Texas shoe debut

It's about time Texas is know for something other than boots!

In a trend-obsessed fashion industry, high-quality craftsmanship can be overshadowed by mass production. Luckily, Texas-based designer Angela Scott makes her shoes the old-fashioned way: Each shapely boot and offbeat heel in her eponymous debut line is cut, hammered and sewn by a single cobbler, without an assembly line in sight. Inspired by her furniture-maker grandfather, Scott's shoes combine masculine silhouettes with edgy, feminine twists (think cherry-colored oxfords, high-heeled saddle shoes and burgundy lace-up boots). We love the Miss Wright ($695), a coral oxford with a durable, leather-stacked heel; the Miss Louis ($575), a rugged, shearling bootie; and the Mrs. Smith ($575), a straightforward pump with wool-and-brushed-patent-leather details. The bench-made shoes are more practical than some saucy, sky-high counterparts, but their ingenuity (brogue ornamentation, serrated details and comfy cork insoles) makes them far more appealing--not to mention easy to walk in. You won't find Scott's shoes everywhere--currently they're only sold on her e-boutique (which officially launches February 3) and at a handful of independent merchants--but she prefers the authenticity and quality of small production. And with a new pair of kicks that are built to last a lifetime, so do we.