Making Boots In Prison Takes Talent, Collaboration And A Whole Lot Of Patience

“You just keep waiting for that package to come in that has your leather. And then the process can really start.”

By Joy DiazApril 11, 2019 2:25 pm, ,

Mark Walters is training to be a lawyer. It’s a career path he chose based on his past experiences.

“I was brought to this point by spending a couple of years in the Texas prison system, making a very bad choice back in 2005,” Walters says.

In prison, Walters was given a job in the craft shop. There, he met Arnold Darby, a fellow prisoner known for his expert boot-making skills. Through Darby, Walters learned about all the steps that go into making boots in prison, starting with ordering the leather, which has to be approved by prison officials.

“Just like Christmas morning: you just keep waiting for that package to come in that has your leather. And then the process can really start,” Walters says.

Listen to the rest of the story in the player above.

 

Written by Caroline Covington.