For fishermen in the southeast and along the Gulf Coast, white boots are more than just a way to help keep your feet cool in the heat, they are part of an identity.
Seafood restaurants sometimes feature “white boot” events, indicating that fishermen are particularly welcome, and Mardi Gras beads sometimes sport little white boots. “Dulac Reeboks, we call them. Or Cajun Reeboks,” Louisiana shrimper Lance Nacio says of the iconic white boots he and almost every other fisherman in the South wear.
Royal is probably the most common brand of the white PVC boots, but Lee Fisher International has come out with a new boot that it hopes will make a strong showing in the market. “We sell Royals,” says Steve Powers, sales representative at Lee Fisher. “But we don’t promote them. We have our own boot, the Lee Fisher Shrimp boot.”
According to Powers, Lee Fisher was selling a boot made by a company that went out of business and had to develop its own brand. “Fortunately, we control our own factory in Taiwan,” says Powers. In a departure from the traditional 12-inch shrimp boots, the Lee Fisher boots also come in a 16-inch-tall version. “The tall ones are white but have a gray top that comes up to the knee for when you’re deep in fish or shrimp,” says Powers. “A lot of people working in processing are buying the tall. You can roll it down if you want. The short boot is your typical white shrimp boot.” Powers notes that both share the same lug sole for a good grip on deck or a processing plant floor.
Aside from introducing the tall boot, the Lee Fisher shrimp boot looks much like the Royal, but Power hopes the price of the Lee Fisher boot will attract buyers. At $31 a pair for the short and $35 for the tall, Powers believes they offer customers the best value on the market.
While Royal dominated the shrimp boot market for years, XtraTuf and other companies now offer white boots for fishermen on the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and Hawaii. “Yes,” says Powers. “But look at what you pay. With our boots, you get a pair at a good price, and they’re comfortable and durable.”
According to Powers, he is selling the boots to shrimpers, swordfish fishermen, and commercial crabbers, but even the folks who go out fishing for their own freezers or recreationally are happy to have a reasonably priced option. “We’re getting out there,” he says. “Our boots are all over the country and in tackle shops as far as Texas. We’re not well known yet, but we’re looking for more national recognition.”
