The Maddox — Hand-Painted by AD Maddox

The Maddox is not a boot. It is a work of art you can wear. Built entirely by hand in genuine navy-blue lizard by Rockies Rebels, then hand-painted in oil by celebrated Montana artist AD Maddox, this one-of-a-kind piece brings a living, leaping brook trout to life across the leather — every red spot ringed in blue, every worm-like marking on its olive-green back rendered by hand. Each scale of the lizard and every brushstroke of the fish is unique to this single pair — a true collaboration between two Montana makers, and a collector's piece unlike anything else in the world.

Signed by AD Maddox herself, it is as at home on a gallery shelf or a mantel as it is on the foot of someone bold enough to wear it. To own it is to own an original: hand-built by Rockies Rebels, hand-painted by one of the most collected fly-fishing artists working today. A wearable painting — and there will only ever be one.

Why we made it

AD Maddox is a dear friend. My husband and I have loved her art for years, and some of our best memories with AD are on the water — fly fishing together under the big Montana sky. Out of that friendship came an idea: what if we combined what we each do best? Rockies Rebels would build the boot entirely by hand in exotic lizard, and AD would paint one of her legendary brook trout straight onto the leather. The result is not really a boot to wear out; it is a piece of art — a single, signed, unrepeatable object that holds a whole friendship, and a whole river, inside it. — Chiara

The artist: AD Maddox

AD Maddox is one of the most recognised fly-fishing artists in the world. Working in oil — often on Belgian linen — she is celebrated for the way she captures the brilliant colour of wild trout and the living movement of water, blending photographic realism with almost abstract passages of light. She began painting trout in 1998 in Jackson Hole, mentored by the late Greg McHuron, and later made Livingston, Montana her home, where her AD Maddox Studios gallery sits today.

Her work has appeared on the covers of more than forty magazines — including Gray's Sporting Journal and the L.L.Bean fly-fishing catalogues — and she has been featured by Cowboys & Indians and exhibited at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. Collected across the country and instantly recognisable to anyone who loves fly fishing or Western wildlife art, AD brings serious artistic pedigree to this piece. Having her hand-paint an original directly onto a Rockies Rebels boot makes this one of the rarest things we have ever created.

Fun fact: about the brook trout

The fish AD painted here is a brook trout — one of the most beautiful fish in North America, and a favourite of fly anglers for its jewel-like colour: an olive-green back marbled with pale, worm-like markings, red spots each ringed in a halo of blue, and fiery orange fins edged in white. A charming twist: the brook trout is not really a trout at all but a char, cousin to the Arctic char, and a true native of cold, clear mountain streams. It is the wild heart of a Montana river, captured in oil.

Fun fact: a canvas of scales

Lizard is one of the finest exotic leathers a maker can work with — small, tight, beautifully regular scales with a subtle sheen. Here it becomes something else entirely: a canvas. Painting in oil onto exotic leather is far harder than painting on linen, and no two scales take the colour the same way, which is exactly what gives this brook trout its shimmer and depth. It is the reason this pair could never be reproduced, even by the same two hands.

To wear, or to collect

Treat it as the art object it is: display it on a stand or shelf where the light can catch the trout, the way you would a sculpture or a framed original. If you do choose to wear it, wear it as a statement for a special evening — and handle the painted areas gently, keeping it dry and out of direct sun to protect the artwork. Either way, it is a conversation piece that will outlive every trend.

Craftsmanship

The boot is designed in Montana and handmade in Italy by master artisans, built entirely by hand in genuine lizard with a premium leather lining, cushioned insole and a hand-built sole (cork filling and tree resin, never chemical glue). The artwork is then painted and signed by hand by AD Maddox in her Livingston studio. Two kinds of craftsmanship — Italian bootmaking and American fine art — in a single object.

A One & Only — a single, signed pair

This is a One & Only — a single pair, hand-painted once and never again. There is no second pair, no restock, and no other artwork like it anywhere in the world. Hand-built by Rockies Rebels and hand-painted and signed by AD Maddox, it is wearable art for the collector who wants something no one else can have. When it finds its owner, it is theirs alone.

Rockies Rebels

is a luxury western boot house designed in Montana and handmade in Italy. Inspired by the landscapes, lakes and frontier spirit of the American West, every pair is crafted by master Italian artisans from exotic leathers — python, alligator, stingray, ostrich, lizard and eel — that we source and finish ourselves. Built entirely by hand with special care taken over the sole and released in small, collectible runs, our elevated cowboy boots bring together American soul and Italian craftsmanship in footwear made to last a lifetime.