The History of Drew’s Boots

Over 100 Years of Work Boots, Packer Boots & Western Footwear

For more than a century, Drew’s Boots has been part of the working West.

Our story began in 1918, when N.B. (Norman Baldwin) Drew founded Drew’s Manstore in the Klamath Basin of Southern Oregon. From the very beginning, Drew’s was built around a simple idea: provide hardworking people with the clothing, footwear, and equipment they could depend on.

From rugged work boots and logger boots to packer boots, cowboy boots, and western footwear, Drew’s has spent more than 100 years outfitting the people who work, ride, ranch, log, build, and fight fire across the American West.

That idea has carried Drew’s through more than a century of changing industries, changing technology, and changing times.

1918 — N.B. Drew Starts Drew’s Manstore

In 1918, N.B. Drew established Drew’s Manstore, serving the men and women who worked throughout the Klamath Basin and surrounding communities.

Rather than waiting for customers to come to the store, Mr. Drew took his merchandise directly to the people who needed it. He traveled to logging camps, fire camps, ranches, and remote work locations throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California, bringing work clothing, boots, and supplies directly to people working in some of the most demanding environments in the West.

As the business grew, footwear became an increasingly important part of Drew’s. By the 1950s, Drew’s had established a reputation in Klamath Falls and throughout the region as a place to find quality work boots, western boots, outdoor footwear, and work clothing.

That relationship with working people became the foundation for everything that followed.

The Drew Family and the Growth of the Business

Through the following decades, Drew’s remained a family business and continued expanding its presence among loggers, firefighters, ranchers, cowboys, farmers, and other working professionals throughout the Northwest.

Eventually, the business came to Carol Drew and her husband, Pat Cavanaugh. Pat brought a new energy and vision to Drew’s, expanding its reach far beyond the traditional retail store.

He continued taking products directly to the industries Drew’s served, traveling to fire camps, trade shows, rodeos, and working communities throughout the West.

Drew’s became known not only for rugged leather work boots and logger boots, but also for quality packer boots, cowboy boots, custom buckaroo boots, western boots, ranch wear, and outdoor clothing.

It was a combination that made sense in the West. The same customer who needed a serious work boot during the week might need a packer boot for riding, hunting, or working horseback—or a pair of cowboy boots for the ranch, rodeo, or town.

But Pat Cavanaugh had an even bigger idea for Drew’s.

The 1980s — The Birth of Drew’s Boots

During the 1980s, Pat began developing what would become the Drew’s Boots brand.

At the time, White’s Boots and Nick’s Handmade Boots were among the most respected names in Pacific Northwest handmade work boots. Their heavy-duty construction, high-arch designs, all-leather components, and rebuildable construction had earned a reputation among loggers, firefighters, and other professionals who demanded the very best from their boots.

Pat understood the value of that tradition.

Rather than simply selling other manufacturers’ boots, he wanted Drew’s to develop boots of its own—boots designed specifically around the needs of the people Drew’s served.

Working with the craftsmanship and manufacturing expertise of the Pacific Northwest boot industry, Pat developed a series of Drew’s-specific designs. White’s Boots and Nick’s Handmade Boots became important manufacturing partners in producing Drew’s boots, helping bring Pat’s designs and specifications to life.

Among the original Drew’s styles were the Drew’s Linecutter, Alaska Smoke Jumper, and Rough Shot.

These boots helped establish Drew’s as a true boot brand rather than simply a retailer carrying other companies’ products.

The philosophy was straightforward: build a serious boot for serious work.

Heavy leather.
Strong construction.
High arch support.
Rebuildable soles.
Durability in demanding environments.

These were work boots made for people who spent their days in the woods, on the fire line, on horseback, on the ranch, and in some of the toughest working conditions the West could offer.

A Pacific Northwest Bootmaking Legacy

The original Drew’s designs became part of the broader tradition of Pacific Northwest handmade work boots.

The construction and design philosophy developed during this period would influence generations of logger boots, firefighter boots, smokejumper boots, wildland firefighting boots, and heavy-duty work boots.

The Linecutter, Alaska Smoke Jumper, and Rough Shot became important parts of Drew’s history, and their influence can still be recognized in the Pacific Northwest boot industry today.

For Drew’s, this period established something that remains true today:

Drew’s boots were created with working people in mind.

Pat wasn't trying to build a fashion boot. He was building boots for people who would actually put them to work.

Packer Boots, Cowboy Boots and the Working West

Drew’s history has never been limited to one kind of boot.

Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and into the new century, Drew’s continued building its reputation among firefighters, loggers, ranchers, farmers, lineworkers, horsemen, hunters, and other working professionals.

Drew’s became particularly well known for handmade logger boots, wildland firefighter boots, smokejumper boots, packer boots, and rugged leather work boots.

At the same time, western footwear remained an important part of the company.

Drew’s offered cowboy boots, western boots, custom western boots, buckaroo boots, packer boots, and ranch footwear for customers throughout the West.

Packer boots became an especially natural part of the Drew’s lineup. Combining elements of a traditional western boot with the support, lacing, and durability of a serious work boot, packer boots have long been favored by ranchers, horsemen, hunters, outfitters, and people working in rugged country.

Whether someone needed a high-arch logger boot for the woods, a wildland fire boot for the fire line, a packer boot for horseback work, or a cowboy boot for the ranch, Drew’s understood that the right footwear depended on the job.

The result was a unique combination: a boot company deeply connected to the traditions of the American West while specializing in some of the most demanding work footwear available.

2011 — A New Chapter

After decades of building the Drew’s name, Pat Cavanaugh decided it was time to retire.

In 2011, Pat approached the Baker family in Eugene, Oregon, about taking over Drew’s. Baker’s and Drew’s had been friendly competitors for years, with both businesses sharing a commitment to quality boots, work clothing, and outdoor products.

In October 2011, Baker’s took over Drew’s Boots and moved the Drew’s website and sales operation to Eugene, Oregon.

The transition created a new chapter for Drew’s while preserving the brand, its history, and its commitment to quality footwear.

Today, Drew’s continues to operate from Oregon, carrying forward the tradition that began with N.B. Drew more than a century ago.

2020 — Drew’s Expands Around the World

In 2020, the boot industry faced enormous challenges.

Supply chains were disrupted, costs were increasing, and factories throughout the United States were reducing production and laying off skilled workers. At the same time, Drew’s saw an opportunity to make quality boots available to more customers.

Drew’s began manufacturing boots in León, Mexico, widely recognized as one of the world's great leather and footwear centers.

León has generations of skilled leatherworkers and bootmakers, making it a natural place for Drew’s to expand its manufacturing relationships.

The goal was not simply to find a lower-cost place to make boots.

The goal was to give more people the opportunity to own a Drew’s quality leather boot at an introductory price.

By working with experienced bootmakers in León, Drew’s was able to develop rugged leather work boots using the construction principles and philosophy that had defined the brand for decades, while reaching customers who may not have been ready to invest in a premium handmade American boot.

It became another chapter in the Drew’s tradition of finding the best way to serve working people.

Drew’s Boots Today

Today, Drew’s manufactures boots in four different countries, including the United States.

Our manufacturing partners represent some of the best bootmaking talent and traditions from around the world. Some Drew’s boots continue to be made in the United States, while other models are produced by skilled craftsmen around the world.

We believe great boots can be made in different parts of the world—and that our responsibility is to find the right bootmakers for each product, maintain our standards, and offer our customers exceptional value.

Today, the Drew’s name can be found across a wide range of footwear built for work and the West, including work boots, logger boots, firefighter boots, wildland fire boots, packer boots, cowboy boots, western boots, ranch boots, and everyday leather boots.

That means Drew’s can offer everything from rugged USA-built work boots and Pacific Northwest handmade boots to more accessible leather work boots designed for customers entering the world of premium footwear.

Different countries.
Different bootmakers.
Different construction methods.
One Drew’s standard.

Built for the Next 100 Years

More than 100 years ago, N.B. Drew took work clothing and supplies directly to logging and fire camps around the Klamath Basin.

Today, Drew’s boots are worn by firefighters, loggers, ranchers, farmers, lineworkers, horsemen, outdoorsmen, and working people across the country and around the world.

The industry has changed dramatically since 1918. Bootmaking has changed. Manufacturing has changed. The way people buy boots has changed.

But one thing has remained constant:

Drew’s builds boots for people who put their boots to work.

From the original Drew’s Manstore founded by N.B. Drew in 1918, through Pat Cavanaugh’s development of Drew’s Boots in the 1980s, to today’s worldwide network of skilled bootmakers, the Drew’s story has always been about one thing—building and offering dependable footwear for hardworking people.

We are proud of our history with White’s Boots and Nick’s Handmade Boots, proud of the Pacific Northwest bootmaking tradition that helped shape Drew’s, and proud of the bootmakers around the world who continue to make Drew’s boots today.

Whether it is a logger boot headed into the woods, a fire boot headed to the fire line, a work boot headed to the jobsite, a packer boot headed into the mountains, or a cowboy boot headed to the ranch, our purpose remains the same.

Our goal is simple:

The best boots, made by the best bootmakers around the world, at the best prices.

That is Drew’s Boots.

Since 1918.