MILWAUKEE — What began as a grocery store nearly 30 years ago has transformed into one of the Milwaukee’s premier destinations for western wear.

Owner Juan Ordaz can often be found in his shop repairing a pair of well-worn cowboy boots.

It’s a craft he brought with him from León, Mexico, which is often referred to as the shoe capital of North America. León is in the state of Guanajuato, in the central part of the country.

“Back there in Mexico, it’s a lot of people who work with a lot of boots, a lot of hats, and that’s why I started here in Milwaukee,” said Ordaz.

In 1992, he opened his shop as Las Palmas Grocery Store, which gradually evolved into the western wear store it is today.

“I started with a grocery store, but little by little, I converted into what it is now,” he said.

The journey hasn’t always been easy. Ordaz worked hard for years, often without a break.

“It’s very hard work, especially because we started with nothing,” said Ordaz. “You have to work for years without taking any vacations, really nothing. Just working, working, working.”

Now semi-retired, Ordaz divides his time between Milwaukee and Texas. While his son runs the shop, Ordaz occasionally pops in to craft new leather pieces or showcase his latest finds from Mexico.

At 76, he said feels most at home in Texas now. He’s drawn to the cowboy culture.

“The looks, you know, it’s something,” said Ordaz. “I don’t know, it’s something, how they wear the boots, you know?”

But he said he will always be proud of what he built in Milwaukee. It’s a legacy rooted in his Mexican heritage, and stitched together with hard work and tradition.

“Right now, there’s a lot of Hispanic people living here in Milwaukee and mostly, everybody works and contributes a lot to the city, so it’s very important,” said Ordaz.