Getting to know the Gal Behind CITY Boots
Chalk it up to her family’s roots in Amarillo, Texas, where you’re likely to see cowboy boots on just about every corner, or her grandfather’s impressive collection. Whatever the reason, Lizzy Chesnut Bentley has been captivated by boots for as long as she can remember.
“One of my first memories is my grandfather taking me up to Boots & Jeans on Georgia Street here in Amarillo and buying me pink cowboy boots and spurs,” Lizzy says. “We even had a dog when I was little that I named Boots.”
Where it all began
When she decided to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas, her boots were among the first thing she packed. “That’s where it all started, at SMU,” she says. “College gave me an appreciation of the world but also my roots. I always wanted to share where I was from with everyone else because I am proud of where I’m from, and boots are a big part of that.”
At school, Lizzy became known for her distinctive West Texas-meets-big city style. “As my collection grew, people started coming to me and asking me where they should go to buy cowboy boots. But what I found was that I was wearing a lot of vintage boots, pairs that were 20, 30 years old that I’d bought in thrift stores. When people would ask me about them, I couldn’t direct them to a specific store or bootmaker to buy their own.”
The birth of the CITY boot
After college, Lizzy took a job in the corporate world, forcing her to trade her boots in for high heels. Even though many of the men would wear boots to work with their chinos or suits, Lizzy couldn’t find herself a pair that seemed office appropriate, at least not at an affordable price.
“There just wasn’t a boot out there for women that was considered professional looking, unless you had them custom made,” she says. “So what I decided was that I would try to make a pair for myself that others might be interested in too.”
She worked up a design, found the right bootmaker, and watched her perfect pair of cowboy boots come to fruition.
Lizzy then posted a picture of her boots on Facebook, and within the first week, she had 18 orders. “So, I thought, Oh, maybe there’s something to this,” she says with a laugh.
Finding her footing
She officially launched her line in 2016, and it’s continued to grow ever since, attracting customers of all walks of life and lifestyle. “I’ve got people in New York who work trading desks who wear CITY Boots, multiple bankers, girls who race barrels, broadcasters, moms in the suburbs, college girls who wear them to games,” Lizzy says. And the list goes on and on.
There’s just nothing else out there quite like a CITY Boot.
With a transcendent style that’s both classic and contemporary, casual and sophisticated, it offers the quality a handmade custom boot at a price that won’t break the bank. “I’m a big believer in making a great product at a fair price, one that speaks for itself,” Lizzy says.
While watching her brand grow has been rewarding, what she most loves about being in the boot business is getting to connect with women across the country. “So many of my customers have become my friends, it’s as if I don’t even have a job.”
“Everybody has a story about a pair of cowboy boots. It’s so fun to now be able to be a part of those stories.”
