Old Country Boots Grand Opening at Neonopolis Set for Sept. 10 in Downtown Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — A handcrafted cowboy boot business that began in a Las Vegas garage is preparing to formally celebrate its move into the heart of downtown Las Vegas.

Old Country Boots will hold a grand-opening celebration Thursday, Sept. 10, at Neonopolis, 450 Fremont St., Suite 179, according to an invitation provided to Las Vegas News. The event is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with invited attendees asked to arrive by 11 a.m.

The address is also listed on Old Country Boots’ official contact page, which identifies the location as the company’s Las Vegas home.

The celebration marks another step in the growth of a family-owned operation built around traditional leatherworking and handmade cowboy boots — a craft that founder Javier Martell says he is working to preserve as mass production becomes increasingly dominant in the footwear industry.

Las Vegas officials and business leaders listed on invitation

The grand-opening invitation lists Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley and Ward 5 Councilwoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong among the scheduled speakers.

The City of Las Vegas identifies Berkley as the city’s current mayor and Summers-Armstrong as the councilwoman representing Ward 5. Summers-Armstrong was elected in November 2024 and took office in December 2024, according to the city’s official biography.

Also listed is Latin Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Peter Guzman. The chamber describes its mission as promoting the success of small businesses through business, cultural and educational relationships and says it has served Nevada since 1976.

The invitation additionally names Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mike Dreitzer. Dreitzer was appointed chairman by Gov. Joe Lombardo in June 2025, according to the Gaming Control Board.

Patricia Cortés Guadarrama, consul of Mexico in Las Vegas, is also identified as a speaker. Her official biography says she has more than 25 years of experience in Mexico’s diplomatic service.

The invitation also identifies Liz Payumo with the Office of Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and representatives associated with the offices of U.S. Rep. Dina Titus and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen.

Las Vegas entertainment and media figures also listed

The entertainment portion of the invitation lists Aimee Thomas of Coyote Country, Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John Katsilometes, country performer Chase Brown and 8 News Now reporter Joshua Peguero.

Thomas returned to the 102.7 Coyote Country morning lineup as part of programming changes announced by Beasley Media Group in November 2025.

Chase Brown describes himself as a Texas-born, Las Vegas-based country entertainer whose performance style combines his Texas roots with Las Vegas showmanship.

Old Country Boots grew from a garage workshop

According to Old Country Boots’ official company history, Javier and Amy Martell founded the business after Javier began making leather goods and custom boots from their garage.

What started with requests from friends expanded as demand increased, eventually developing into a family business focused on handmade boots and leather goods.

The company says its objective is to preserve methods associated with traditional American bootmaking, including techniques used before modern mass-production processes transformed the footwear industry.

That progression was documented again in an Aug. 28 KLAS report on Martell and Old Country Boots. The report said Martell initially worked from his garage before opening a shop near Sunset Road and Eastern Avenue.

KLAS reported that Old Country Boots subsequently moved into Neonopolis because the growing business needed additional space.

Hundreds of hours can go into a handcrafted pair

Martell told KLAS that he became interested in making boots after becoming dissatisfied with commercially manufactured pairs that wore out more quickly than he expected.

He eventually took classes from a traditional bootmaker and began developing the craft into a business.

The custom-fitting process can include measuring and casting a customer’s feet before patterns are developed and the boots are constructed. Martell told KLAS that completing a handcrafted pair can require approximately 300 to 600 working hours, depending on the project.

The company’s website says its boots use all-leather construction and traditional materials including leather insoles, leather counters, leather shank covers, leather lining and lemonwood pegs.

Old Country Boots also offers custom choices involving leather, colors, stitching, toe shape and heel design, according to the company’s product information.

Bootmaking tradition dates back generations

Martell’s work also drew attention earlier this year when FOX5 reported on his effort to continue traditional bootmaking methods at a time when fewer artisans are learning the craft.

In a June report originally produced by FOX5 Las Vegas, Martell said he makes boots by hand using techniques dating to the 1800s.

The report placed that craftsmanship within a broader tradition associated with ranching culture in both the United States and Mexico, including the history of vaqueros in northern Mexico.

Martell, who grew up between Sonora, Mexico, and Las Vegas, told the television station that preserving the craft also reflects the cultural connections he sees between the two countries.

A traditional business in the middle of Fremont Street

Old Country Boots’ move also places the workshop within one of the most heavily visited areas of downtown Las Vegas.

Neonopolis describes itself as a roughly 250,000-square-foot complex at Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street featuring food, nightlife, entertainment and other attractions.

The property identifies developer Rohit Joshi as the figure behind Neonopolis. Joshi & Associates is also named on the Old Country Boots invitation as an organizer of the Sept. 10 event.

Locating a handcrafted bootmaking operation there creates a contrast with much of the entertainment-oriented economy surrounding Fremont Street: customers and visitors can encounter a product built through an intensive manual process inside one of downtown Las Vegas’ most recognizable tourism districts.

Grand opening puts spotlight on downtown small business

Beyond the ceremony itself, the opening adds another locally operated business to the downtown commercial mix at a time when city and business organizations continue to emphasize entrepreneurship and activity in the urban core.

The involvement of the Latin Chamber of Commerce and local government representatives also places the opening within a broader small-business context. The Latin Chamber of Commerce says supporting small-business success is central to its mission.

For Javier and Amy Martell, however, the Sept. 10 gathering primarily marks the latest stage of a much smaller-scale story: a bootmaking operation that began at home and now has a storefront on Fremont Street.

And while Las Vegas is internationally associated with large resorts, entertainment venues and casino development, Old Country Boots’ arrival at Neonopolis puts a decidedly hands-on trade — custom leatherworking — within walking distance of some of downtown’s most recognizable attractions.