Those 'Redneck Boot Sandals' all over Facebook were created in Missouri

If you've been on Facebook this week, you might have been one of millions of people to see "Redneck Boot Sandals."

The shoes are just what you would imagine — a pair of old cowboy boots reconstructed to show off your feet in sandals while retaining the style of the boot up top.

And they were made in Missouri.

Redneck Boot Sandals, based in Springfield, specializes in customizing the boots people send in, turning them into a mixture of the two types of footwear. They're the brainchild of Scotty Franklin, who used to work in law enforcement and is now owner and CEO of the company.

Franklin, 31, said it started as a gag. He was lounging on a beach at Gulf Shores, Ala., six years ago and saw a man walking in the sand wearing cowboy boots.

With the humidity, the man must have been miserable, Franklin thought. He looked down at his own feet, in flip-flops, and wondered whether he could cut his own boots into sandals — creating "the ultimate combination."

"It was just a joke, and I was wearing them around at parties, being goofy," Franklin said.

But to his surprise, someone liked them and offered to buy them.

He accepted.

With some encouragement from friends and family, Franklin started making several pairs.

He officially created the Redneck Boot Sandals company in 2014 and ever since has been reconstructing and customizing old cowboy boots people send in.

He's been getting renewed attention this week thanks to a 45-second video made by digital media company VT Jungle Creations. It garnered more than 15 million Facebook views.

"It's insane," Franklin said on Friday. "We have orders pouring in and a lot of inquires. ... We've been slammed with people sending orders in, and getting messages from people throughout the U.S."

At first, Franklin expected his creation would be popular in places like Gulf Shores — the place of inspiration. But they have sold well in other states, even California and New York, and Franklin has received inquiries from as far off as Europe and Australia.

The boot sandals are available to men, women and children. The cost starts at $150.

"We're a really positive company," Franklin said. "We just want to put smiles on people's faces and have fun."

This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Those 'Redneck Boot Sandals' all over Facebook were created in Missouri."