Over the course of his 45-year career in crafting Western and working boots and shoes, Mike Ryan has meticulously crafted over 5,000 pairs of custom boots for clients spanning from Montana to the broader Western region. Growing up outside Brusett, Montana, Mike developed an interest in boot and shoemaking, inspired by a local shoe repair shop in Jordan that served area ranching communities. After his service in the Navy, Mike returned to Montana and gained foundational skills at Al’s Bootery in Billings before delving into custom boot making under the guidance of Mike Ives. Working at Boyce Tack & Western store for six years further honed his expertise before he eventually opened his own shop in Helena in 1986. Here, provided shoe repair services while also building a loyal following for his custom boots. Many of these clients have become repeat customers, a testament to the quality and style of his work. Over the years, Mike has continued to refine his craft through collaborations with other boot and saddle makers. He has even traveled out of state to learn custom shoe making, ensuring he could cater to a diverse clientele in his community.
Mike’s boots stand as a testament to the rich tradition of Western leatherwork, offering a diverse range of styles from functional work boots to intricately designed rodeo and dress boots, each crafted with precision and passion. According to Mike Korn, friend and client of four decades, “Each of Mike’s boots are hand-made, literally constructed from the ground up, from measuring a customers’ feet, crafting a personal last (the form on which the boot is built), cutting and sewing the various elements together made from a wide variety of leathers from bull hide to exotics.” As stated by Korn, these customers ranger from working cowboys and foresters, to gentlemen ranchers, and all those who “those who ride the concrete canyons of towns and urban area.”
Today, Mike serves as a tradition bearer, an inspiration for the next generation of boot makers, and the owner of Ryan’s Boot & Shoe Repair. It is within this shop, and around his boot-piled workbench, that Mike has imparted traditional handcrafting techniques and methods to employees over the years, including his daughter, with some of his protégées venturing out to start businesses of their own.
Through his participation in cultural events and collaborations, Mike’s impact also extends beyond his shop. During the mid-1980s, he began collaborating with the staff of the Montana Folklife Project, which resulted in interviews and photographs of his work being included in their collection, available to the public through the Montana Historical Society’s archives. Additionally, Mike has participated in the Montana Folk Festival as a folk arts demonstrator, sharing not only his own story but also the rich heritage of Montana with thousands of festival goers. Mike’s story has been featured in numerous articles in Montana newspapers and magazines, including Rural Montana (the Montana Electric Cooperatives Magazine), the Independent Record, and the Butte Standard, sharing his work with the public.