Vibe Spring2025 - Flipbook - Page 56
Shining a Modern Spotlight
on a Storied Tradition
The Continuing Legacy of Peter Limmer & Sons
Story and photography by Sam Norton
R
ecently I paid a visit to Peter Limmer & Sons custom hiking boot shop
in Intervale. I opened the shop’s heavy wooden doors and entered their
workshop, which never fails to fascinate me. Through the air, wafted
the earthy smell of shoe glue and cowhide. Looking around, my eyes were
drawn to the collage of sepia-tinged photographs tacked to the walls, which
showed eager Limmer boot-wearers tramping in far reaches of the globe.
Behind the sales counter, the shop’s boot-making crew was toiling away at
their work benches. The energetic din of their tools created a methodical
soundtrack of pounding and grinding. As old-fashioned as the shop appeared—resembling something of a museum exhibit—Peter Limmer & Sons
is very much an active, thriving company. And while the physicality of the
shop looks much the same as it has for generations, one thing has recently
changed: the ownership of the company passed from long-time owner Peter
Limmer to Adam Lane-Olsen in 2021.
Adam acquired the business from Peter in 2021 after a six-year apprenticeship. By intention, this development has not altered the company’s appearance
or mission. Through my recent visit to the shop, I hoped to glean wisdom about
the Limmer company’s 100-plus year history; and to see what its future may hold.
A Storied Reputation
Upon my arrival, Adam eagerly gave me a tour of the shop’s inner workings.
Sporting a weathered apron and collared work shirt, he showed me around
the low-ceilinged workspace, which felt like a small emporium of boot-related
objects. Near the entrance of the shop, a consignment rack held dozens of
boots from a wide range of vintage (some nearly new, others from the 1960s).
Another rack behind the counter held boots with dangling tags, awaiting
repairs—repairability is a defining feature of Limmer. The workshop itself had
benches, a sanding machine, and three imposing stitching machines used for
threading soles. Also intriguing were the large rolls of fresh cowhide laying
on shelves, waiting for processing. As Adam showed me the material interests
of the shop, he also spoke to the company’s larger significance as makers of
handmade hiking boots. He emphasized that the company has earned its
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