History

Baker’s Boots has been a family business since the very beginning.

After serving in the Army, Bill Baker started working with his father-in-law in the early 1950s in Eugene, Oregon in a custom boot shop and shoe repair store known as Purkey's Shoes. Bill's brother Dave Baker left the Air Force in the early ‘60s and started helping his brother in the store. When Dave finished with the Air Force, Bill and Dave bought Purkey’s Shoes and renamed it Baker's Shoes after the two brothers.

Dave's son Gene took over the business in 1985 upon completing college, and worked with his cousin Randy and brother Darren to keep the family business growing. After 15 years, he improved the store and doubled the footwear selection and store size.

In the last 10 years, Baker’s Boots & Clothing has expanded in square footage and remodeled the store to resemble an historic Oregon lodge with pine siding throughout. The store is nearly 10,000 square feet; a dramatic increase from the original 1,200 square foot storefront. Baker's Boots & Clothing now carries more than 1,500 shoes, boots, clothing garments, and other gear in the store, and offers thousands more products online. Baker's Boots & Clothing is the largest dealer of White's Boots and Wesco boots in the Northwest. 

The Baker family continues to strive to meet the needs and exceed expectations of customers. Many of our customers wanted the ability to create custom boots that were made to their exact specifications. As a commitment to our customers, Baker’s Boots & Clothing launched the website, BuildABoot.com. Build-a-Boot is an interactive site to meet your needs. 

In October 2011, Baker's purchased Drew's Boots, a company founded in the early 1900's in Klamath Falls, Oregon. This purchase increased the number of products and selection that we are able to provide to you in store and online. You can learn more about Drew’s Boots here.

In 2018 the third generation of Baker's operates the business - and not much has changed! Same family. Same location. Same philosophy. 

Customer Service

Our commitment to quality necessitates a steadfast dedication to exceptional customer service. Over time we have grown to meet the needs of our faithful customers, launching an interactive custom boot-building platform, Build-a-Boot.com. With the purchase of Drew’s Boots, a fellow Oregon boot company, we gained another trustworthy brand and maker of quality footwear. We only sell you what we ourselves will wear. Our customers are hard workers and courageous explorers who deserve products that are as tough as they are—and we handpick our products for all of the outdoors-loving exceptional individuals out there. We select comfortable, reliable gear that will back you up when it matters most. From hiking snowy Mt. Hood to fighting fires in the Oregon woodlands—our boots guarantee protection and durability.

Community

As a family business, we value human connection and the strong ties of our community. Our team is made up of volunteer coaches, boater safety education sponsors, and advocates and participants of our local Mission and Food for Lane County. We are proud to support Eugene KidSports, the YMCA, and educational programs.