Men's General

Two weeks ago, the weekend of October 12th, I found myself walking back through the broad metal doors of Industry City for the first time in nearly six years after decamping New York for Chicago.

Walking through the ten-foot industrial door, I was dazzled by the upshot of the billion-dollar redevelopment initiative that had been undertaken a few years before my departure and transformed the intermodal, six-million-square foot complex into a hub of food courts, maker spaces, and independent retailers. It was buzzing. (Last time I was here, Industry City consisted predominantly outlet malls and liquidation centers for established brands.)

I was returning, of course, to cover Stitchdown’s Boot Camp, which is now in its second year of birthing a new type of convention. If pressed for a pithy explanation of what differentiates Boot Camp, in other words what makes it special, I’d say it’s the fact that it brings the segmented aspects of the supply chain under one roof. Here, you’ll find leather suppliers and distributors, boot makers, shoe care suppliers, and repair specialists all commingling, collaborating, and co-creating something together.

In this environment it was difficult not to be overwhelmed by the palpable spirit of cooperation and community. The general attitude was one of end-to-end transparency and communal education. There were very few topics of conversation that were off limits. Everyone was itching to share their knowledge and expertise.

Over the course of the two-day convention, I learned about how to cut patterns from Lisa Sorrell, a bespoke boot maker with over two-decades of experiences crafting cowboy boots of such exquisite quality that they’ve been exhibited as art at museums in Oklahoma.

I learned the hand-welting process from an artisan associated with E. Woodford & Sons, a brand that has over a century of history associated with the practice. This type of open knowledge-sharing is highly uncommon at these types of conventions, where those standing in the booth next to you are more likely to be tolerated as unwelcome competition.

While I know this might sound Pollyanna-ish, for a brief moment I felt as though I was in a bubble where the near constant din of my own often critical and mawkish attitude toward late-stage capitalism faded into the background.

I couldn’t help but think of Leonard Read’s famous essay I, Pencil that argues none of us, not a single person in the world, can single-handedly manufacture a pencil as well as the market: in other words, one individual can’t mine and process the lead, fell a tree and turn it into wood, anneal the metal for a ferrule, source and transmute latex into rubber, and put all these component parts together to form a deceptively simple product we all take for granted: the humble pencil.

(A graduate at the Royal College of Art in London named Thomas Thwaites famously tried to manufacture an Argos Value Range two-slice model toaster entirely from scratch. You can learn about the project and see the results here.)

Shoes, of course, are no different; there are so many hands that touch, shape, and craft the raw materials into the finished products we all enjoy. Talking with each of these highly-specialized experts, it was difficult not to be taken in by the deep care each one of them puts into their part of making the best possible product to be enjoyed, cared for, and fundamentally transformed by another further down the line.

As I walked among this community of transnational nerds, I found myself smiling as I conversed with vendors from the US, the Dominican Republic, China, Portugal, England, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Italy, India, and Norway all speaking the same language of passion for well-made objects, objects that we, the end-users, will go on to form our own, deeply personal, relationships with.

Lest we forget, these shoes will take us places: some of us will get married, or propose to loved ones, in these shoes; some may purchase a pair ahead of recently-landed jobs, while others continue to pound the pavement; wanderers among us may choose to forsake urban life entirely, like Thoreau, and hike across treacherous terrain in search of spectacles of wonder. Regardless of which of path we walk down, these shoes are really designed to move with us, to take us forward, through important moments and decisions in our lives.

What I felt in this sun-drenched example of adaptive reuse on the western edge of Brooklyn was something similar to what I imagine the devout feel being upon entering a church: a great exhale associated finding, or returning, to one’s spiritual community.

Here, I’d meet people I’d only corresponded with in the digital realm, including my friend and colleague Nick Coe. I met the inimitable Brian the Bootmaker of Role Club in between bespoke fittings for prospective clients. I met YouTubers, including Dale of Dale’s Leatherworks and Nick of Stridewise, evangelizing a shared philosophy that it’s better to invest your money in things that are designed to last to their tens of thousands of followers. I met four- and five-generation-old family businesses doing their to best to swim upstream against current market forces in order to create something of lasting value.

In short, I met people from all across the broad spectrum of this community who genuinely care, with their whole heart, about what they’re doing, what they’re making. While it’s easy these days to nerd out on all the details of boot making from behind a screen, being in person and connecting with the faces, personalities, and people behind these brands was a wholly different experience.

Regardless of whether you find you’re able to share my particular (and perhaps peculiar) glow following this event, I encourage you to consider, if not just for a moment, the value of drafting off of this perspective as you read through my coverage.

With that lengthy, and perhaps overly effusive introduction to my state of mind, let’s dive into Boot Camp. (Thank you for indulging me.)

E. Woodford & Sons & Crown Northampton

My day started off with a workshop offered by the folks over at E.Woodford & Sons, a more than century-old business first established in North Hampton, England in 1908. The brand is now operated by the fifth-generation of family boot makers, and helmed by Chris Woodford. I was here to learn the process of hand-welting from Louis, an industry veteran.

I donned the leather braces associated with trade on my fingers and wrists, which made me look like a very kinky Berliner en route to a fetish club. At Louis’ instruction, I took the awl in my right hand and pressed through the premade groove to puncture through the leather upper while bracing the other side with a scrap piece of leather.

Then I took the two boar bristles – known as soie de sanglier to the trade – in either hand and threaded them through the slender hole I’d made in a figure-eight-like pattern. Once threaded, I was told to pull firmly on either side to cinch the welt. According to Louis, it takes a professional anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour to complete the welting process for a single shoe; I imagine it would have taken me a whole day.

Armed with newfound knowledge of the hand-welting process, I wandered through E. Woodford’s booth to admire their wares.

E. Woodford offers full bespoke services alongside their stock options, with lasts available in three different widths. The company is vertically integrated, controlling every aspect of production from fitting, last design, and clicking (i.e. leather cutting) to closing, lasting, making, and finishing. Each pair of completed E. Woodford shoes will include the handwritten date of completion as a final sign-off on the shoe’s internal shield design, which references the signage of the original 1908 store.

Of particular interest to me were their suede navy oxfords (pictured in the previous image) and penny loafers made from a beautiful variegated green-brown cut of Horween-sourced Black Marbled Shell Cordovan leather (pictured directly above).

Horween

At the risk of repeating myself, what I loved about Boot Camp was being able to see a finished product, like E. Woodford’s penny loafers, and walk over to a neighboring booth and see the raw material. So, of course, I went over to Horween to admire the hide myself.

The rep explained that the finish is created by applying layers of black dye onto vegetable-tanned shells, which are then scraped off to produce a marbled effect. The result is a lush obsidian speckled with veins of burnt amber and verdigris.

As one of the biggest names in the leather trade, there are many examples of Horween’s product on display throughout the convention, but this unique hide was perhaps the most striking example I could find to showcase the visibility afforded by Boot Camp into the end-to-end process.

Crown Northampton

Meanwhile, the brand’s sister-label, Crown Northampton, applies the E. Woodford’s signature attention to craftsmanship and detail to sneaker-style silhouettes with beautiful leather uppers.

Fusing heritage production with a modern street-smart sensibility distinguished Crown North Hampton in this crowd that tends to lean into well-known, heritage styles. Their low-tops (pictured below), hi-tops, and cap-toes represent the three most popular styles. I’ll keep my word count short here, given our brand profile on Crown Northampton.

Grant Stone

Clocking in at just under $400, Grant Stone’s Goodyear-welted shoes represent the ultimate compromise between quality and price. With production based out of Xiamen, China, Grant Stone is one of several makers at Boot Camp celebrating, rather than maligning, China’s sophisticated craft-based manufacturing capabilities.

Grant Stone updates classic, well-known silhouettes – horse-bit loafers, service boots, derbies – with signature finesse. All their shoes are developed on orthopedic-shaped lasts and designed to provide lasting everyday comfort.

The Edward Boot (pictured below) is the among Grant Stone’s sleekest offerings, available in cordovan, suede, and calfskin. If you favor more of a rough-and-ready appearance, look no further than their rough suede finish (don’t worry, the finish reads more labradoodle than shaggy dog). My personal favorite of their designs, the Ottawa, is a heritage-inspired shoe that looks like it belongs in the gritty setting of Peaky Blinders’ 1920s, with a rakish split-toe and beautiful black (or brown, if that’s your vibe) chromexcel leather from Horween.

As one of the brands striving to lower the barrier to entry for well-made, Goodyear-welted shoes, Grant Stone represents perhaps the best initial purchase those just getting their feet wet, while also giving the initiated much to faun over.

Le Majordome

On the opposite side of the floor, and the opposite end of the spectrum, is Le Majordome, a Swiss brand I’d never heard of that straddles the border between bespoke and ready-to-wear footwear.

In addition to crafting made-to-fit shoes within 8 – 10 weeks, as opposed to the industry standard 24 weeks, Le Majordome provides more customization options than most will be able to handle. But if you’re finding yourself bored with the seemingly dizzying array of heritage-inspired work boots that all seem to reference the same tried-and-true silhouettes, Le Majordome is a brand worth paying attention to.

Named after the 1963 French-Italian comedy film of the same name, Le Majordome is a joint project of co-owners Gian-Luca Cavigelli and Daniel Bucheli. Their target customer is your well-heeled friend who prizes uniqueness above all (assuming I’m not at risk of describing myself). As Bucheli explained to the Robb Report, “We have made mules in pale rose suede, off-white crocodile boots, asymmetrical shoes where the left is colored differently than the right and some flashy pairs in bright orange, red and other wild combinations.”

The offering was among the more forward-looking of the booths I saw at Boot Camp, marrying traditional craftsmanship — their factories in Spain, Italy, and Switzerland have over a century of manufacturing experience — with progressive fashions. When pressed for an explanation of their de rigeur designs, the kind, charismatic associate offered, “Our goal is simply to make future classics.”

Whether they’ll be classic or not, I, for one was instantly drawn to a pair of minimalist grey suede boots with rakish side-gussets. Upon trying them on, I felt as if I’d walked off the set of Blade Runner 2049 in a high-low mash up of old-school spats and Dr. Martens high-tread boots. Though I couldn’t really think of a context in which I would wear the shoes, I didn’t really care. In my imagination, they seemed as suitable for making a statement at a black tie event as going for a hike in the Catskills.

Everything on display at their Boot Camp table, including this particular pair, were samples from their custom offerings, but they do offer some ready-to-wear options (which range from $495 – $750) for those among us who are too impatient for a ten-week lead time. At this point, their business is roughly a 50-50 split.

If you’re intrigued, I have good news for you: they just opened a new Madison Avenue flagship location where the brand feels it can showcase its hands-on, one-on-one approach to customer service for an American audience (they’re been operating out of Switzerland for more than ten years). If you’re outside of New York, but have a design you’ve been looking to execute, they might be worth the pilgrimage (assuming you have the money to spend).

Arno

While we’re on the topic of uniqueness, I have to give a shout out Arno. This upstart brand, which has yet to secure outside wholesale distribution, began as a passion project from an electrical engineer, Mikhail Bliskavka, who, like many of us, got bored during the pandemic but, unlike most us, decided to start a shoe company.

The journey began back in 2019 when Mikhail decided to leave Tulsa, Oklahoma for Florence, Italy. Pursuing his then nascent interest in boot-making, Mikhail took the plunge by signing up for an apprenticeship course offered by Stefano Bemer, one of Italy’s most skilled practitioners.

The brand’s name, Arno, comes from a joke he and other fellow students used to rib each other, saying, “Your shoes are only good enough to throw in to the Arno river.” Though this kind of approachable, self-deprecating humility comes easy to Mikhail — a tall, affable, blond-haired Texan of Ukrainian heritage — let me tell you: it would not be a pity, but a crime for such beautiful, well-made shoes to end up at the bottom of any body of water.

Luckily, while in Italy Mikhail met his better half, Christine O’Leary, who has proved indispensable in helping him turn what began as a hobby into a full-fledged company, and diverting shoes from the Arno into the hands of customers.

What Mikhail initially conceived in Florence, he continued to cultivate upon returning Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the pandemic, he found a factory partner in Mexico who was willing to produce his first run of shoes.

Arno is at once a deeply personal and transnational brand, one which combines European styling, with Mexican manufacturing, Ukrainian flair, and a distinctly American knack for do-it-yourself entrepreneurship.

For now, the brand has just two standard, stocked silhouettes: Bliskavka and Vishivanka. Both are, for lack of a better word, absolute fire.

The Vishivanka, the more distinctive of the two, includes a traditional Ukrainian embroidery normally applied to a traditional shirting called vishivanki, that is woven into the shoe, just below the collar.

The inlays are hand stitched by Dasha, a Ukrainian babushka who lives in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine. This particular pattern is from the Hustul people of eastern Ukraine and, rather than a typical cross stitch, utilizes a series of vertical stitches. The Bliskavka, meanwhile, is a revival of the mod-style Chelsea boot of the 1960s, including a diagonal side-zipper which is perfect for those of us too lazy to lace up our loafers. The latter are offered in Kudu, Bison, and suede; the former in Kudu and Bison.

While personally torn between both silhouettes, I ultimately fell in love with a custom Bliskavka in Zebra hide with Kudu suede upper, pictured below. In the interest of full-disclosure, I’m working with Mikhail to get a pair of these made for myself because I loved them so much. Rest assured, my reporting remains wholly independent, even if a bit of my personal bias is leaking in…

Iron Boots

One more brand that deserves special mention is Iron Boots, founded by boot maker Kai Cheng and based in Guangzhou, China.

[Editorial Note: Before diving in deep on Iron Boots, we need to address an elephant in the room. Politics aside, the persistent narrative about Chinese manufacturing, at least in the US, is that its products are cheap and not designed for longevity. While understandable, given the tidal wave of shoddy imports that flooded the market when trade relations between the US and China opened in the late 80s and early 90s, today, some of the best manufacturing in the world is found in the country.

Brands know this, but the American consumer remains both prejudiced and wary, so much so that Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has taken to the stage to publicly defend the reputation of Chinese manufacturing: “China has moved into very advanced manufacturing […] you find in China the intersection of craftsman[ship] and sophisticated robotics [….] That intersection, which is very rare to find anywhere, that kind of skill, is very important to our business because of the precision and quality […] For us, the number one attraction [to China] is the quality of the people.”

The long and the short of it is, if you still think of Chinese production as being inferior to other manufacturing capitals (e.g. the US, Italy, France, etc.), your perception is likely a decade or two out of date, as Tim Cook explained: “There’s a confusion about China. The popular conception is that companies come to China because of low labor cost. I’m not sure what part of China they go to, but the truth is China stopped being the low-labor-cost country many years ago. And that is not the reason to come to China from a supply point of view. The reason is because of the skill.”] (Source: Inc.)

Iron Boots is one several companies, including Grant Stone, that is doing its part in the heritage footwear space to change the American perception of Chinese manufacturing and craft. Proudly bearing the “Made in China” stamp, Iron Boot’s products are fully hand made by just six skilled craftsmen.

Designed by the brand’s founder, Kai Cheng, Iron Boots are hand-channeled, hand-welted, hand-lasted, hand bottomed, and hand-sewn out of materials sourced from Europe and North America, including Horween leather. When they can’t find a component that meets their exacting quality standards, they make it in-house; they’ve developed their own lasts as well as branded sole and leather options.

The finished products represent a hybrid between a dress shoe and work boot: durable, but lightweight. They also feel absolutely incredible, with the same supple leather lining used in some of LVMH’s products. The detailing is impeccable, from the riveted eyelets to the functional-yet-decorative Norwegian stitching. They even have brass toe taps.

My favorite of Iron Boots designs were, in no particular order: the Great Escape, the Jodhpur, and a new, a as of yet unnamed design (they’re open to suggestions).

The Great Escape — named after the 1963 film starring Steve McQueen — is, essentially, an unstructured blazer for your feet; it feels like butter and wears less like a boot, more like a sock. Once I was in it, I didn’t want to take it off; I doubt you would either. All the stiff structure you’d normally associate with a boot is gone.]

You definitely wouldn’t want to walk a factory floor in them, but if you’re looking for a comfortable-but-dressy shoe suitable for home, office, and everything in between, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one.

The Jodhpur is a classic style that I’ve been meaning to add to my shoe collection for a long time, but this particular example in sumptuous taupeish grey exhibits a natural warmth I find difficult to pass up. The leather is also naturally scratch resistant, as Mr. Cheng demonstrates below, buffing out an imperfection with a puff of warm air and a little bit of elbow grease.

Last but not least is the shoe looking for a name, which looks like an extra luxurious version of Russell Moccasin’s iconic “Birdshooter” boot with a Kudu vamp and counter contrasted with a suede quarter. I don’t think you’d want to take them duck hunting, especially if you plan to be wading through water, but I’d definitely play a few rounds of Duck Hunt at the arcade.

Russell Moccasin Co.

I can’t help but place Russell Moccasin Co. and LL Bean together in my mind: both originally sold one product designed for one specific context — the logging industry and duck hunting, respectfully — that went on to perform so well that outdoorsmen of all shades and stripes came knocking; both brands also have well over one-hundred years of history, during which they zeroed in on what they do best and largely ignored passing trends and fads.

All that is to say that Russell Moccasin is a company that don’t aim to shock their customers with unnecessary feats of newness; instead, the accompanying shock upon seeing their collection is reflecting on how little has changed over the course of 100+ years.

There’s a subtle idea buried here that can be easy to overlook, but one that more American consumers need to be exposed to: sometimes, it’s in resisting the clamoring calls for change that a brand can be truly daring. It’s quietly radical to come to a place, like Boot Camp, that provides a platform for brands to exhibit their latest offerings, and rolling up with essentially the same product, as if to say, “Here we are, again, same as last year. It ain’t broke, so we didn’t need to fix it. We’ll be here when you’re ready.”

After all, Russell Moccasin has shod kings and Hollywood royalty; political leaders and captains of industry. Charles Lindbergh, Harrison Ford, Robert Redford, and Edward, Prince of Wales have all stalked about in their boots. Earl Shaffer walked the entire Appalachian Trail in a single pair of Russell Moccasin’s “Birdshooter” boots, which he resoled twice along his trek (Note: Last year, the company released a 75th anniversary edition of the same boots that Mr. Shaffer wore. Unfortunately, they’ve sold out, but you might be able to find your size on the secondary market.)

These are shoes are so iconic, you don’t even know how well you know them: the Zephyr, the Oneida Moccasin, the Fishing Oxford, and the aforementioned “Birdshooter,” which has since been renamed Backcountry.

They seemed to pass the time at the convention in the only way they know: continuing to make shoes, right there in front of you, with no machines.

Aurora Shoe Co.

Aurora Shoe Company is a roughly 30-year-old brand based in Aurora, New York that has been serving up a tight edit of heritage-inspired shoes that are begging to join you on your next trip upstate. With just eight full-time employees, the brand produces about fifty pairs a day.

Aurora doesn’t veer too far from its chosen lane of rural East Coast footwear, but chances are if you like Russell Moccasin Company you’ll be a fan of Aurora. Their trademark loose-fitting, moccasin-style shoes are effortlessly chic and will make a welcome addition to your closet, especially if you’re a fan of the easy-breezy feel of Birkenstocks.

The Middle English is their classic and best-selling model, a hybrid of a Native American-style moccasin and a European monk shoe. In addition to this bellwether of the brand, the rest of their assortment includes: the T-Strap, the first style they produced which happen to be, at least currently, very on-trend; the North Pacific, which resembles a soft structured chukka; Mary Jane, which is based on a Chinese dance slipper; and the New Mexican, which would look a home while visiting Taos, New Mexico.

While all silhouettes are available for both men and women, the latter two read as slightly more feminine. For Boot Camp, the label reintroduced the entire line in a new sand suede colorway, a personal favorite of mine (if you haven’t noticed, I really like suede). Meanwhile, their classic calfskin will mold with the wearer beautifully overtime and is available in black, brown, oxblood, olive, navy, and red.

Regardless of which their four styles you gravitate towards, they will all wear absolutely beautifully, as you can see from the photo above, and are effortless to resole again and again, as shown below.

Whether you’re knocking about the house or the looking to hit the trails, Aurora are the perfect shoe for an upstate weekend, as demonstrated by the rakish attendee, who was sporting a collaboration model done with a Los Angeles-based designer.

Peter Limmer & Sons

Long coveted by collectors, and revered by outdoorsman as the best hiking boots money can buy, Peter Limmer & Sons is a custom bookmaker that has been making hiking boots one at a time by hand for five-generations. (I apologize in advance, but there are a lot of people named Peter Limmer in this story. I’ll do my best to separate them all out.)

Today, Limmer has two arms of production: a small workshop based in Intervale, New-Hampshire, which handles the custom and made-to-order business and a manufacturing partner, Meindl, that produces their stock options in Germany.

The story of the company dates back before the turn of the century, when the company’s namesake, Peter Limmer Sr., was just nine and began learning the trade from his father, the original Peter Limmer, in what was then known as Bavaria.

He would go on to earn his Master Shoemaker’s Certificate from the shoemaker’s guild in 1921. However, Peter Sr. would soon be forced to immigrate to the US due to a little known conflict called World War II. Landing in Jamaica Plain, Massachussets, Peter Sr. returned to work making hiking and ski boots for discerning American consumers. In fact, he was granted the US patent for the first ski boot made in the United States in 1939.

The ski boot helped make a name for Limmer & Sons, becoming popular in elite circles, especially Harvard’s outing club. According to the present-day Peter Limmer, “If you didn’t have a pair of his [ski] boots, you weren’t anybody.” However, when the Robert “Bob” Lange, founder of the Lange ski boot company, tilted the industry in the direction of fiberglass and plastic, Limmer Sr. lost interest and began to focus solely on hiking boots, for which the brand remains famous for today.

The legacy was at risk of vanishing with the present-day Peter Limmer (that is, the third Peter Limmer in this story) whose sons were reluctant to take the helm having established successful landscaping businesses of their own, long before Mr. Limmer was entertaining the prospect of retiring. Today, the Limmer legacy is carried on by one Adam Lane-Olsen, a former banker, who diligently apprenticed under Peter Limmer for six years before being allowed to purchase the company from the fifth-generation bootmaker.

Lane-Olsen’s current production team consists of three people: a pair of young hands, Patrick Moody and Emmett Moberly-LaChance, joined Ken Smith, who was the only holdover from the company’s purchase, having worked for Mr. Limmer for over 25 years.

All three share a love of craft and are devout evangelists of the brand’s legacy and history, having been customers of Peter Limmer & Sons long before they picked up an awl. Together, the workshop can produce just twelve pairs of boots a week, roughly 600 a year. As you probably guessed, current demand far exceeds supply and the waitlist is about three years long.

Limmer boots are constructed from a single piece of cowhide which is a joined on a distinctive diagonal across the medial arch of the foot. By limiting the number of seams in construction, Limmer Sr. found he was able to improve the watertightness of the shoe. Another upshot of this signature construction method is that it eliminates the need for a back seam and back strap, both of which are known to strain the Achilles tendon and create blisters on the wearer’s heel.

However, using this proprietary method requires a whole uncut cowhide, and results in more wasted leather than other cutting patterns, which in turn contributes to the price (currently around $1200 for a custom shoe). But some corners simply cannot be cut.

Having regaled me with the company backstory, by this point, Patrick and Emmett were practically chomping at the bit to get me into a pair of Limmers. They took some measurements of my feet and slid me into a pair of 11B boots, a whole size up from my normal 10D in Brannock.

As Patrick began to lace me up, the boot’s heel pocket gripped me like a firm handshake; the resulting ankle support was so study, that I mistook the leather interior brace for aluminum or steel. My Danners, by comparison — which have seen me through hikes in more than a half dozen National Parks — felt about as loose and unstructured as jellyfish.

Belying their sturdy construction, I found the Limmer shoes to be deceptively light. As I began to roam around the floor, I quickly forget that I had them on. I imagined how, once broken in, they would feel like a second skin. That said, out of the box, the leather was unbelievably stiff (a new pair can take months to break-in). Supposedly, Peter Limmer Sr. used to say, “swear at them for the first 6 months, swear by them for the rest of your life.”

Having fully bought into the cult of these shoes, I began to pour through old purchase records and customer testimonials on Limmer’s website as I thought about how to justify a downpayment for a $1200 pair of bespoke hiking shoes that I won’t have for three years. Then, I come across a letter from a prospective customer written in 1974. It read:

I think I’m sold.

Panel: Are Heritage Boots Luxury Goods?

In need of a short break, Nick and I headed to check out the panels. We were only able to attend one panel Are Heritage Boots Luxury Goods? which featured Brett Viberg of Viberg Boot, Adele Williamson of Trickers, and Shuyler Mowe of Nicks Boots. The three panelists discussed and debated the differences between luxury houses (Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Thom Browne, etc.) and heritage brands (Viberg, Trickers, Nicks Boots, etc.) 

At the risk of being highly reductive, the general consensus that emerged over the course of the 45-minute talk was while that luxury houses sell a symbology (hence the reliance on a recognizable brand) that their customers are granted access to through purchase, heritage brands sell a product that its customers become stewards of. While both segments admittedly rely on the notion of craft, luxury celebrates craft in service of image or status, while heritage celebrates craft in service of function and utility. The former emphasizes sophistication, the latter ruggedness.

The three panelists also compared and contrasted the marketing models, organizational structure, and approach to customer cultivation, education, and service across the two domains.

Lisa Sorell

Keeping in theme with the boot convention, after the talk, I wandered down to the subterranean realm of Industry City to attend my second workshop, hosted by Lisa Sorrell, on boot pattern making.

Lisa is a master bootmaker and fine artist who uses the cowboy boot as her canvas. Her work has been featured on the PBS series Craft in America and displayed as art in several prominent Oklahoma museums. 

In order to get us familiar with the process of cutting leather, Lisa had prepared paper cutouts so that everyone could get in on the action. Each section was labeled accordingly, helping to familiarize attendees with the peculiar lexicon and terminology of the craft. We started with a simple blucher before moving on to the cowboy boot. 

To start, I attached the lateral quarter to the medial quarter, which were joined together with a back seam. With this rear structure in place, we proceeded to affix the vamp and tongue. Working with flat cuts of paper to create dimensional curves proved more challenging than one might imagine. But, as Lisa explained, “That’s one of the things I love about shoes. Any time you have a seam, you can create curves.” 

With my blucher complete, I moved on to the cowboy boot. At the rear, the cowboy boot was differentiated from the blucher only through the addition of a back strap, rather than a back seam. We then attached the blocker and vamp, which featured the telltale filigree of the cowboy boot. We then affixed the front and rear part of the shaft to complete the boot.

While trying my hand at the process, I felt as though I was in kindergarten learning how to making an abstract marble-based painting from the likes of Jackson Pollock. That said, I did feel oddly proud of my flimsy paper boots and came away from the workshop with glue on my hands and an ounce more tactile knowledge associated with the craft.

Ariat

Feeling inspired after Lisa’s workshop, I headed to Ariat, which was the only brand displaying cowboy boots. We used to carry and represent Ariat when I worked at Sid & Ann Mashburn, so it was extra nice to reconnect with the brand. 

Founded in 1993, Ariat has grown into the largest equestrian sports brand in the world. Initially, the brand focused on performance boots designed for English and Western riding styles, but they’ve since branched into adjacent categories, including cowboy boots, having semi-recently been designated official boot sponsor of Professional Bull Riders.

For Boot Camp, the team brought their top-tier product: a line of exotic cowboy boots in alligator, crocodile, and ostrich leathers. They’re all bench-made and manufactured by artisans in León, Mexico.

Caswell Boot Co.

Returning to the main floor, we ran into the owner of Caswell Boots. Another newer upstart, Caswell is the passion project of Kevin Wilson, whose day job is in consulting. As of now, most of his boots are made-to-order, although he has a handful of ready-to-wear options in some non-traditional leathers, including stag and kangaroo. 

A fan of unorthodox leather treatments, many of Caswell’s calfskin products have undergone unusual finishing processes from respected tanneries. These include a hot-dip process from Wickett & Craig, which provides added strength and flexibility and a proprietary waxing process from Badalassi Carlo which accentuates the pull-up of the leather resulting in a natural, distressed look. In addition to its discerning view on leather, the brand has developed its own distinctive lasts, including the Morris & Harris; the boots are made in Spain, Portugal, or Indonesia and feature either Dainite or Vibram soles.

My favorite of the models on display was the Teton Stag, crafted from North American Whitetail Deer. Kevin was one of several bookmakers experimenting with more alternative, sustainable leather sources (i.e. not cow-derived leather). In addition to the Teton Stag, Kevin did a collaboration with Nick from Stridewise for the Stitchdown Boot Camp featuring the hide of an invasive feral swine tanned by Gallun leathers. You can pre-order those here.

Seidel Tanning Co.

While we’re on the topic of leather tanneries, I had a great conversation with the father and son team behind Seidel, a fourth-generation, family-owned business based in Milwaukee. With over 75 years in the leather business, Seidel supplies the likes of Redwing, Lucchese, and Birkenstocks. 

On display was a selection of their Steerhide leathers, which exhibited gorgeous natural variation, as well as yak hide, which they import once a year from Tibet. As you can see below, the pull-up on the yak was drop-dead gorgeous; I hope someone does a collaboration with them. If not, I guess I’ll just have to throw a hide under my dining table. 

Freenote Cloth

At the end of a long day, and in lieu of happy hour, I decide to close out with a shoe shine from the folks over at Saphir. There, I ran into Andrew Brodrick of Freenote Cloth, who was finishing up getting his John Lofgren Wabash Engineer Boots shined. 

Freenote was the only booth at the Stitchdown that featured clothing, alongside one piece footwear.

And I want to complement Andrew on an amazing Japanese boro boot they created for Stitchdown. Made from the whole hide of wild deer skin, the shoe applies the principles of boro to leatherwork, featuring hand-repaired and -reinforced imperfections in the leather. Like boro, some of the scars on the hide were accentuated, circled with sashiko-style white stitching, while other weak points were reinforced in a zig-zag pattern, so that as much of a given hide could be utilized, resulting in as little castoff as possible.

Andrew, however, was chatting with his shoe shine about Saphir, explaining he was considering adding their product line to Freenote’s catalogue. Unable to contain myself, I offered a few choice words about Saphir’s product to Andrew, explaining that I used to sell their product while working at Sid’s. Saphir’s rep, who was coming to discuss the catalogue with Andrew, appeared nonplussed. “I didn’t even have to Saphir sell you,” he laughed, “That guy did it better than I ever could!”

While I’m not sure I agree with that assessment, to conclude my coverage, allow me to quickly repeat my spiel about Saphir, so that you, too, can take proper care of the shoes you already have and any you may be eyeing.

Saphir

If you ask pretty much leather care specialist, you’ll quickly learn that Saphir is regarded as the gold standard when it comes to leather care. With over a century of tradition, Saphir first took home the gold medal at Paris International Fair in 1925. Made of 100% natural materials, you’ll find no synthetic or harsh chemicals, like turpentine, in Saphir’s products. 

General or “Day-to-Day” Care: Renovateur is the must-have product for anyone who owns a pair of quality shoes. Containing just beeswax, lanolin and mink oil, this is your day-to-day workhorse. After a light buff, add renovator add nourishment and protection to the leather. Saphir’s full guide can be found here.

Deep or “Monthly” Care: If you’re looking to deep polish, or trying to bring out the natural color of your shoes, reach for their Creme 1925 in your desired color. A combination of more than 7 naturally-derived waxes and shea butter, Creme 1925 will give you an unbeatable sheen. Meanwhile, their Pate de Luxe — made from Carnauba, Montan, and Beeswax — is great for edge care or if you really want to shine those puppies. Saphir’s full guide can be found here.

Suede Care: For suede treatment, their Omni-Nettoyant is ideal for stubborn stain removal, while their Gommadin eraser is sufficient for small marks and blemishes. Once you’ve finished removing any grime, spray their Suede Renovator, derived from almond oil, to coat your shoes and protect against water, snow, and dirt. Saphir’s full guide can be found here.

And with that, I leave you as I left the convention: with my Grensons shined, my heart full, and a spring in my step. ‘Til next year.