Chili’s has announced a partnership with Tecovas, a retailer of Western-style apparel, to make boots and belts out of the restaurant chain’s iconic red leather booths.
“Handcrafted with all the quality you expect from a Tecovas dress boot and wrapped in 100% genuine Chili’s booth material — these two are bound to be a pair of regulars,” Tecovas says.
These boots acknowledge both companies’ Texas roots while creating something stylish and on-trend.
@zzzachariah @Chili’s Grill & Bar you really did your big one with these @Tecovas cowboy boots!!! 🌶️🤠❤️🔥 #chilis #tecovas #cowboyboots #unboxing #fyp ♬ original sound – Zachariah
With the release of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album last year, Western style has experienced a resurgence with cowboy boots and red shoes becoming fashionable. Furthermore, red has become “a powerful new neutral,” according to a recent Vogue article, which claims “red sneakers are the flamboyant trend of 2025.”
The Booth Boots sold through Tecovas include chili pepper detailing. After being made available on July 29, all boots and belts sold out within only a few hours.
New Heights
Chili’s isn’t the only brand getting in on the leather upcycling movement.
Southwest Airlines has collaborated with Magpies & Peacocks to make an exhibit of the Runway R&R exhibit at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, which, according to the Houston Airports System, includes seven original outfits made with old seat leather in the iconic “Southwest Blue.”
- The exhibit will be up through this October.
You can also get a piece of that history by purchasing a patchwork denim and leather jacket or leather bomber from Magpies & Peacocks featuring leather from retired Southwest Airlines seats.
These two upcycling efforts are testaments to the importance of sustainability and working towards a circular economy.
Learn more at PPAI Responsibility Summit in Newport Beach, California, from September 15-17.
