Dallas Market Center President and CEO Cindy Morris recently joined Shoe-In, the footwear industry's podcast produced by the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), for a conversation on the continued rise of Western wear and Dallas Market Center's role in it.
Morris appeared alongside Ryan Vaughan, president and CEO of Rios of Mercedes, in episode #531, "Inside the Western Wear Boom with Dallas Market Center and Rios of Mercedes," hosted by Matt Priest.
The trio discussed how family-owned businesses have shaped both companies, the 2021 move of the Western trade show from Denver to Dallas, and the cultural forces — from Western-themed film and television to the genre-crossing popularity of country music — fueling demand for boots, hats, and workwear among a broader range of shoppers.
"Western has moved well past its traditional customer," Morris said. "We're seeing mainstream apparel retailers walk into a boot showroom for the first time, and that's opening up business for our exhibitors that didn't exist a few years ago."
Morris pointed to the Western marketplace's growth since the show's move to Dallas, noting that new buyer segments — including mainstream apparel retailers looking to add a few pairs of boots to their assortment — have driven demand on both sides of the business.
Rios of Mercedes was founded in 1853 by the Rios family of bootmakers and is based in Mercedes, Texas. Today led by the Vaughan family, the company handcrafts boots in South Texas and Leon, Guanajuato, and showcases roughly 800 styles across its family of brands — spanning the luxury Western and workwear categories — in its permanent Dallas Market Center showroom (WTC-14371).
Dallas Market Center's Western and English marketplace spans the 14th floor of the World Trade Center, with additional permanent showrooms on the 10th floor — space that's expanding ahead of the August markets in response to strong demand from leading footwear and workwear brands. Carhartt Footwear, Red Wing Shoe Company, H Bar C, Leather Impressions, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Seager, Ferrell, Shea Baby, Howdy Hanny, and Lovlei Ranch will establish new showrooms there, while Old Gringo Boots, Wrangler Footwear, Hyer Boots, and Montana West are expanding or relocating to larger spaces.
Morris also credited the market's Western Leadership Council, made up of exhibitor principals across the industry, with helping shape the marketplace's growth. Buyers can shop the category during the upcoming August Apparel & Accessories Market, Western & English Sales Association (WESA) Trade Show, and American Equestrian Trade Association (AETA) International Trade Show, all running August 18–21 at Dallas Market Center.
The full episode is available at shoeinshow.com/episode/531-western-wear-boom and wherever podcasts are streamed.