Ruben Gifford
Hello, my name is Ruben Gifford. One of my goals in taking this class was to learn how to take better pictures of my boot collection. I’ve been working since I was 16, and I learned early that having good footwear is important. One factor is that I have super wide feet, and almost all production shoes don’t really fit. Which makes me a total boot nerd!
All the photos of my life have been taken on my cell phone, and after this class, I plan on changing that. My boots have been with me every step of the way. They stand as a record of everything I have done.
“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” – Mark Twain
These are my “do everything” Farm boots. Almost everything I’ve done over the 5 years on the farm has been done in these boots. We have 11 goats, 4 dogs, and around 200 birds. I build, clean, feed, mow the grass, etc. The list is endless; there is always something that needs doing on the farm!
These are my heavy-duty/welding boots. I have been welding for about 13 years now. I do a little blacksmithing and various metalwork. These boots have been to Alaska twice for contract work.
These are my “Date night / Nice” boots. I try to keep these clean and use them when I dress up. I’m married and have known my wife for 32 years. I wore them to my son’s high school graduation and to his Naval basic training graduation.
These are my “Grail” boots. I won them after I entered a contest while Christmas shopping two years ago. I wear them pretty much any time I have fun, hiking with my dogs, or going to a concert with my boys from college.
In boots is how I choose to interface with the world, and no matter what the future holds, I will confront it wears my boots.
In the Beginning 