"Murtagh Riding Boots specialises in hand-made premium jockey, track and dress boots. We make our boots in Hobart, Tasmania using only top-grade Australian materials. With over 50 years experience in the footwear business, I wouldn't have it any other way."

— Charles Murtagh, owner and master bootmaker.


Our Story

 

Charles Murtagh

 

Charles, or 'Charlie' as everyone calls him, first learnt his trade from the age of 15 in 1964 at internationally-recognised boot brand and manufacturer Blundstone in Hobart, Tasmania where he worked for 12 years, rising up to the position of foreman in six years. While at Blundstone in 1972, Charles set up his own footwear repair business in Sandy Bay servicing local customers. It was during this period he made his first pair of race boots for local champion jockey Brian Pulbrook. Looking to expand beyond shoe repairs he identified jockey riding boots as a niche market with potential, and thus founded Murtagh Riding Boots in 1976. Charles began by supplying his handcrafted race boots to jockeys at Elwick racecourse in the northern suburbs of Hobart, later expanding to supply jockeys interstate. Eventually he would supply his boots Australia-wide to a number of champion Australian jockeys and see them worn by Hobart Cup, Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, and Melbourne Cup-winning jockeys. In later years he has expanded his range beyond jockey race boots to include track boots, polocrosse boots, leather shaft race boots, biker boots, and dress boots.

Today, Murtagh Riding Boots continues to supply most leading Australian jockeys as well as supplying to a wide range of clientele locally, interstate and overseas.

After more than 50 years in the footwear industry, Charles still strives to maintain a high level of craftsmanship across his entire range.

 

Murtagh Riding Boots is a proudly Tasmanian business.


Our Range

We make five sets of footwear: race boots, track boots, polocrosse boots, leather shaft race boots, and dress boots. We offer a comprehensive selection of customisations and additional options for you to choose. Our products are constructed from high-quality materials and are hand-made and machined to a high standard.

Our race boots are specifically marketed for jockeys to wear on race day. Because weight is an important factor for jockeys, we manufacture our race boots from clarino, a light-weight synthetic material that is both tough yet light, and easy to clean. They come in zip-up and pull-on styles with the choice of a clarino sole, flexible grip rubber sole and hard sole. Colour tops are available to order.

Our track boots are a heavier, sturdier boot made for trackwork in mind, be it training or stable work. Our track boots are made from high-quality leather with famous Goodyear rubber sole and heel.

Our polocrosse boots are made from high-quality, dark brown leather with leather lining and innersole for comfort and Goodyear rubber sole and heal for that extra grip and sturdiness. It's the ideal boot for riders and competitors alike.

Our leather shaft race boots are made for jockeys to wear on race day. They are of a slightly heavier weight for jockeys who prefer a firmer boot. Our leather shaft race boots are made from premium-grade leather with clarino toe piece, heel piece and top band. Like our race boots, they come in zip-up and pull-on styles with the choice of a flexible grip rubber sole and hard sole. 

Finally, our dress boots are versatile footwear, made for smart/casual wear, workwear, riding or whip cracking. Hand-made from premium-grade leather with Goodyear rubber sole and heel—just like our track boots—they are offered in four different colours: brown, black, chestnut and tan.

We retail and wholesale our products.


Our Process

We choose to construct our footwear from high-quality materials such as clarino for our race boots and the finest top grain cowhide leather for our track boots and dress boots. The production process is based on a tried and true combination of traditional, hand-made techniques with modern machinery that has been continually updated and refined over many years. We handcraft and machine our footwear to a high standard, which ensures you, the customer, receive a high-quality product. With Charlie's 54 years of experience in footwear, you can expect a well-made product.

 

All boots are 100% Australian-made.