By Rob Patterson

Photography by Susan L. Ebert

!:s vv~iiv ~ii ~nou: :nv vv:~iivvs
lor mc. Thc lilcstylc !vc gottcn to cnjoy ovcr thc ycars
has comc lrom thcm, says 8ob Frazicr ol Twistcd X
8oots. As hc says this,
a ncarby cow brays in
Frazicrs dircction. Part
ol thc lilcstylc hc cnjoys
is working cattlc, on
this particular day at a
ncighbors ranch ncar
his own sprcad outsidc
ol Hcmpstcad, Tcxas.
!s thc mooing cow
trying to scnd Frazicr
a mcssagc: ocs it
rccognizc a rclativc in
thc boots on his lcct: !s
it asking him to bccomc
part ol a Twistcd X boot
in its altcrlilc: Sincc thc
company is arguably thc
hottcst ncw cntry into
thc cowboy boot markct,
its an honorablc placc
lor a hidc to cnd up.
! think ! likc cows
so much bccausc wc can
makc boots out ol thcm, Frazicr admits. And sincc
Twistcd X shippcd its lirst ollcrings in ctobcr 2005,
thc company has alrcady translormcd morc cows
into lootwcar than it cvcr
cxpcctcd. Vith somc 180
dillcrcnt ollcrings now
on thc markct, its thc
littlc startup company
that has rapidly sccn big
rcsults.
8oots lrom Twistcd X
arc ccrtainly among thc
topics ol convcrsation
during todays cattlc
working. Vranglcrs comc
up to Frazicr to show
him thc boots hc has
dcsigncd and madc that
thcyrc wcaring and ollcr
thcir commcnts on thcm,
all gcncrally positivc. !ts
licldtcsting in thc most
litcral scnsc, Frazicrs
own lcct includcd.
You gct a lot ol
cducation at thcsc cvcnts.
This boots not cvcn
In less than two years, boot industry veteran Bob Fraziers
Twisted X Boots has become a red-hot brand
Hard-Working
Cowboy
Builds Hard-working Boot
20 Western & English Today JULY/AUGUST 2007
Bob and Jenna Frazier take a break during a recent spring
cattle-working. RIGHT: Frazier in the cutting pens, where
he eld-tests a new boot.
JULY/AUGUST 2007 Western & English Today 21
availablc, hc says, lilting
onc lcg ovcr thc othcr to
show what hc has on. !m
wcaring it to scc il this top
lcathcr holds up bccausc !m
going to gct somc wcar out
ol it today.
!ts thc boot wcarcrs and
thc rctailcrs who scll thosc
boots to thcm that mattcr
most to Frazicr and dclinc thc
corporatc goals ol Twistcd X.
To scrvc thcm bcst, ! wantcd
to build lunctional cowboy
lootwcar, hc cxplains. Vc
rcally conccntratc on lit, lirst
thing, and comlort, and thcn
thcrcs thc wholc stability
part ol it that makcs it a
good boot.
Frazicr brings dccadcs
ol boot cxpcricncc to
his company. A nativc
klahoman who spcnt timc
growing up on thc ranchcs ol
both pairs ol grandparcnts, hc
pursucd a prcmcd dcgrcc in collcgc. 8ut thcn hc changcd coursc
altcr graduation, applying to thc allas Policc cpartmcnt to gct
law cnlorccmcnt cxpcricncc in ordcr to bccomc an invcstigator
lor Thc Tcxas and Southwcstcrn Cattlc Raiscrs Association.
8ut bclorc hc could bc acccptcd as a policc cadct, Frazicr
nccdcd to gain 12 pounds to mcct thc physical rcquircmcnts. So
in thc mcantimc, hc landcd a job through a lamily lricnd in thc
Vcstcrn wcar busincss as a drivcr and hclpcr lor a salcsman lor
H 8ar C Ranchwcar. Altcr just two wccks hc was sclling on his
own, latcr picking up othcr lincs, including Laramic 8oots.
! got thc boot bug. ! cnjoycd sclling thc boots morc than thc
apparcl. And ! could bc crcativc bccausc ! could go in and makc
up spccial ordcr boots. hc says. Frazicr cvcntually joincd Justin
8oots in salcs, rosc to vicc prcsidcnt ol salcs and markcting, and
rctircd altcr ncarly 25 ycars with thc company. Hc rcjoincd thc
boot industry with Ariat, and thcn rctircd again.
! had grcat cxpcricnccs with somc rcally nicc brands, hc
says. ! ncvcr cvcn thought about my own boot company until
it happcncd. ! didnt havc a lilclong drcam ol owning a boot
company. ! had a lilclong drcam ol sclling boots and riding oll
into thc sunsct. And !m at thc agc whcrc ! probably should
at lcast gct on a horsc and start riding in that dircction. 8ut !
whcclcd him around and camc right back.
!t wasnt prcmcditatcd, Frazicr says ol starting Twistcd X. !
just did it. ! lclt thcrc was a holc in thc markct, and wcrc lilling
it, at lcast part ol it.
TOP: Frazier keeps a herd of buffalo
at his Texas ranch on which he
hones his cutting skills. ABOVE:
Fellow ranchers and wranglers make
up an informal product-testing
team. TOP RIGHT: Neighboring
ranchers pool resources to round
up spring calves. LOWER RIGHT:
Fraziers saddlepad bears his brand.
Twistcd X startcd lrom scratch with its own dcsigns and lasts.
Vorking with partncr Mikc Vu, who brings 25 ycars ol lootwcar
cxpcricncc with Stridc Ritc and Convcrsc to thc company, Frazicr
incorporatcd what hc lcarncd lrom his many ycars in boot salcs
and dcsign to build what hc lclt was a bcttcr product.
!ntcgral to thc companys boots arc its singlcpiccc carbon
libcr shanks moldcd insidc its XS insolc board. !ts madc
to llcx thc loot likc thc loot itscll llcxcs, Frazicr cxplains. A
podiatrist hclpcd us cnginccr it. Vhcn wc took what wc madc
back to him, hc said, you know what youvc donc hcrc: Youvc
madc an orthotic.
A slight downward anglc on thc hccls and a low instcp aid
Twistcd Xs lit. Fcaturcs likc a moldcd rubbcr outsolc and a
plastic spur ridgc add durability to somc ol thc companys riding
and work boots, and thc company also ollcrs topquality lcathcr
outsolcs lor buycrs who prclcr that option. An opcnccll loam
loot bcd inscrt adds lurthcr orthotic support. Using oldschool
spadc lasts hclps prcvcnts thc loot lrom rolling ovcr thc wclts.
And thcn thcrcs thc llair, as Frazicr calls it: thc sharp colors
and distinctivc cuts and dcsigns that sct Twistcd X 8oots apart
lrom all thc othcrs. Hc also pays closc attcntion to thc latcst
trcnds in shirt colors to hclp rctailcrs crossmcrchandisc his
products as part ol cnscmblc salcs.
Twistcd X opcratcs in a lcan, hungry and indcpcndcnt
manncr. !ts hcadquartcrs arc in ccatur, Tcxas, whcrc partncr
Jcrocn Noordcmccr, who prcviously workcd lor Rccbok, hcads up
opcrations and linancc alongsidc salcs spccialist Jamcs Fcrguson
and advcrtising and markcting spccialist Sandy 8razilc. Vu
dividcs his timc bctwccn Los Angclcs and China, whcrc most
ol Twistcd Xs boots arc madc somc arc also now craltcd in
Mcxico primarily lrom thc lincst Amcrican lcathcrs.
Frazicr bascs at his 325acrc ranch in Hcmpstcad along with
his wilc Jcnna, who handlcs markcting and works a salcs tcrritory.
Vhcn homc, thcy work surroundcd by horscs, cattlc, a hcrd ol
bullalo on which Frazicr somctimcs practiccs his cutting skills
and a burro namcd Juanito. Hcs our dog, Frazicr quips.
Thc Twistcd X stall cschcws titlcs My busincss
card says 8ob, Frazicr notcs and with its licld salcs rcps
collcctivcly brings ncarly 400 ycars ol lootwcar cxpcricncc
to thc company tablc. Thc tcam avcragc is about
60 ycars old. And thats
including Jcnna, whos
rclativcly ncw to thc boot
busincss. Shc rcally brings
thc avcragc down.
Focusing on whcrc thc rubbcr mccts
thc road at thc rctail salcs lloor is paramount to
thc Twistcd X cthos. Thc vision ! havc is to just build a
good lunctional boot and partncr with thc indcpcndcnt Vcstcrn
rctailcr thc Vcstcrn storc thats bccn around lorcvcr. Somc arc
owncd by sccond, third and lourth gcncrations in thc busincss. Thats
whcrc wc go lirst to scll our boots.
This is a rclationship busincss, Frazicr strcsscs. And what
hc lcarncd lrom his many ycars in thc busincss is that thc storcs
that carry his boots ollcr a lar morc valuablc rcsourcc than simply
salcs. !l you dont listcn to that rctailcr, yourc not gonna lcarn a
lot. ur philosophy is: 8c carclul about what wc do with this stull
and who wc scll to and how wc mcrchandisc it so that thc rctailcr
is comlortablc with a nicc margin and makcs moncy.
! just want Twistcd X to bc a
littlc boot company that has boots
that lit and arc comlortablc, Frazicr
cxplains with charactcristic modcsty. Yct
salcs havc alrcady lar outpaccd thcir
initial projcctions.
Vhcn Rocky Mountain Clothing
Company rcccntly app
roachcd Twistcd X to
dcsign, manulacturc and
markct boot lincs undcr
its Cinch and Crucl Girl brands, it was
an ollcr thcy couldnt rclusc. Thcyrc strong
brands with our rctailcrs and strong brands
with thc youngcr consumcrs. Thc boots will dcbut at this ycars
National Finals Rodco.
Ultimatcly Frazicr and his partncrs want Twistcd X to rcmain
small, nimblc and privatcly owncd. Vc nccd to grow this thing
salcly and mcthodically and not just scll all wc
can scll, hc concludcs. ur goal is to makc
a good boot and a boot that our customcrs
can makc moncy on. !ts rcally simplc. !l thc
rctailcr makcs moncy, wc makc moncy.
Twisted X Boots
(940) 626-4207
twistedxboots.com
resources
Frazier is his own most demanding customer, putting a yet-to-be-produced boot, above, through rigorous eld-testing in real-life situations.