Olaf Growald
M.L. Leddy’s | Editors’ Pick: Best Western Apparel
The boot-shaped neon sign of M.L. Leddy’s in the heart of the Stockyards is a Fort Worth landmark akin to the magnificent pink lights of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Though not as extravagant — and far less taxing on the city’s electric company — the sign is perfectly Fort Worth: no frills and straightforward. There’s no mistaking, this is a place to get some boots.
As soon as you walk through the door, the smell of leather hits your nostrils like a jab from Mike Tyson. And, while the shop carries all of your typical Western-wear items — oversized belt buckles, thousand-dollar hats, and pearl snap shirts — the two rooms in the back serve (though not technically) double duty as a boot shop and museum. The 10-foot-high shelves are covered in a diverse selection of cowboy boots — with every color and form of leather you can imagine. This hall of fame of boots likely garners as many tourists as it does real boot purchasers.
Founded in San Angelo as a premier saddle and boot maker, the company will celebrate its centennial in 2022; the Main Street shop has been around since 1941.
On the company’s longevity, owners Martha and Wilson Franklin — who is M.L. Leddy’s grandson — say “great customer service never falls out of favor, and that truly is what we strive for with every interaction.
“We try to stay with classic styles and source the highest quality products and raw materials.”
Some of those materials — dyed crocodile skins, for example — hang like curtains for customers to pick and customize their footwear.
Which boot in their collection is the most expensive?
If asked, 30-year employee Gene Lee will take patrons to a glass case and point to a pair of black boots made of crocodile skin. They run $14,000.
“And you get both of them,” Gene says.
Sami Kathryn
Florist: Editor Pick \ Alba Dahlia Floral
Alba Dahlia, founded by lead designer Rachel Ciastko, is a full-service wedding and event floral company. Ciastko traces her love for floral to her mother’s passion. “Every year, she would make our front and backyard lavishly coated in flowers and unique plants,” she says.
Artspace111
Event Venue: Reader Pick | Artspace111
Artspace111 uses its downtown Fort Worth perch to specialize in exhibitions of contemporary Texas art. Twin brothers Daniel and Dennis Blagg started Artspace111, converting a circa 1911 building into studios and a small gallery. It’s evolved into a 3,000-square-foot gallery. Temporarily closed to the public, Artspace111 is making exhibits available online.
Panther City Vinyl
Record Store: Reader Pick | Panther City Vinyl
Panther City Vinyl, on Fort Worth’s Near Southside, is an independent music retailer, selling new and used vinyl records, specialty CD releases, and related accessories. The store buys used music and media from the public. Temporarily closed during COVID-19, on June 2, it reopened.
