Vibe Spring2025 - Flipbook - Page 62
Presently, the shop employs four full-time bootmakers (in addition to Adam), including Ken Smith, Annie Dumais, and Patrick Moody—they share in the tasks
of building a boot to its completion.
Making Connections
In addition to the attendance at Boot Camp this past fall, Adam
has taken other initiatives to connect with prospective customers. During several weekends this past autumn, he travelled to
the cities of Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco
where he met with dozens of clients to take their foot measurements. Traveling to these hub cities outside of New England
allowed more distant customers to have their measurements
taken without having to make a difficult trip to New Hampshire.
Partly as a result of this outreach trip, the company’s custom boot
backlog has expanded significantly to customers from outside
the local region. Additionally, for the past two years, the shop has
hosted a celebratory boot-themed festival known as Limmer Fest
that takes place at Ledge Brewing.
Another positive change the shop has undergone is the
number of people employed. With the addition of Annie and Patrick to the boot-making team—who work alongside Ken Smith,
hired in 1998—the shop now has four full-time bootmakers.
Additionally, Adam’s son Monroe Lane-Olsen has worked parttime. Meghan Moody—who is married to Patrick—was also hired
recently as an office manager. More working hands has increased
their production capacity, while giving Adam more time to focus
on last-building and organizational work. Adam spoke of his
gratitude for not just the skilled labor of his employees, but also
the unique stories and passions they each bring to work.
While there are new faces at Peter Limmer & Sons, and the
company has pursued new initiatives, the boot itself has scarcely
been altered. Save for a new polyester thread used for stitching,
and a less toxic glue used for affixing soles, the modern Limmer is
remarkably unchanged from those produced decades ago.
Adam has never entertained the possibility of diverging from
the boot’s original form and function, given it has succeeded
through generations of White Mountain hiking. As the outdoor
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industry has largely moved away from handmade leather
footwear, Adam feels confident that they will still connect with
the “large group of people that recognize what [Limmers] are for
the quality, the craftsmanship, and the relationship that the client
can have with the maker.” It’s ultimately about getting the boots
“in front of the right people,” he says.
Peter’s Blessings
I spoke with Peter Limmer on the phone recently to hear his
thoughts on the emerging era of Peter Limmer & Sons, as his own
involvement changes. He felt quite hopeful about the direction
the shop has taken. Reflecting on Adam’s adventurous efforts in
Brooklyn and across the country to make new connections, Peter
said he was happy to see Adam taking steps that he had been
unable to take with a smaller workforce. “He’s got the opportunity
to really dig his teeth into the heritage of the business,” he said.
With the company moving securely forward, Peter expects to
move into a fuller retirement in the coming years. He plans to
buy a tow-behind trailer and experience parts of the country he
could not see during his working years, including Acadia’s rugged
seacoast in Maine. With traveling on his mind, Peter thought back
to what he felt on the day he finally passed Adam the keys to the
shop: “It was emotional, but it was pride more than anything else.”
PETER LIMMER & SONS
CUSTOM BOOTMAKER
Reserve custom boots,
then visit for a fitting.
LIMMER BOOTS
Ready to order
boots online,
crafted to
Limmer specs.
9 Limmer Lane, Intervale, NH • (603) 356-5378 • www.limmerboots.com
MWVvibe.com / @mwvvibe
