If you've ever been to Mercedes, you have no doubt seen the oversized boots around town.

The Big Boots of Mercedes are now getting a new paint job. They've become local landmarks, but not everyone knows the story behind them.

The giant boots are all about honoring a piece of the town's history, and now they're getting a colorful refresh.

For most people driving in Mercedes, the boots are landmarks; a splash of color and pride in the heart of the city.

But to Alejandro Viera, they were nothing more than just big boots.

"I looked at them there in the city, and I said, 'No, well, there are just boots, they're just too big'," Viera's Paint and Body Shop owner Alejandro Viera said.

Viera spent over a decade restoring cars, but this project, he says, has been special.

"Well, this is a different process. They are made of aluminum. We had to remove the paint from underneath, from the previous job. We removed everything, everything, we started from scratch," Viera said.

Sun, rain, and time took their toll, peeling colors and leaving some cracked heels that rendered parts beyond recognition.

"I found this very difficult. I said, 'How am I going to repair it?' But then, as I studied it and worked on it, I ended up redoing it, basically making it again," Viera said.

Out of Mercedes' 28 famous boots, 10 are receiving a fresh new coat of paint. Each pair is a nod to the city's boot-making roots.

The idea to honor them was spearheaded by the Mercedes Economic Development Corporation in 2013.

"To promote the history of boot-making here in Mercedes, but two, to promote the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show, which we've held for the last 80 some years and to promote postsecondary education to the students here in Mercedes," Mercedes EDC Board President Marcos J. Garcia IV said.

Now, thanks to Viera's talent and the EDC's $10,000 investment, that heritage will shine bright again. Reminding everyone of the town's long history of boot-making.

"So in the 1920s, Zeferino Rios came and opened his first boot shop here," Garcia said.

After two months of work, Viera's paint job is nearly complete. Only one boot out of the 10 has returned to the streets.

From the hands of a local craftsman to the heart of a proud community.

"I am pleased to be part of the history of the city of Mercedes. To be something, to represent something for them, I mean, I feel pleased and happy," Viera said.

The rest of the boots are expected to be back at their usual spots within the next two to three weeks.

Watch the video above for the full story.