Mickey McGowan

Marin County, California

In the Late 1960s, California artist Mickey McGowan was looking for an alternative to leather and began to apply leatherwork techniques to canvas and other kinds of cloth, with a vision “to give color to people’s feet”. Between 1968 and 1976 McGowan set up a shop in Mill Valley with Marin-based musicians representing a significant part of his client base. Drummers in particular would order their shoes with flat soles, which were particularly flexible and probably allowed them to easily work the drum pedals.

"Mickey McGowan made shoes that were so fabulous everyone wanted them. He became Apple Cobbler, doing boots and shoes for rock musicians and other style mavens with cash to spare and the patience to wait in line for the one-of-a kind pieces he was in no hurry to churn out." (Fayette Hauser)