He Left Oil & Gas to Buy a 130-Year-Old Boots Company
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About this Episode
Thomas E. Gleason III is a fifth-generation Texan and Dallas-based entrepreneur whose primary business is oil and gas, alongside a passion-driven venture reviving two of Texas's oldest cowboy boot brands: Olsen-Stelzer (est. 1900) and Dixon Boot Company (est. 1889). Together with two Highland Park High School classmates, he acquired Olsen-Stelzer in 2018 through GG&E Boots, LLC and Dixon in 2022, and is now finalizing a merger with a complementary western business.
Thomas shares why the custom-only Olsen-Stelzer model is priced at $1,500 to $7,500 per pair but can't scale on its own, how a three-month turnaround time beats competitors quoting 18 to 24 months, and how a chance encounter with Jane Seymour in the Philadelphia Admirals Club turned into a signed royalty partnership in under a year. He also breaks down the Boots For Warriors Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that hand-crafts custom boots for wounded veterans with lower extremity impairments, and explains why the western industry is forecast to keep growing 8 to 10 percent annually through 2029 to 2030.
About Thomas Gleason
Thomas Gleason
Chief Executive Officer, Olsen-Stelzer Boot Company & Dixon Boot Company
Thomas E. Gleason III is a fifth-generation Texan, Dallas-based entrepreneur, and lifelong cowboy boot collector with 147 pairs in his personal collection. A University of Texas at Austin graduate (BBA) and Highland Park High School alum (Class of 1996), Gleason began his career as a landman before founding Gleason Oil & Gas, LLC in 2007 as a non-operated working interest investment company. He also founded Gleason Consulting Group, LLC, offering strategic consulting, due diligence, and venture capital referrals. In 2017 he was appointed Finance Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas during its 150th anniversary year. Gleason acquired Olsen-Stelzer Boot Company in 2018 through GG&E Boots, LLC alongside Highland Park alumni David Walker and Ned Washburn, then expanded into retail by acquiring and rebranding Dixon Boot Company in 2022. Olsen-Stelzer produces handmade custom boots from its Dallas showroom on Turtle Creek; Dixon is an online retail brand opening its first store in St. Jo, Texas in 2026. Gleason is finalizing a merger with a complementary western business and also founded the Boots For Warriors Foundation, which has donated hundreds of custom boots to wounded veterans and Medal of Honor recipients.
