Calden puts into each pair, they are a custom boot encompassing elements of the best gear on the market with a unique style. Over the years, Calden has repaired and produced many boots ranging from hiking, backcountry skiing, mountaineering and everything in between; he has put his personal touch on thousands of pairs in a plethora of styles.

Calden starts off with a carefully designed fitting process that he has perfected. Stopping by his shop for a personal fitting and conversation is the way to go. With his positive yet realistic outlook on the world, humility and gratitude are common adjectives that come to mind when thinking of him. Not able to make it to Estes Park in the near future? He will send you an at-home measuring kit that has been fool-proof throughout his 40+ years of boot making.

Calden has many measurements he accounts for, one of which starts where the laces do, not far back from the toe. This results in no lacing adjustments across the top of the foot, allowing plenty of room in the toe box. Some could say this leaves room for sliding and slippage of the foot, but due to the meticulous customization of each boot, slippage and break-in time are nonexistent. Calden carefully selects a fiberglass support shank that lives between the base and sole of the boot. These keep the boots light, strong and limit the possibility of rust and breakage over time. Next comes the sole; Calden has been using Vibram soles for his whole career — #100 lug soles to be exact. This particular brand of soles is made of rubber compounds, meaning the rubber is treated to harden or soften according to its use. Using these soles allows Calden to create boots from size three to 20 in all lengths and widths.

It would be an injustice to the boot design to not mention its double-tongue element — something Calden introduced to allow the wearer to continue making customized adjustments to the boot depending on the type of sock they wear or the activity the boot is intended for.

Calden’s clients are a mix of avid mountain men and women and those with specific needs, such as different sized feet, particularly high or low arches and custom fit orthotics.

Though Calden clearly has a skill for boot making, that was not his original passion in life.

When Calden was studying criminology in his hometown of Oakland, California, he took a leather crafting course, resulting in his first creation — a belt. As time went on, Calden developed a love for leather work and would make belts, mend and repair leather for his family and friends, and began making sandals. While on vacation in Estes Park, Calden’s boss at the time encouraged him to stop by Komito Boots — a boot fitting and repair shop owned by boot making expert and avid climber, Steve Komito. Komito and Calden had much in common, leading Comito to offer Calden a job on the spot. The timing wasn’t right for Calden, but in the coming years he would find himself back in Colorado for good.

In the summer of ’72, Calden spent a yeardeveloping his boot-making craft while, in true Colorado style, living in the back of his pickup truck in the woods with his dear pup Huckleberry. Come spring, he found himself working for Komito repairing boots in his Estes Park shop, which soon turned into renting out a corner of the shop and developing his own unique style. From there, his career was truly born.

Today, you can find Calden still making boots in his shop with grandchildren playing at his feet. When he’s not in the shop, Calden and his wife enjoy fishing, skiing and traveling together. He made it known that this career has not been about the money, but rather the experience of getting to know a wide variety of people all over the world that share a common love of the mountainous lands we have a hunger to explore.

Interested in getting a pair of your own? Stop by Estes Park or check out johncaldenboots.com.

Originally published in the Summer 2022 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

At The Sole Of It All: John Calden Boots