Hello, my name is Matt, but most people call me Matt-B, or the shift boot guy. About 14 or so years ago, I purchased my first e30, an 84 318i. Months in to toying with it, adding and removing parts, I decided to order some shift and e-brake boots for it on Ebay. Upon receiving and installing them, I wasn’t super happy with the quality. Months passed while they sat in the car, till one day I decided to swing by the junkyard to find some material to make new ones.
I found a car with blue hounds tooth headrests, and snagged both of them. That night with needle and thread in hand, I hand sewed my own boot. It looked horrible, but I was happy with my efforts, as it was an “OFFICIAL BMW FABRIC” shift boot. Fast forward about a year, I had sold the car, and purchased a 1991 318is, again with crusty old and dried out leather boots. This being the 2nd time, I wanted boots, I decided to approach it differently.
I began to amass samples from all types of interiors and cars and tried to source fabrics , that would closely mimic OEM styles. However the first few boots me and my mother made and sold to people, at the time, looking okay, they were undoubtedly not close to what I make now. Through trial and error I was able to find fabrics that looked close to OEM, kept cost low, and helped interiors come to life. Business was somewhat steady at times, some weeks having no orders, others with 20 or more.
It was then, I decided to Establish a brand, and start a more professional approach to selling online. About 3 years in to making the new style boots, a friend of mine named Erik Johnson, had some M cloth developed, which was originally used on EVO3 M3s. I must admit the introduction of this fabric really helped to grow my business. I had requests from all over the world once I started M cloth making sets. Continued thanks to Erik for product he offered at the time. Let’s skip forward maybe 3, 4, or 5 years. The M cloth supply had run out, constant messages to me, where people could find it. My business took a blow once this happened; I had basically lost half of my sales. So I began to offer various plaids, hound’s-tooth's, and other euro inspired fabric, to help fill the customers need for boot sets. The business was always steady, but weeks went by with no orders at all.
About 6 months ago I heard M cloth was being reproduced. Once it was available I Immediately purchased some yardage and started making boots again. Since I had already sold sets to quite a few people, I was trying to explore new ways, and new places to sell boots. I was talking to my friend Levent, owner at Guten Parts, he suggested Instagram. I had a personal one, and he suggested turning it into my business page. I did just that, and it seemed almost immediately, I was getting response from people. I can’t say enough good stuff about Levent, he has helped me quite a few times, and I can only say thanks.
Having been a regular on Instagram for weeks, I started getting orders from Israel, Germany, Australia, Africa, and Russia. It’s crazy how social media lets sellers, buyers, and enthusiasts alike, connect on a personal level. I continue to make boots, not just for the BMW market and other Euros, but any car you can imagine; from vans to trucks.
I strive to have good products, affordable products, with an enthusiast mindset, to make sure every order leaving, is exactly what the customer wants. It was never about money, or getting rich, it was just about offering handmade products to the community, being a part of the BMW grassroots movement, and being a part of a select crowd who does so. Big thanks go out to my supporters on Instagram, my customers over the years, and the few vendors who have helped me get established.
-Matt B/Mom
(2M)