Dallas Market Center’s Cindy Morris Talks Boots, Business, and the Western Boom on National Footwear
Dallas Market Center’s Cindy Morris Talks Boots, Business, and the Western Boom on National Footwear Podcast
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Dallas Market Center President and CEO Cindy Morris recently joined Shoe-In, the footwear industry's podcast produced by the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), for a conversation on the continued rise of Western wear and Dallas Market Center's role in it.
Morris appeared alongside Ryan Vaughan, president and CEO of Rios of Mercedes, in episode #531, "Inside the Western Wear Boom with Dallas Market Center and Rios of Mercedes," hosted by Matt Priest.
The trio discussed how family-owned businesses have shaped both companies, the 2021 move of the Western trade show from Denver to Dallas, and the cultural forces — from Western-themed film and television to the genre-crossing popularity of country music — fueling demand for boots, hats, and workwear among a broader range of shoppers.
"Western has moved well past its traditional customer," Morris said. "We're seeing mainstream apparel retailers walk into a boot showroom for the first time, and that's opening up business for our exhibitors that didn't exist a few years ago."
Morris pointed to the Western marketplace's growth since the show's move to Dallas, noting that new buyer segments — including mainstream apparel retailers looking to add a few pairs of boots to their assortment — have driven demand on both sides of the business.
Rios of Mercedes was founded in 1853 by the Rios family of bootmakers and is based in Mercedes, Texas. Today led by the Vaughan family, the company handcrafts boots in South Texas and Leon, Guanajuato, and showcases roughly 800 styles across its family of brands — spanning the luxury Western and workwear categories — in its permanent Dallas Market Center showroom (WTC-14371).
Dallas Market Center's Western and English marketplace spans the 14th floor of the World Trade Center, with additional permanent showrooms on the 10th floor — space that's expanding ahead of the August markets in response to strong demand from leading footwear and workwear brands. Carhartt Footwear and Red Wing Shoe Company will establish new showrooms there, while Old Gringo Boots, Wrangler Footwear and Hyer Boots are expanding or relocating to larger spaces.
For information about all upcoming markets and events, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the new, completely redesigned Dallas Market Center mobile app. Stay current by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Instagram, and the DMC Daily Dose blog.
About Dallas Market Center Dallas Market Center is a global business-to-business trade center and the leading wholesale marketplace in North America connecting retailers and interior designers with top manufacturers in gourmet and housewares, home décor, holiday/floral, gifts, lighting, and apparel. Inside its dynamic, 5 million-square-foot campus, nearly 200,000 customers from all 50 states and 85 countries seek industry trends, business education, and new products from exhibitors throughout the year via dominant trade events for gift, home décor, holiday, and floral; the nation’s most comprehensive apparel and accessories markets featuring the latest styles from East Coast and West Coast designers; the largest residential lighting trade event in North America; and the largest and most successful open-daily design center. To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center App.