Tony Lama is well known and not just in the 915 but would you know him if you saw him? He passed away long ago so not many outside the boot making world know what he looked like. You will shortly ...A transplanted orphan from New York lied about his age to get into the US Calvary at 16, wound up in El Paso when his service ended and started running this shoe repair shop on Overland. 1948 - The first pair of Tony Lama boots made for a "big shot" were presented to, (then), POTUS Harry Truman by Tony's oldest son Joseph. As the 90's began, things slowed a little and Justin Boots, whose factory is now in El Paso, bought the Tony Lama Company.