DALLAS — New year. New style.

Big Tex’s boots will look completely different this fall at the State Fair of Texas thanks to the winning design created by Jessica Bonilla of Irving. Out of 300 submissions, the 23-year-old social worker’s design rose to the top of the pile.

“While I work in the mental health field and substance misuse field, I also run a small business selling my art,” said Bonilla. “I heard about the Big Tex Boot Design Contest and I really wanted to challenge myself to draw in a new style that I’m not as familiar with. I am beyond excited that my design was selected to be featured on Big Tex and I will have the opportunity to share my art with millions of people!”

The contest ran from Oct. 26, 2022, and ended on Jan. 31. According to the State Fair of Texas, artists’ ages ranged from 10 to 79, spanning coast to coast. A panel of judges based their decision on the “creativity of the design, representation of Texas pride and design for Big Tex.”   

In 2019, Big Tex received a new boot design from contest winner Katie Sauceda. The Keller resident landed in the top 10 out of 250 entries and ultimately won the chance to design Tex’s size 96 boots.

“Each symbol that I drew on the boots, I have some connection to,” said Sauceda in an interview with the Texas Standard and KUT Radio. “Yellow rose of Texas because I’m from Texas. Jalapeños because I can’t get enough of them. I was also trying to think, well, if I was a tourist, like what pops into their mind? The Alamo, armadillos, cowboys, the bluebonnets… so I tried to think from that perspective as well.”

Being the first-place winner, Sauceda got the opportunity to work with the State Fair of Texas and bootmaker Lucchese to bring her winning design to life — drawing inspiration from the Alamo and her son.

“I actually came across the contest last minute,” she said. “I only had a week to come up with something, design it and submit it.… But I just remember looking over at my baby while he was sleeping and thinking, ‘You know how cool would it be if I actually won this?’ You know, like, I need to finish this for him because he’s going to grow up and say, ‘Wow, my mom designed those boots!’ So I submitted my design with, like, a day to spare. So I had to pay extra postage to make sure that they got it on time.”

Now, Sauceda passes the baton or boots onto Bonilla, who will work with Lucchese Bootmaker for this year’s big reveal.

“Lucchese Bootmaker is honored to partner once again with the State Fair of Texas for the Big Tex Boot Design Contest. Jessica’s design highlights the beautiful and vibrant Texas sunsets we all know and love, and we can’t wait to see her vision brought to life by our bootmakers,” says Doug Kindy, Lucchese President.

To view the boot’s design in person, visit the State Fair of Texas from Sept. 29 through Oct. 22 at Fair Park.