By Nick Pernokas 

Ten years ago I was in western Montana, chasing down interviews for magazine articles. My subject for that day had stood me up at the last minute. It was a long way from Great Falls to Boise, Idaho, and an hour south of Butte, I started getting sleepy. I saw a sign for Dillon, Montana, coming up and I pulled off at the exit to get a cup of coffee. As I drove down the street looking for a café, I found something better. I noticed an attractive western-style building in back of a life-size bronze statue of a cowboy. A sign on the front of the building said, “Schwarz’s Boot Shop.” I know a story when I see one and I headed in with my camera case. 

Well, I was right. Dan and Julia Schwarz had a good story to tell and we had a great visit. Now, I want to tell you about what’s happened with their boot business in the decade or so since then.  

Dan had a background in cowboying starting at the age of six. He took this experience into his occupation of repairing boots. Dan and Julia, as well as their daughter, Keni Crane, were all partners in the family-run boot repair shop. Around 1998, Dan and Keni decided that they wanted to build custom boots. Keni went to Billings, Montana, to study under bootmaker Mike Ives. 

In 2000, Dan and Keni went to Carl Chappell’s custom boot shop in Saint Jo, Texas, to study his techniques. Carl helped them tremendously. They returned to Dillon with three pairs of boots that they’d built. Their confidence high, the Schwarzs began building custom boots in their shop. Eventually, they began offering two-week bootmaking schools. When things slowed down in 2008, the Schwarzs moved the shop home to their garage and began going to shows. 

Their love of “everything boots” made the Schwarzs a fixture at the Art of the Cowboy Makers Association shows. For several years in a row, they created boots for the show. The first year, they received 3^rd in The People’s Choice Award with a pair of burgundy and cognac kangaroo boots. The second year, they won The People’s Choice Award with a pair of white, black and red traditional boots, which were patterned after an old Blucher style. The third year, Dan and Keni entered a pair with butterflies, roses and ostrich wingtips that won 2^nd place. In 2012, they entered a pair of kids’ boots, with steer heads in burnt orange and turquoise, which won 2^nd place.  

In March 2013, they opened the boot shop in Dillon, Montana, that I visited that fall day.  

Business was good, and not long after my visit they moved to a larger vintage building in downtown Dillon. The name on the sign was changed to “Atomic 79,” which is the atomic number of gold. This is fitting because gold played a large part in the history of this area of Montana. The Schwarzs also took on a partner, John Cieslowski. The additional room allowed them more space for their custom boot shop and the opportunity to try some new things. In addition to repairing, and making custom boots, they began selling production boots. The common denominator in their retail boots was that they were good enough quality in every price point to be able to be repaired. The Atomic inventory included high-end logger boots, hiking boots and working cowboy boots. The Schwarzs also came up with a couple of their own lines of production boots, which incorporated the things that they, as bootmakers, felt were important. One of these lines was called The Nutted Calf, which were buckaroo-style boots made in Leon, Mexico. 

“We’re working with that company down there to make a good, high-quality boot without breaking the bank for the working-class cowboys,” says Dan. 

The traditional Atomic Heritage line was built on lasts that were designed in the Schwarz Custom Boots shop; and were made with an all-leather insole, a channeled welt and hand-stacked heels. The unique last created a fit with a narrower heel, wider across the ball and fuller in the instep.  

“And you get a boot that fits better than any of them off the shelf do,” says Dan. 

These boots were offered in a moderate round toe, a French toe and a two-inch riding heel. 

Their retailing has expanded to include a multitude of products; ranging from high-end western merchandise to an eclectic mix of other products. One of their keys to success with western lifestyle products has been to offer lesser known, higher quality products. In this way, they’re not competing with the larger chain stores. From Kimes Ranch jeans to Blue Blanket clothing from Italy, their products are on an “authentic” boutique level, yet they remain grounded with products from Schaefer and Filson. A custom saddler, Shane Deeter, is also available to accept commissions from the store. High-quality felt hats are always in stock and a trained hat shaper is available at the hat bar. 

“If we don’t have it, you don’t need it,” laughs Julia. 

“The store is doing well and has a mind of its own,” says Dan. “It’s become kind of a destination spot, up and down I-15.” 

Dillon’s appeal goes beyond its western history. The quaint town is being restored, and revitalized, and the nearby Beaverhead River attracts tourists for hunting and fishing. It is on the tourist route for both Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. The Schwarzs have sold boots to folks who were just passing through and wanted a piece of real Americana.   

Anything that you might want for backcountry adventures is available at Atomic 79, including a Swedish hand-forged “Grand Forest” axe. Atomic 79 has even been included in a Montana tourism commercial. 

“Atomic has developed its own personality,” says Julia. 

That personality embodies the spirit of this Big Sky Country. It has brought people to the store to be married in it, while others buy pictures of the sign to hang over their fireplaces. It has attracted crew members from Taylor Sheridan’s “1923,” who check it out on their days off. People return year after year to the store; maybe it’s not just for the Montana ambience. 

“I really think it’s because of the customer service that they get,” says Julia. “That is paramount for us with both Atomic 79 and Schwarz Boots.” 

This lesson is instilled in all new employees. 

“You can probably buy everything we have from Amazon, but you’re not going to be offered a cold drink or a hot cup of coffee,” says Dan. “It’s hard work, but it keeps customers coming back.”  

A year and a half ago, the Schwarzs opened a new boot shop at their home just a few miles outside of town. The custom boot shop became a completely separate entity from the Atomic 79 retail store, although the two remain entwined in a symbiotic relationship. The Schwarzs remain at the helm of both. The shop allows them more uninterrupted time to devote to their custom boot business, which is three years behind in orders. Their custom boots start at $3500. A customer can get in line with a third of the base price deposit. They can always upgrade to a more expensive style later in the ordering process. Dan won’t build a pair of boots unless he personally measures a client’s foot. He feels that there are too many variables in the nine-point fitting process.   

“The buck definitely stops with me,” says Dan. 

The 1” to 1 ¼” box toes are currently the most popular toe styles. A higher undershot riding heel is also in demand. If the construction of this handmade heel is done correctly, it prevents the boot from being run over prematurely. In the average western boot, the heel is only about two inches, but the shape of the undershot makes it look higher. 

“My forte is building a boot under your foot that makes your foot completely solid on the ground, and yet has that aesthetic value of a higher undershot heel,” says Dan. 

Thirteen to fourteen-inch tops complete this traditional look. The most comfortable fit is the midcalf. Shorter than that can create a wobble in the top because of the space the top has to have to accommodate the foot. Taller tops need to be measured carefully to avoid creating a bind with the saddle. 

The new shop also gives Dan and Julia a quiet place for their boot schools. 

“The biggest recent change for Schwarz Custom Boots is that we’re teaching boot schools on a regular basis,” says Dan Schwarz. 

The boot schools are scheduled online and sell out long before the particular dates. For this reason, the Schwarzs ask for half of the tuition when the student books. This commitment lets them accurately post which classes are still available. The student has to be serious as the classes are 12-hour days for two weeks. The first week is intense because the boots have to be built and lasted by the end of the first week, so they can be completed during the second. The student leaves not only with a working knowledge of all facets of making a boot, but a new pair of boots, a custom last, and numerous notes and patterns. A student with any level of experience can successfully complete the school, as long as they’re willing to follow the program. Most students keep up a relationship with the Schwarzs after they leave. 

“They’re kind of family by that time,” says Dan. 

Many folks have traveled to western Montana over the years looking for gold. If you stop in Dillon, you can find it. 

To find out more about Atomic 79’s future enlargement plans, Schwarz Custom Boots, or about the boot school, call 406-925-9465, go to schwarzboots.com , or their Facebook and Instagram pages. 

Schwarz Custom Boots  

104 N. Montana St. 

Dillon, Montana 59725