The Stitchdown PREMIUM Shoecast Wed, 07 Oct 2026 06:00:02 -0400 http://www.stitchdown.com en-us © 2026 The Stitchdown PREMIUM Shoecast yes 37e2c104-cfea-501a-93de-a5d9f5fffb6f Ben Robinson episodic true Everything you love about the Stitchdown Shoecast—now with extra bonus episodes only for community members.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Ben Robinson https://storage.buzzsprout.com/o53hfokfus0n5xf6wud1yiofcvqd?.jpg The Stitchdown PREMIUM Shoecast http://www.stitchdown.com How Thiele Tanning's Jordan Proefrock Makes the World's Best Shoe Lining Leather How Thiele Tanning's Jordan Proefrock Makes the World's Best Shoe Lining Leather Thiele Tanning has operated out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin since 1934. And while things rarely stay the same in tanning—Thiele has made everything from bowling shoe leather, to baseball glove leather, to some actually VERY good patent leather—for decades its wheelhouse has been lining leather. If you’ve got a pair of shoes or boots you truly love from a historic manufacturer, there’s a solid chance it’s Thiele lining touching your feet. 

In this chat with Jordan we get into that lining leather of course, how Thiele tans end-to-end right in one building (a rarity!), how they’re leveraging AI to manage internal processes (without losing their souls to it), what to expect from Thiele at Stitchdown Expo 2026 Chicago, and plenty more.  

]]> Thiele Tanning has operated out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin since 1934. And while things rarely stay the same in tanning—Thiele has made everything from bowling shoe leather, to baseball glove leather, to some actually VERY good patent leather—for decades its wheelhouse has been lining leather. If you’ve got a pair of shoes or boots you truly love from a historic manufacturer, there’s a solid chance it’s Thiele lining touching your feet. 

In this chat with Jordan we get into that lining leather of course, how Thiele tans end-to-end right in one building (a rarity!), how they’re leveraging AI to manage internal processes (without losing their souls to it), what to expect from Thiele at Stitchdown Expo 2026 Chicago, and plenty more.  

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19920333 Wed, 07 Oct 2026 06:00:00 -0400 5022 19 3 full true Lennertson's Robin Carlo on Springline Last Development and Transformer Loafers Lennertson's Robin Carlo on Springline Last Development and Transformer Loafers It wasn’t always easy for two Belgian guys named Robin to build a shoe brand. Early production setbacks, finding investment, and eventually building a physical retail presence are never easy to contend with. But even though both Lennertson founders grew up in a culture of “we make and fix things around here,”building knowledge in footwear was perhaps their biggest hurdle—one they took on voraciously. 

Luckily they had plenty of help along the way—including for last development, thanks to dear friend of the pod Michael James at Springline in Northamptonshire. Robin’s nerdiness for this stuff is impossible to ignore, as we spend ample time discussing of materials and construction, quality footwear business models, Lennertson’s uniquely modular loafer, and what to expect from Lennertson at Stitchdown Expo 2026 Chicago. 

https://lennertson.com/

]]> It wasn’t always easy for two Belgian guys named Robin to build a shoe brand. Early production setbacks, finding investment, and eventually building a physical retail presence are never easy to contend with. But even though both Lennertson founders grew up in a culture of “we make and fix things around here,”building knowledge in footwear was perhaps their biggest hurdle—one they took on voraciously. 

Luckily they had plenty of help along the way—including for last development, thanks to dear friend of the pod Michael James at Springline in Northamptonshire. Robin’s nerdiness for this stuff is impossible to ignore, as we spend ample time discussing of materials and construction, quality footwear business models, Lennertson’s uniquely modular loafer, and what to expect from Lennertson at Stitchdown Expo 2026 Chicago. 

https://lennertson.com/

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19874739 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:00:00 -0400 6565 19 2 full true Custom Cowboy Bootmaker Lee Miller of Texas Traditions Custom Cowboy Bootmaker Lee Miller of Texas Traditions There are custom bootmakers—and then there's Texas Traditions. Opened in 1977 by “The Picasso of cowboy boots” Charlie Dunn, Texas Traditions has been run by Charlie’s apprentice Lee Miller since 1986. 

In one of the great Shoecast interviews we’ll ever have the pleasure of publishing, Lee gets deep into the shop’s history, Charlie’s uniquely mystical approach to cowboy bootmaking, the Mexican bootmakers who shared their knowledge with Lee, what makes a truly great toe and heel shape, how to fit a custom boot, contending with people that you can’t do something, and the impossible, beautiful toil of making boots by hand.  

]]> There are custom bootmakers—and then there's Texas Traditions. Opened in 1977 by “The Picasso of cowboy boots” Charlie Dunn, Texas Traditions has been run by Charlie’s apprentice Lee Miller since 1986. 

In one of the great Shoecast interviews we’ll ever have the pleasure of publishing, Lee gets deep into the shop’s history, Charlie’s uniquely mystical approach to cowboy bootmaking, the Mexican bootmakers who shared their knowledge with Lee, what makes a truly great toe and heel shape, how to fit a custom boot, contending with people that you can’t do something, and the impossible, beautiful toil of making boots by hand.  

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19845949 Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:00:00 -0400 6334 19 1 full false Edgy Albert on Which Shoes are Good and Not Good—and a Tribute to Denim Legend Roy Slaper Edgy Albert on Which Shoes are Good and Not Good—and a Tribute to Denim Legend Roy Slaper If you know Albert Muzquiz, it’s almost definitely as Edgy Albert, his highly accurate internet alter-ego. 

Albert’s not just another menswearfluencer come-lately—he was also the first writer for Stitchdown.com, worked at LA’s iconic Self Edge, and wrote his college thesis on denim.

Of course we get Albert’s view on what kind of shoes people are wearing in LA, and play a typically opinionated little “GOOD OR NOT GOOD” rapid-fire game with his takes on brands and footwear styles. 

And then there’s denim legend Roy Slaper, who unfortunately passed away last month. 

I didn’t know Roy Slaper. I didn’t even know OF Roy Slaper until I watched Albert’s fantastic YouTube video about Roy and fellow handmade denim maker Tilden Yamamoto. I was taken with Roy immediately—his dedication to his craft, his knowledge of ancient machines, his desire to teach and share. I wondered why he stopped making jeans. 

In this episode—which we recorded about two months before Roy’s passing—Albert went deep into his Montana trip to visit the two denim savants. What resulted is a truly lovely portrait of a slice of Roy’s denim-making life. Hopefully it can stand as a tiny little memorial to someone who cared about craft and its history as much as one can.

]]> If you know Albert Muzquiz, it’s almost definitely as Edgy Albert, his highly accurate internet alter-ego. 

Albert’s not just another menswearfluencer come-lately—he was also the first writer for Stitchdown.com, worked at LA’s iconic Self Edge, and wrote his college thesis on denim.

Of course we get Albert’s view on what kind of shoes people are wearing in LA, and play a typically opinionated little “GOOD OR NOT GOOD” rapid-fire game with his takes on brands and footwear styles. 

And then there’s denim legend Roy Slaper, who unfortunately passed away last month. 

I didn’t know Roy Slaper. I didn’t even know OF Roy Slaper until I watched Albert’s fantastic YouTube video about Roy and fellow handmade denim maker Tilden Yamamoto. I was taken with Roy immediately—his dedication to his craft, his knowledge of ancient machines, his desire to teach and share. I wondered why he stopped making jeans. 

In this episode—which we recorded about two months before Roy’s passing—Albert went deep into his Montana trip to visit the two denim savants. What resulted is a truly lovely portrait of a slice of Roy’s denim-making life. Hopefully it can stand as a tiny little memorial to someone who cared about craft and its history as much as one can.

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19599380 Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:00:00 -0400 4147 18 7 full true Keeping Maine Shoemaking Alive: The Rancourt & Co. Story Keeping Maine Shoemaking Alive: The Rancourt & Co. Story At one point, it was tough to find someone in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine that wasn't personally connected to the handsewn moccasin shoe industry. Today, few Maine shoemaking operations remain—but those twin cities on the Androscoggin River continue to house legitimately remarkable footwear manufacturing. 

For 59 years, the Rancourt family has been a stalwart, crafting handsewn shoes in Lewiston—moccasins, camp mocs, beefroll penny loafers, and other iconic styles. 

Mike Rancourt came on the Shoecast to dig deep into Maine's shoemaking genesis and lineage, the process and beauty of handsewn shoes, leather selection and cutting, sizing, what "true moccasin construction" really means, and the ups and downs of a business and true community that was nearly decimated by offshore manufacturing and corporate takeovers—but thanks to operations like Rancourt, persists to this day. 

]]> At one point, it was tough to find someone in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine that wasn't personally connected to the handsewn moccasin shoe industry. Today, few Maine shoemaking operations remain—but those twin cities on the Androscoggin River continue to house legitimately remarkable footwear manufacturing. 

For 59 years, the Rancourt family has been a stalwart, crafting handsewn shoes in Lewiston—moccasins, camp mocs, beefroll penny loafers, and other iconic styles. 

Mike Rancourt came on the Shoecast to dig deep into Maine's shoemaking genesis and lineage, the process and beauty of handsewn shoes, leather selection and cutting, sizing, what "true moccasin construction" really means, and the ups and downs of a business and true community that was nearly decimated by offshore manufacturing and corporate takeovers—but thanks to operations like Rancourt, persists to this day. 

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19521035 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400 4943 18 7 full false How Can Wolverine Revive its Iconic 1000 Mile Brand? Justin Cupps Has Ideas. How Can Wolverine Revive its Iconic 1000 Mile Brand? Justin Cupps Has Ideas. Wolverine Worldwide is a footwear empire much bigger than just Wolverine 1000 Mile. Justin Cupps is six months into his role as President of the Work Group, which includes Merrell Work, Bates, HYTEST, CAT Footwear, Harley-Davidson Boots, Wolverine, AND Wolverine 1000 Mile. 

Yes separating out those last two is essential, especially in the eyes of Justin—who sees huge opportunity with 1000 Mile as a distinct brand in every imaginable way. 

]]> Wolverine Worldwide is a footwear empire much bigger than just Wolverine 1000 Mile. Justin Cupps is six months into his role as President of the Work Group, which includes Merrell Work, Bates, HYTEST, CAT Footwear, Harley-Davidson Boots, Wolverine, AND Wolverine 1000 Mile. 

Yes separating out those last two is essential, especially in the eyes of Justin—who sees huge opportunity with 1000 Mile as a distinct brand in every imaginable way. 

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-19455586 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400 2441 18 6 full false The (Mostly) Complete History of Cowboy Boots, with Bata Shoe Museum Director Elizabeth Semmelhack The (Mostly) Complete History of Cowboy Boots, with Bata Shoe Museum Director Elizabeth Semmelhack Last time Elizabeth Semmelhack—Director and Senior Curator of the Toronto's exceptional Bata Shoe Museum—was on the Shoecast, she ran down a (mostly) complete history of boots, overall. It was excellent. 

This time Elizabeth is back to focus purely on cowboy boots—which is exactly what she's been doing for years while writing Rough & Ready, the most recent in a hugely rich (if far too truncated) pantheon of exceptional cowboy boot books. 

Where did cowboy boots emerge from? The heels, the tops, the toe shapes—when did those come into play? What do we all have totally wrong about cowboy boots and the culture surrounding them, from the 1800s until the modern era? It's all right there in the book—and on this episode. 

]]> Last time Elizabeth Semmelhack—Director and Senior Curator of the Toronto's exceptional Bata Shoe Museum—was on the Shoecast, she ran down a (mostly) complete history of boots, overall. It was excellent. 

This time Elizabeth is back to focus purely on cowboy boots—which is exactly what she's been doing for years while writing Rough & Ready, the most recent in a hugely rich (if far too truncated) pantheon of exceptional cowboy boot books. 

Where did cowboy boots emerge from? The heels, the tops, the toe shapes—when did those come into play? What do we all have totally wrong about cowboy boots and the culture surrounding them, from the 1800s until the modern era? It's all right there in the book—and on this episode. 

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19421711 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400 5428 18 5 full false ACL's Michael Williams on Misguided Shoe Recs & The "Disappearing Middle" of Quality Footwear ACL's Michael Williams on Misguided Shoe Recs & The "Disappearing Middle" of Quality Footwear Michael Williams is sometimes a “marketer who hates marketing,” who has helped many of the great US manufacturing brands, up to and including Red Wing. Other times he he’s writing his often menswear focused newsletter, the quietly massively influential A Continuous Lean. 

A while back he pre-invented the idea now used by every single temporary market you now see everywhere, with his Pop Up Flea concept. More often than seems possible, he’s doing something or other with the bon vivant they call David Coggins, whether that’s recording their Central Division podcast, or putting together their new newspaper dubbed The Print Edition.

I’ve been bugging Mike to come on the Shoecast for years now, and every time I saw him he said the same thing: “I don’t know enough about shoes”.

Well this episode now exists to prove that Michael Williams knows plenty about shoes. And also the best stores that sell them worldwide, the quickly disappearing middle ground between cheap garbage and high luxury, travel shoe selection strategies, and how to see deep into someone’s soul, just from looking at what’s on their feet.

]]> Michael Williams is sometimes a “marketer who hates marketing,” who has helped many of the great US manufacturing brands, up to and including Red Wing. Other times he he’s writing his often menswear focused newsletter, the quietly massively influential A Continuous Lean. 

A while back he pre-invented the idea now used by every single temporary market you now see everywhere, with his Pop Up Flea concept. More often than seems possible, he’s doing something or other with the bon vivant they call David Coggins, whether that’s recording their Central Division podcast, or putting together their new newspaper dubbed The Print Edition.

I’ve been bugging Mike to come on the Shoecast for years now, and every time I saw him he said the same thing: “I don’t know enough about shoes”.

Well this episode now exists to prove that Michael Williams knows plenty about shoes. And also the best stores that sell them worldwide, the quickly disappearing middle ground between cheap garbage and high luxury, travel shoe selection strategies, and how to see deep into someone’s soul, just from looking at what’s on their feet.

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19386381 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400 4835 full false Carmina Shoemaker's Carmina Albaladejo on Family Tradition, Global Retail, and Custom Shoes Carmina Shoemaker's Carmina Albaladejo on Family Tradition, Global Retail, and Custom Shoes Carmina Albaladejo heads US operations for the exquisite Spanish shoemaker with the exact same (first) name as her. 

In this Stitchdown Shoecast episode we discuss how six generations of family history led to the founding of the Carmina brand, manufacturing in Spain, Carmina's growing US and global retail strategy (and the crucial importance of physical shoe stores), the brand's top-flight online customizer tool, the new leveled-up Albaladejo Collection, and plenty more.

https://www.carminashoemaker.com/

]]> Carmina Albaladejo heads US operations for the exquisite Spanish shoemaker with the exact same (first) name as her. 

In this Stitchdown Shoecast episode we discuss how six generations of family history led to the founding of the Carmina brand, manufacturing in Spain, Carmina's growing US and global retail strategy (and the crucial importance of physical shoe stores), the brand's top-flight online customizer tool, the new leveled-up Albaladejo Collection, and plenty more.

https://www.carminashoemaker.com/

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19350717 Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400 5094 18 3 full false The New Thing in Footwear Leather? 145-Year-Old Veg-Tanner Hermann Oak. The New Thing in Footwear Leather? 145-Year-Old Veg-Tanner Hermann Oak. Hermann Oak has been tanning leather in St. Louis since 1881, and they pretty much still do it the same way—one way, which of course is veg-tanning. Traditionally a major player in the equestrian leather world, Hermann Oak is edging into the quality footwear space in a hugely exciting way. 

So I chatted with Hermann Oak President Drew Gulick about the tanner's deep history, how making footwear leather is different from equestrian or tooling leather, and of course their core bridle, harness, and latigo products. 

Come see Hermann Oak and PLENTY of other tanneries, shoe-/bootmakers, and more at Stitchdown Expo 2026 Chicago this Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events!

https://www.hermannoakleather.com/

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

]]> Hermann Oak has been tanning leather in St. Louis since 1881, and they pretty much still do it the same way—one way, which of course is veg-tanning. Traditionally a major player in the equestrian leather world, Hermann Oak is edging into the quality footwear space in a hugely exciting way. 

So I chatted with Hermann Oak President Drew Gulick about the tanner's deep history, how making footwear leather is different from equestrian or tooling leather, and of course their core bridle, harness, and latigo products. 

Come see Hermann Oak and PLENTY of other tanneries, shoe-/bootmakers, and more at Stitchdown Expo 2026 Chicago this Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events!

https://www.hermannoakleather.com/

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19301144 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400 4747 18 2 full false BONUS: How To Get Nathan Florsheim to Make You Boots? Nathan Florsheim Will Now Tell You. BONUS: How To Get Nathan Florsheim to Make You Boots? Nathan Florsheim Will Now Tell You. It's extremely not easy to get boots hand-made by Nathan Florsheim—great great great grandson of Milton Florsheim, yes, THAT Florsheim—unless of course you listen to this episode. 

https://nfbootmaker.com/

]]> It's extremely not easy to get boots hand-made by Nathan Florsheim—great great great grandson of Milton Florsheim, yes, THAT Florsheim—unless of course you listen to this episode. 

https://nfbootmaker.com/

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19244808 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400 1538 bonus true Nathan Florsheim is Proudly Working Slower Than Ever Nathan Florsheim is Proudly Working Slower Than Ever Back in 2021, I got a great email from a young bootmaker named Nathan Florsheim who wanted to chat. Boy am I glad I took that call. 

About a year later I had Nathan—great great great grandson of Milton Florsheim, yes, THAT Florsheim—on the Shoecast. Four years and 130 handmade pairs later, Nathan is absolutely rolling as a custom bootmaker who has truly seemed to find his own space, one that so many clients want to inhabit as well. 

So along with the man they call Ticho, we caught up about what’s changed in that time with his technical and ordering process, why slow is actually really good, how he finally set up a workshop that really works for him, the tallest man in the world’s Florsheim boots, and obviously, plenty more. 

Also Nathan just so happened to open his order books right when this episode dropped, but it’s not THAT easy to get onto his client list. So of course we made a second bonus episode for subscribers in which Nathan shares the best ways to have success putting in for an order. 

That one’s available on our Premium Subscribers feed—check out Stichdown.com to learn more about Stitchdown Premium, our very excellent private discord, and how to get access to that episode. 

https://nfbootmaker.com/

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

]]> Back in 2021, I got a great email from a young bootmaker named Nathan Florsheim who wanted to chat. Boy am I glad I took that call. 

About a year later I had Nathan—great great great grandson of Milton Florsheim, yes, THAT Florsheim—on the Shoecast. Four years and 130 handmade pairs later, Nathan is absolutely rolling as a custom bootmaker who has truly seemed to find his own space, one that so many clients want to inhabit as well. 

So along with the man they call Ticho, we caught up about what’s changed in that time with his technical and ordering process, why slow is actually really good, how he finally set up a workshop that really works for him, the tallest man in the world’s Florsheim boots, and obviously, plenty more. 

Also Nathan just so happened to open his order books right when this episode dropped, but it’s not THAT easy to get onto his client list. So of course we made a second bonus episode for subscribers in which Nathan shares the best ways to have success putting in for an order. 

That one’s available on our Premium Subscribers feed—check out Stichdown.com to learn more about Stitchdown Premium, our very excellent private discord, and how to get access to that episode. 

https://nfbootmaker.com/

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

]]> Stitchdown Shoecast Buzzsprout-19244787 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400 5068 18 1 full true BONUS: Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé on Packing Tape Shoes and Broadway BONUS: Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé on Packing Tape Shoes and Broadway Hey! Ben from Stitchdown here. 

This past season on the Shoecast I sat down wit with Brooklyn based bespoke shoemaker Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé. Marika’s a wonder, and touches so many areas of the footwear continuum.

So we had to keep the chat in her Brooklyn apartment slash workshop going for this bonus episode, which covers everything from how she makes spot-on fitting shoes entirely out of packing tape, if there’s something incomplete when learning shoemaking exclusively online, her various teaching gigs, the wild grind of making custom shoes for broadway, why, when you wear a great pair of boots, nothing else really matters. 

As always, HUGE thanks for being a Stitchdown Premium supporter for these bonus episodes, it really means so damn much. 

Here’s Marika, again, on the Cast.

]]> Hey! Ben from Stitchdown here. 

This past season on the Shoecast I sat down wit with Brooklyn based bespoke shoemaker Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé. Marika’s a wonder, and touches so many areas of the footwear continuum.

So we had to keep the chat in her Brooklyn apartment slash workshop going for this bonus episode, which covers everything from how she makes spot-on fitting shoes entirely out of packing tape, if there’s something incomplete when learning shoemaking exclusively online, her various teaching gigs, the wild grind of making custom shoes for broadway, why, when you wear a great pair of boots, nothing else really matters. 

As always, HUGE thanks for being a Stitchdown Premium supporter for these bonus episodes, it really means so damn much. 

Here’s Marika, again, on the Cast.

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-19170746 Wed, 13 May 2026 09:00:00 -0400 2471 full false Goods & Services' Rory Fortune on Red Wing Collabs and When to Pull Back on Customization Goods & Services' Rory Fortune on Red Wing Collabs and When to Pull Back on Customization This week on the Shoecast we’re bringing back Rory Fortune, founder of Los Angeles-based Goods & Services, which continues to be one of the most interesting footwear operations out there. 

We had Rory on back in 2024, and with the Goods & Services business and product range expanding like crazy, it seemed high time to get a closer look at exactly how Rory and team convert sneakers to a resoleable welted construction—yes the video version of this episode is up on Youtube—and catch up on plenty more. 

How is the role of the modern footwear designer misunderstood? What’s going on in a rapidly shifting sneaker culture? How’d a collaboration with Red Wing lead to rethinking the Postman shoe? When does a workshop founded on customization need to pull back on it—and does that hinder creativity? How do you find and train the people needed to grow that workshop? And why won’t Rory customize your Birkenstocks, right now?

https://shopgoodsandservices.com/

]]> This week on the Shoecast we’re bringing back Rory Fortune, founder of Los Angeles-based Goods & Services, which continues to be one of the most interesting footwear operations out there. 

We had Rory on back in 2024, and with the Goods & Services business and product range expanding like crazy, it seemed high time to get a closer look at exactly how Rory and team convert sneakers to a resoleable welted construction—yes the video version of this episode is up on Youtube—and catch up on plenty more. 

How is the role of the modern footwear designer misunderstood? What’s going on in a rapidly shifting sneaker culture? How’d a collaboration with Red Wing lead to rethinking the Postman shoe? When does a workshop founded on customization need to pull back on it—and does that hinder creativity? How do you find and train the people needed to grow that workshop? And why won’t Rory customize your Birkenstocks, right now?

https://shopgoodsandservices.com/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18902700 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400 4474 17 7 full true Bespoke Cowboy Bootmaker Zephan Parker's Formula to Keep Craft Alive Bespoke Cowboy Bootmaker Zephan Parker's Formula to Keep Craft Alive How do we keep craft alive in an over-technological society? Is it via the individual maker? Or more of a collective workshop approach? 

Houston-based bespoke cowboy bootmaker Zephan Parker has plenty of thoughts on all of it. 

Zephan used to write graffiti and listen to hip hop while wearing Ralph Lauren. Now he runs a custom bespoke cowboy boot workshop in Houston, Texas. All those things, it turns out, are very connected. I swear. 

Zephan and I get into plenty on this one, including their entire range of offerings, how the absence of design leads to the magnification of character, how Parker Boot Company is nailing the fit on $20k custom gator skin boots via remote measuring, regional differences in Texas cowboy boots, just how incredibly different running a business is from making things, and plenty more.

https://zephanparker.com/

]]> How do we keep craft alive in an over-technological society? Is it via the individual maker? Or more of a collective workshop approach? 

Houston-based bespoke cowboy bootmaker Zephan Parker has plenty of thoughts on all of it. 

Zephan used to write graffiti and listen to hip hop while wearing Ralph Lauren. Now he runs a custom bespoke cowboy boot workshop in Houston, Texas. All those things, it turns out, are very connected. I swear. 

Zephan and I get into plenty on this one, including their entire range of offerings, how the absence of design leads to the magnification of character, how Parker Boot Company is nailing the fit on $20k custom gator skin boots via remote measuring, regional differences in Texas cowboy boots, just how incredibly different running a business is from making things, and plenty more.

https://zephanparker.com/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18855544 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400 4375 17 6 full false The Artistically Twisting Journey of Brooklyn's Bespoke Shoemaker, Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé The Artistically Twisting Journey of Brooklyn's Bespoke Shoemaker, Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé My chat this week is with Brooklyn -based bespoke shoemaker, educator, and artist Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé, aka STIEFELwerk. 

Two decades ago, Marika came at shoemaking from a fine arts background, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s seen her work. After years learning the craft under many of the great shoe and bookmaking teachers, today Marika focuses on the use of veg-tan leather—often from the wholly unique Hudson Valley tannery Pergamena—to create hugely intriguing and distinctive custom, filly handmade footwear from her Brooklyn apartment-turned-workshop. 

In the chat, we get into Marika showing up at her first-ever shoemaking with her entire arm in a cast; the critical importance of the shoemaking community exchanging knowledge that ISN’T written in books; her own teaching at RISD, Parson, and FIT and why it’s allowed her to keep making shoes; the joy of carving her own lasts; and the importance of always saying yes, even when it really feels like you should say no. 

Here’s Marika, on the Shoecast. 

]]> My chat this week is with Brooklyn -based bespoke shoemaker, educator, and artist Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé, aka STIEFELwerk. 

Two decades ago, Marika came at shoemaking from a fine arts background, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s seen her work. After years learning the craft under many of the great shoe and bookmaking teachers, today Marika focuses on the use of veg-tan leather—often from the wholly unique Hudson Valley tannery Pergamena—to create hugely intriguing and distinctive custom, filly handmade footwear from her Brooklyn apartment-turned-workshop. 

In the chat, we get into Marika showing up at her first-ever shoemaking with her entire arm in a cast; the critical importance of the shoemaking community exchanging knowledge that ISN’T written in books; her own teaching at RISD, Parson, and FIT and why it’s allowed her to keep making shoes; the joy of carving her own lasts; and the importance of always saying yes, even when it really feels like you should say no. 

Here’s Marika, on the Shoecast. 

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18831502 Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400 4188 17 5 full false Vintage Boot Wishlists and Reconsidering Tassel Loafers: It's Ticho on the Shoebag! Vintage Boot Wishlists and Reconsidering Tassel Loafers: It's Ticho on the Shoebag! It's Shoebag time for Shoecast season 17. Which means it's time for a serious dose of Ticho, who joins me to unpack all the biggest listener questions.

Why are we both suddenly wearing the same barefoot-style shoes nonstop? Which iconic footwear figure from the past (aka, dead) would we love to spend a weekend in a deeply isolated cabin with? Why do we have so much ennui generated by hiker-derived fashionshoes? How in the world does someone size up a leather jacket properly? Who's this JohnnyWorks guy and what's going on in his workshop? Is Ben actually turning into a suburban cowboy or is it all just a clever ruse? What are our favorite Aldens that are STILL our favorite Aldens?

And did we maybe, juuuuuuust maybe, get tassel loafers all wrong?

]]> It's Shoebag time for Shoecast season 17. Which means it's time for a serious dose of Ticho, who joins me to unpack all the biggest listener questions.

Why are we both suddenly wearing the same barefoot-style shoes nonstop? Which iconic footwear figure from the past (aka, dead) would we love to spend a weekend in a deeply isolated cabin with? Why do we have so much ennui generated by hiker-derived fashionshoes? How in the world does someone size up a leather jacket properly? Who's this JohnnyWorks guy and what's going on in his workshop? Is Ben actually turning into a suburban cowboy or is it all just a clever ruse? What are our favorite Aldens that are STILL our favorite Aldens?

And did we maybe, juuuuuuust maybe, get tassel loafers all wrong?

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18781619 Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500 4254 17 4 full true Why Making Things By Hand Has Never Been More Important, w/ Cowboy Bootmaker Emily Boksenbaum Why Making Things By Hand Has Never Been More Important, w/ Cowboy Bootmaker Emily Boksenbaum When I met Emily Boksenbaum at our Maker’s Day 2025 conference in Chicago, I knew I had to get her on the Shoecast.

Emily’s always made stuff. First it was art growing up, which led to a focus on fiber material studies in art school. Next came leather tooling, prop-making and other “creative odd jobs,” before going into corporate footwear design. That didn’t quite hit for her, which meant it was finally time to figure out how to make some cowboy boots. After training under some of the great makers and teachers in the space, she moved to Boulder, Colorado to open a custom boot shop dubbed Underhill Leather out of her garage, which she shares with one of our favorite former Shoecast guests, fellow cowboy bootmaker Holly Henry.

This one goes ALL sorts of places, as Emily gets deep into navigating different materials, machinery, and mindsets; the emotional and dare we say metaphysical layers of creation; that time she woke up to flood of DMs from eager customers thanks to a bass guitarist who loved her boots; and what it means to be a maker in a world that’s forgotten how to make things.

Oh and Zagnuts! Of course we got into Zagnuts.

Here’s Emily Boksenbaum, on the Shoecast

]]> When I met Emily Boksenbaum at our Maker’s Day 2025 conference in Chicago, I knew I had to get her on the Shoecast.

Emily’s always made stuff. First it was art growing up, which led to a focus on fiber material studies in art school. Next came leather tooling, prop-making and other “creative odd jobs,” before going into corporate footwear design. That didn’t quite hit for her, which meant it was finally time to figure out how to make some cowboy boots. After training under some of the great makers and teachers in the space, she moved to Boulder, Colorado to open a custom boot shop dubbed Underhill Leather out of her garage, which she shares with one of our favorite former Shoecast guests, fellow cowboy bootmaker Holly Henry.

This one goes ALL sorts of places, as Emily gets deep into navigating different materials, machinery, and mindsets; the emotional and dare we say metaphysical layers of creation; that time she woke up to flood of DMs from eager customers thanks to a bass guitarist who loved her boots; and what it means to be a maker in a world that’s forgotten how to make things.

Oh and Zagnuts! Of course we got into Zagnuts.

Here’s Emily Boksenbaum, on the Shoecast

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18747867 Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:00:00 -0500 5244 17 3 full true Why It’s Harder Than Ever to Start a Shoe Brand, w/ the Shoe Snob Justin FitzPatrick Why It’s Harder Than Ever to Start a Shoe Brand, w/ the Shoe Snob Justin FitzPatrick Justin FitzPatrick aka the Shoe Snob on fiery times in the comments section, what a dress shoe customer even looks like in 2026, button boots (obviously), and why it’s never been harder to start a shoe brand than right now. 

https://theshoesnobblog.com/

https://www.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com/

]]> Justin FitzPatrick aka the Shoe Snob on fiery times in the comments section, what a dress shoe customer even looks like in 2026, button boots (obviously), and why it’s never been harder to start a shoe brand than right now. 

https://theshoesnobblog.com/

https://www.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18704969 Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500 5269 17 2 full true Skip Horween & Nicks Boots' Shuyler Mowe—Live from Boot Camp Chicago 2025 Skip Horween & Nicks Boots' Shuyler Mowe—Live from Boot Camp Chicago 2025 In November 2025, we did a thing. Stitchdown’s Boot Camp 2025 Chicago was a quality footwear mega-expo, a materials trade show, a crossroads of the industry we love, and one big ol’ multi-day party with my favorite community in the world. 

As part of that weekend in Chicago, I sat down with Shuyler Mowe of Nicks Boots and the one and only Skip Horween for a live Shoecast taping at the excellent Hoste distillery. 

Skip and Shuyler are both multi-generational leaders in their spaces, and getting them to open up about how they work together to develop products, challenges the overlapping industries are facing, and some fun stories from the tannery was about as enjoyable as way to spend a night as I could imagine. So here’s our chat, with some attendees questions as the end. 

Also! We’re coming back to Chicago in 2026! Mark your calendar for November 6th and 7th for Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the same event but EVEN BETTER with a slight rebrand thrown in—at Artifact Events. Can’t wait to see you there. 

Here’s Skip and Shuyler, on the Shoecast. 

https://www.stitchdownbootcamp.com/

]]> In November 2025, we did a thing. Stitchdown’s Boot Camp 2025 Chicago was a quality footwear mega-expo, a materials trade show, a crossroads of the industry we love, and one big ol’ multi-day party with my favorite community in the world. 

As part of that weekend in Chicago, I sat down with Shuyler Mowe of Nicks Boots and the one and only Skip Horween for a live Shoecast taping at the excellent Hoste distillery. 

Skip and Shuyler are both multi-generational leaders in their spaces, and getting them to open up about how they work together to develop products, challenges the overlapping industries are facing, and some fun stories from the tannery was about as enjoyable as way to spend a night as I could imagine. So here’s our chat, with some attendees questions as the end. 

Also! We’re coming back to Chicago in 2026! Mark your calendar for November 6th and 7th for Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the same event but EVEN BETTER with a slight rebrand thrown in—at Artifact Events. Can’t wait to see you there. 

Here’s Skip and Shuyler, on the Shoecast. 

https://www.stitchdownbootcamp.com/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18655241 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0500 3063 17 1 full false Franklin & Poe's Andrew Li on Where Retail's Going, Malls, and The Perfect White Tee Franklin & Poe's Andrew Li on Where Retail's Going, Malls, and The Perfect White Tee My chat this week is with Andrew Li of Philadelphia’s Franklin & Poe, one of the best shops in the US for serious quality footwear, denim, and more.

I got to know Andrew over the last few years the old fashioned way—seeing him in person, sitting down, and chatting entirely too deeply about some boots and shoes and denim. Which is pretty much exactly what Andrew and team have done every day since 2016 with customers in Philly’s Fishtown neighborhood, both at their original location and the new shop they had opened only days before we taped this episode.

On the episode, Andrew and I chatted about that dedication not just to customer service but also creating a place for enthusiasts to find a real community, how to build out a top notch footwear brand list, the quest for a perfect white t-shirt, where brick & mortar retail is going and how it might thrive again, and his three pairs he’d keep forever if it came down to it. Oh and malls. We talk a lot about malls.

Also sandwiches. Philly does good sandwiches.

https://franklinandpoe.com/

]]> My chat this week is with Andrew Li of Philadelphia’s Franklin & Poe, one of the best shops in the US for serious quality footwear, denim, and more.

I got to know Andrew over the last few years the old fashioned way—seeing him in person, sitting down, and chatting entirely too deeply about some boots and shoes and denim. Which is pretty much exactly what Andrew and team have done every day since 2016 with customers in Philly’s Fishtown neighborhood, both at their original location and the new shop they had opened only days before we taped this episode.

On the episode, Andrew and I chatted about that dedication not just to customer service but also creating a place for enthusiasts to find a real community, how to build out a top notch footwear brand list, the quest for a perfect white t-shirt, where brick & mortar retail is going and how it might thrive again, and his three pairs he’d keep forever if it came down to it. Oh and malls. We talk a lot about malls.

Also sandwiches. Philly does good sandwiches.

https://franklinandpoe.com/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18363497 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500 3805 16 9 full true Thursday Boot Co.'s Nolan Walsh on Their Own León Factory, Last Obsessiveness, and The Comfort Question Thursday Boot Co.'s Nolan Walsh on Their Own León Factory, Last Obsessiveness, and The Comfort Question The joke has always been that Thursday Boot Company’s Connor Wilson keeps his co-founder Nolan Walsh trapped in a factory working on the product. Turns out that joke actually true—except Nolan is the one very eagerly choosing to imprison himself. 

That certainly hasn’t lessened since Thursday opened its own in-house manufacturing facility in North American bootmaking capital Leon Mexico—just 11 years after Thursday launched a Kickstarter campaign to try and sell a few boots. Pretty wild stuff.

Nolan and I pretty much cover everything in this one—the full version of the Thursday origin story that had more twists and turns than I expected, how they develop product and manage production in factories on multiple continents around the idea of supply chain centricity, Nolan’s quality control mania, their online marketing you may or may not have seen, and how in the world, after more than a decade in business, their core product is still only $199. 

And yes, of course, The Poron Question. Obviously we did that. 

https://thursdayboots.com/

]]> The joke has always been that Thursday Boot Company’s Connor Wilson keeps his co-founder Nolan Walsh trapped in a factory working on the product. Turns out that joke actually true—except Nolan is the one very eagerly choosing to imprison himself. 

That certainly hasn’t lessened since Thursday opened its own in-house manufacturing facility in North American bootmaking capital Leon Mexico—just 11 years after Thursday launched a Kickstarter campaign to try and sell a few boots. Pretty wild stuff.

Nolan and I pretty much cover everything in this one—the full version of the Thursday origin story that had more twists and turns than I expected, how they develop product and manage production in factories on multiple continents around the idea of supply chain centricity, Nolan’s quality control mania, their online marketing you may or may not have seen, and how in the world, after more than a decade in business, their core product is still only $199. 

And yes, of course, The Poron Question. Obviously we did that. 

https://thursdayboots.com/

]]> Buzzsprout-18330719 Wed, 10 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500 5110 16 8 full true Shoebag w/ Ticho: The Best Shoemaking Teachers, Arch Support, and a LOT of Butter Shoebag w/ Ticho: The Best Shoemaking Teachers, Arch Support, and a LOT of Butter If you came to this podcast about shoes and boots and leather hoping that you’d get to listen to extended conversations about imported cultured butter, you’ve made a fantastic call. 

Because this, dear listeners, is the Shoebag, in which myself and the legend they know as Tichoblanco answer listener questions about roughout Chelsea boots, arch support in surprising lasts, who we want to teach us to make boots…and imported cultured butter. 

And burritos. And bagels! And diners. And waffles, which were totally unrelated to the diner conversation. And, New Jersey Costco gas station Rod Stewart. It’ll all make sense, I promise. 

]]> If you came to this podcast about shoes and boots and leather hoping that you’d get to listen to extended conversations about imported cultured butter, you’ve made a fantastic call. 

Because this, dear listeners, is the Shoebag, in which myself and the legend they know as Tichoblanco answer listener questions about roughout Chelsea boots, arch support in surprising lasts, who we want to teach us to make boots…and imported cultured butter. 

And burritos. And bagels! And diners. And waffles, which were totally unrelated to the diner conversation. And, New Jersey Costco gas station Rod Stewart. It’ll all make sense, I promise. 

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18252232 Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0500 4757 16 7 full true How to Revive The Cobbling Industry? Teach it in High School—and it's Already Working. How to Revive The Cobbling Industry? Teach it in High School—and it's Already Working. This past fall, Matt Paisley launched a shoe repair program at Colorado's Thunder Ridge high school, with nearly two dozen students taking the plunge and immediately being drawn into the program, skill development, and practical hands-on cobbling work. 

I had Matt lay out a blueprint for how he navigated making the shoe repair program happen, and the curriculum he’s been teaching in the first, legitimately monumental go-round. 

The fact that Matt’s program exists is a wonderful and inspiring story on its own—as is all the remarkable help that’s been offered by the repair and quality footwear community. But potential for Matt’s idea and approach to spread to other schools is what makes this, in my humble estimation, one of the most important episodes we’ve ever published. 

Here’s Matt Paisley, the guy who lit the spark that just might fix a broken shoe repair pipeline, on the Shoecast. 

]]> This past fall, Matt Paisley launched a shoe repair program at Colorado's Thunder Ridge high school, with nearly two dozen students taking the plunge and immediately being drawn into the program, skill development, and practical hands-on cobbling work. 

I had Matt lay out a blueprint for how he navigated making the shoe repair program happen, and the curriculum he’s been teaching in the first, legitimately monumental go-round. 

The fact that Matt’s program exists is a wonderful and inspiring story on its own—as is all the remarkable help that’s been offered by the repair and quality footwear community. But potential for Matt’s idea and approach to spread to other schools is what makes this, in my humble estimation, one of the most important episodes we’ve ever published. 

Here’s Matt Paisley, the guy who lit the spark that just might fix a broken shoe repair pipeline, on the Shoecast. 

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18105045 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0400 4534 16 5 full true SERES Founder Vanessa Arroyo on León, Mexico's Remarkable Shoemaking Culture SERES Founder Vanessa Arroyo on León, Mexico's Remarkable Shoemaking Culture My chat this week is with Vanessa Arroyo, founder and designer of SERES Footwear, a focused line designed from the ground up with high-quality natural materials in a way that’s not often seen in the women’s space.

Once known as “the weird girl in high school making her own clothes” and thrown into shoemaking almost by chance, Vanessa fell in love with the art and craft of shoemaking between New York City, Chicago, and Leon Mexico, where she found unexpected meaning in her Mexican-American heritage—and sometimes had to stop working when it was raining too hard (you'll see what she means, I kinda love that part).

As she walks us through the cobblestone streets of León, Vanessa paints a vivid picture of a shoemaking community bound by heart, heritage, and hands-on artistry. We explore how that local ecosystem fuels creativity, what might be lost as manufacturing drifts further overseas, eand how working within constraints can actually sharpen a design process.

I’m also hugely excited and quite honored to have SERES as our first-ever exclusively women’s-focused brand at our Stitchdown’s Boot Camp Chicago quality footwear expo on November 8th, 2025—if you’re reading this before then, trust me, GET YOURSELF TO CHICAGO, you won’t be disappointed by what Vanessa and our other 45 vendors have to showcase.

]]> My chat this week is with Vanessa Arroyo, founder and designer of SERES Footwear, a focused line designed from the ground up with high-quality natural materials in a way that’s not often seen in the women’s space.

Once known as “the weird girl in high school making her own clothes” and thrown into shoemaking almost by chance, Vanessa fell in love with the art and craft of shoemaking between New York City, Chicago, and Leon Mexico, where she found unexpected meaning in her Mexican-American heritage—and sometimes had to stop working when it was raining too hard (you'll see what she means, I kinda love that part).

As she walks us through the cobblestone streets of León, Vanessa paints a vivid picture of a shoemaking community bound by heart, heritage, and hands-on artistry. We explore how that local ecosystem fuels creativity, what might be lost as manufacturing drifts further overseas, eand how working within constraints can actually sharpen a design process.

I’m also hugely excited and quite honored to have SERES as our first-ever exclusively women’s-focused brand at our Stitchdown’s Boot Camp Chicago quality footwear expo on November 8th, 2025—if you’re reading this before then, trust me, GET YOURSELF TO CHICAGO, you won’t be disappointed by what Vanessa and our other 45 vendors have to showcase.

]]> Buzzsprout-18069220 Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0400 4667 16 4 full true Sprezza's Clayton Chambers on Timeless Loafers, Gorpy Boots, and Quality Sprezza's Clayton Chambers on Timeless Loafers, Gorpy Boots, and Quality This week on the Shoecast our chat is with Clayton Chambers, founder of the Substack newsletter Sprezza and general menswear individual about the world. 

After running through the footwear signposts in his own life, from churchboy penny loafers to the Clark’s Wallabees he just can’t quit, Clayton digs in on footwear brands in and outside the welted space he’s really feeling, the rise of menswear brand- and product line-building done the slow and steady way, and why the younger generation might just be the unlock to a more widespread quality revival. 

https://www.sprezza.xyz/

https://www.instagram.com/sprezza__/

https://www.instagram.com/clayton.chambrs/

]]> This week on the Shoecast our chat is with Clayton Chambers, founder of the Substack newsletter Sprezza and general menswear individual about the world. 

After running through the footwear signposts in his own life, from churchboy penny loafers to the Clark’s Wallabees he just can’t quit, Clayton digs in on footwear brands in and outside the welted space he’s really feeling, the rise of menswear brand- and product line-building done the slow and steady way, and why the younger generation might just be the unlock to a more widespread quality revival. 

https://www.sprezza.xyz/

https://www.instagram.com/sprezza__/

https://www.instagram.com/clayton.chambrs/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-18027661 Fri, 17 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0400 2735 16 3 full true Ticho is BACK to Talk Østmo x Iron Boots' Lore—and Next Step Ticho is BACK to Talk Østmo x Iron Boots' Lore—and Next Step The one and only Tichoblanco, aka Tichoblancoshoes, aka just plain old Ticho, is BACK. 

Where’s he been?Well he’ll tell ya all about that. What’s he been up to? The biggest answer to that is: happily grinding on his Østmo x Iron Boots project along with Cheng and Kai from Iron Boots, and Østmo boots mad genius maker Lars Jensen. 

Lars was actually our first-ever guest on this show, back at a time when he was still making any boot he wanted, in any size, and any leather, and getting hundreds of people to enter a lottery for it. The power of Lars.

Ticho’s here to recount his personal story of meeting Lars even before all THAT, and how their pan-oceanic friendship eventually birthed one of the cooler and most unique ongoing collaborations out there anywhere—which is about to hit an entirely new level, one you’ll be able to see up close at Boot Camp 2025 Chicago this November. Yes we’ll talk about that too. 

Here’s the man they call Tichoblanco, on the Shoecast. 

]]> The one and only Tichoblanco, aka Tichoblancoshoes, aka just plain old Ticho, is BACK. 

Where’s he been?Well he’ll tell ya all about that. What’s he been up to? The biggest answer to that is: happily grinding on his Østmo x Iron Boots project along with Cheng and Kai from Iron Boots, and Østmo boots mad genius maker Lars Jensen. 

Lars was actually our first-ever guest on this show, back at a time when he was still making any boot he wanted, in any size, and any leather, and getting hundreds of people to enter a lottery for it. The power of Lars.

Ticho’s here to recount his personal story of meeting Lars even before all THAT, and how their pan-oceanic friendship eventually birthed one of the cooler and most unique ongoing collaborations out there anywhere—which is about to hit an entirely new level, one you’ll be able to see up close at Boot Camp 2025 Chicago this November. Yes we’ll talk about that too. 

Here’s the man they call Tichoblanco, on the Shoecast. 

]]> Buzzsprout-17970137 Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0400 4570 16 2 full true Boot Camp 2025 Chicago: Exhibitors + Events Rundown Boot Camp 2025 Chicago: Exhibitors + Events Rundown In part two of a tag-team with the Full Grain Podcast, the ever-handsome/charming Phil Kalas grills Ben on what to expect at Stitchdown's Boot Camp Chicago 2025 mega-expo and footwear-loving community epicenter this November. 

Japanese and Indonesian boot brands? Tanneries galore? Truly excellent women's footwear? The world's best care products? Red Wing & SB Foot??? Yes indeed. And oh so much more. 

Wherever you are in this world, do everything you can to get to Chicago on and around November 8th, 2025—you really, really won't hate it. 

https://www.stitchdownbootcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/fullgrainpodcast/

]]> In part two of a tag-team with the Full Grain Podcast, the ever-handsome/charming Phil Kalas grills Ben on what to expect at Stitchdown's Boot Camp Chicago 2025 mega-expo and footwear-loving community epicenter this November. 

Japanese and Indonesian boot brands? Tanneries galore? Truly excellent women's footwear? The world's best care products? Red Wing & SB Foot??? Yes indeed. And oh so much more. 

Wherever you are in this world, do everything you can to get to Chicago on and around November 8th, 2025—you really, really won't hate it. 

https://www.stitchdownbootcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/fullgrainpodcast/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-17933842 Tue, 30 Sep 2025 14:00:00 -0400 4912 16 1 full true Brett Viberg Community Q&A at the Viberg NYC Shop Brett Viberg Community Q&A at the Viberg NYC Shop Last week we had our Stitchdown community's first gathering at the new Viberg NYC store—an honestly fabulous-looking little shop in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood that’s full of  Viberg’s core classic product like stitchdown 2030 and 310 last service boots, but also the loafers and monk straps and split-toe derbies that represent a wholly new—and often confounding for longtime fans—direction for the 94 year old Canadian manufacturer.

Amidst the excellent chatter and beers and everyone trying on seemingly every shoe in the shop, we hosted an audience Q&A with Brett Viberg, who gave a ton of insight on everything from how Viberg’s ended up where it is, who Brett sees as the core customer today and going forward, what leathers we might be seeing coming down the line, how his relentless development process functions, and plenty more. 

]]> Last week we had our Stitchdown community's first gathering at the new Viberg NYC store—an honestly fabulous-looking little shop in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood that’s full of  Viberg’s core classic product like stitchdown 2030 and 310 last service boots, but also the loafers and monk straps and split-toe derbies that represent a wholly new—and often confounding for longtime fans—direction for the 94 year old Canadian manufacturer.

Amidst the excellent chatter and beers and everyone trying on seemingly every shoe in the shop, we hosted an audience Q&A with Brett Viberg, who gave a ton of insight on everything from how Viberg’s ended up where it is, who Brett sees as the core customer today and going forward, what leathers we might be seeing coming down the line, how his relentless development process functions, and plenty more. 

]]> Buzzsprout-17697240 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2686 full true BONUS: A Look Inside China with Motiv & Arch Support Project's Samuel Wei BONUS: A Look Inside China with Motiv & Arch Support Project's Samuel Wei Jason Pecarich of Division Road and Motiv/Arch Support Project co-founder Samuel Wei came on to discuss ASP's legitimately unique approach to footwear, how Motiv broke through Division Road’s no-China policy, and how Chinese customers are finding themselves more drawn towards high-quality heritage products. 

Also: the ways tariffs are affecting Chinese brands from an export and domestic standpoint, and why certain special Chinese products might reasonably cost as much as things made elsewhere. 

More than any episode we’ve published, this one offers an uncommon look inside the Chinese economy, mindset, and evolving relationship with quality. 

I also really loved this quote from Samuel:

“Right now the heritage market is half western- and half Japanese-influenced. For a Chinese player to enter that world, I think I need a new angle. So what can I do to have a share in that market? I have to do something really original.”

For Motiv and Arch Support, heritage is more of a method—certain standard of doing things. I think we can always re-arrange the forms to create something that meets the quality of the heritage world—but something very new, something people haven’t seen before. Our products look a little bit different, but somehow they still share some languages with the heritage world.

I really want to push the boundaries of defining heritage. For us, it’s the principles of the craft,  but not necessarily in nostalgic form.” 

https://divisionroadinc.com/collections/arch-support-project

https://divisionroadinc.com/collections/motivmfg

https://www.motivmfg.com/

]]> Jason Pecarich of Division Road and Motiv/Arch Support Project co-founder Samuel Wei came on to discuss ASP's legitimately unique approach to footwear, how Motiv broke through Division Road’s no-China policy, and how Chinese customers are finding themselves more drawn towards high-quality heritage products. 

Also: the ways tariffs are affecting Chinese brands from an export and domestic standpoint, and why certain special Chinese products might reasonably cost as much as things made elsewhere. 

More than any episode we’ve published, this one offers an uncommon look inside the Chinese economy, mindset, and evolving relationship with quality. 

I also really loved this quote from Samuel:

“Right now the heritage market is half western- and half Japanese-influenced. For a Chinese player to enter that world, I think I need a new angle. So what can I do to have a share in that market? I have to do something really original.”

For Motiv and Arch Support, heritage is more of a method—certain standard of doing things. I think we can always re-arrange the forms to create something that meets the quality of the heritage world—but something very new, something people haven’t seen before. Our products look a little bit different, but somehow they still share some languages with the heritage world.

I really want to push the boundaries of defining heritage. For us, it’s the principles of the craft,  but not necessarily in nostalgic form.” 

https://divisionroadinc.com/collections/arch-support-project

https://divisionroadinc.com/collections/motivmfg

https://www.motivmfg.com/

]]> Buzzsprout-17664961 Wed, 13 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0400 3027 full false How Japan's Astounding Bootmaking Culture Grew—And Where It's Going How Japan's Astounding Bootmaking Culture Grew—And Where It's Going It’s not a stretch to say there is no quality footwear culture quite like Japan’s. But WHY does the Japanese passion for making and wearing great boot and shoes  exist?

Well, I had to go to Tokyo to find out. 

As the final piece of our five-part Sole Searching: Tokyo YouTube series, I sat down with Michiya Suzuki—ex-Red Wing Japan GM and co-founder of The 2 Monkeys boot brand—to crack it open. 

Turns out, it’s part Americana, part rebellion, and part deep cultural reverence for craft. 

Michiya walked me through how Red Wing became a fashion staple in Japan, how the iconic Iron Ranger boot came to life, and why today’s Tokyo bootmakers are blending spade-shaped soles, Goodyear welts, and wild originality into something entirely new. 

We also got did a bit of unraveling of Japan’s essential shoemaking web—everyone from nail makers, to hand-stitchers still doing it the slow, stubborn way. And why, even as the old guard fades, Michiya’s betting that a few brave passionates will lace up and keep the tradition kicking. 

You can also watch this interview on our @stitchdown YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwfAV6KoUC0

]]> It’s not a stretch to say there is no quality footwear culture quite like Japan’s. But WHY does the Japanese passion for making and wearing great boot and shoes  exist?

Well, I had to go to Tokyo to find out. 

As the final piece of our five-part Sole Searching: Tokyo YouTube series, I sat down with Michiya Suzuki—ex-Red Wing Japan GM and co-founder of The 2 Monkeys boot brand—to crack it open. 

Turns out, it’s part Americana, part rebellion, and part deep cultural reverence for craft. 

Michiya walked me through how Red Wing became a fashion staple in Japan, how the iconic Iron Ranger boot came to life, and why today’s Tokyo bootmakers are blending spade-shaped soles, Goodyear welts, and wild originality into something entirely new. 

We also got did a bit of unraveling of Japan’s essential shoemaking web—everyone from nail makers, to hand-stitchers still doing it the slow, stubborn way. And why, even as the old guard fades, Michiya’s betting that a few brave passionates will lace up and keep the tradition kicking. 

You can also watch this interview on our @stitchdown YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwfAV6KoUC0

]]> Buzzsprout-17618051 Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400 1783 full false BONUS: How to Clean, Condition, and Polish Shell Cordovan Shoes and Boots BONUS: How to Clean, Condition, and Polish Shell Cordovan Shoes and Boots Shell cordovan! That most hallowed of footwear leathers—and one of the most worried-about when it comes to care. But it shouldn't be, according to Pure Polish's Andy Vaughn, our resident leather-care whisperer. 

In this Shoecast bonus episode, Andy breaks down the basics, starting with one of his golden rules: how to clean shell, which is crucial just generally, and for setting up the next steps. We also talked through the art of the mirror shine (it’s slower than you want it to be), how shell behaves like its own species, and why less is usually more when it comes to product. If you’ve ever stared at your shell cordovan shoes and thought, “am I about to mess these up?”, now you most certainly won't.

https://www.purepolishproducts.com/

]]> Shell cordovan! That most hallowed of footwear leathers—and one of the most worried-about when it comes to care. But it shouldn't be, according to Pure Polish's Andy Vaughn, our resident leather-care whisperer. 

In this Shoecast bonus episode, Andy breaks down the basics, starting with one of his golden rules: how to clean shell, which is crucial just generally, and for setting up the next steps. We also talked through the art of the mirror shine (it’s slower than you want it to be), how shell behaves like its own species, and why less is usually more when it comes to product. If you’ve ever stared at your shell cordovan shoes and thought, “am I about to mess these up?”, now you most certainly won't.

https://www.purepolishproducts.com/

]]> Buzzsprout-17587447 Wed, 30 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2343 full false How to Do YouTube Product Reviews Without Losing Your Soul, with The Iron Snail How to Do YouTube Product Reviews Without Losing Your Soul, with The Iron Snail The Iron Snail, aka Michael Kristy, is one of my favorite YouTube inhabitants, thanks to his legitimately unique approach to reviewing, historicizing, and manufacturing crazily high-quality footwear and clothing. 

I sat down with Michael to chat about his favorite historical nuggets from the footwear he's covered, how he manages to deliver accurate information in a world that often lacks it, where his collaborative footwear projects are going, how damn hard small-scale quality manufacturing is in the US (and basically anywhere), and how and why people start caring about expensive stuff that's actually made the right way.


https://www.youtube.com/@TheIronSnail

https://theironsnail.us/

]]> The Iron Snail, aka Michael Kristy, is one of my favorite YouTube inhabitants, thanks to his legitimately unique approach to reviewing, historicizing, and manufacturing crazily high-quality footwear and clothing. 

I sat down with Michael to chat about his favorite historical nuggets from the footwear he's covered, how he manages to deliver accurate information in a world that often lacks it, where his collaborative footwear projects are going, how damn hard small-scale quality manufacturing is in the US (and basically anywhere), and how and why people start caring about expensive stuff that's actually made the right way.


https://www.youtube.com/@TheIronSnail

https://theironsnail.us/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-17429523 Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400 5209 15 8 full true Developing Leather for Red Wing and More with SB Foot's Lacy Schumann Developing Leather for Red Wing and More with SB Foot's Lacy Schumann Since 1986, SB Foot Tanning Company is most known as the tannery owned by Red Wing, and with good reason: every bit of leather used on Red Wing Heritage footwear is developed and made by SB Foot just a few miles from Red Wing’s US manufacturing facility.

But the tannery itself and its relationship with Red Wing stretch much further back—to the late 1800s. And SB Foot creates leather for far more than just its neighbor in Red Wing, Minnesota—everyone from solo makers, to Russell Moccasin, to the US military.

Lacy Schumann has spent her last five years developing leather for SB Foot. Maybe Lacy was always supposed to make leather—she did grow up on a beef farm—but it took a veer away from a career in the art world to get her there.

I absolutely loved this chat with Lacy, who takes me through SB Foot history 101, what leather development at SB Foot entails (along with the nonstop interactions with Red Wing’s development team), how hard it is to accurately color leather—and let’s not even get started on truly waterproofing the stuff—why she’s in total roughout mode right now, and plenty more.

Mentioned in the episode:

The Tannery & The Shoe: A Deep Look Inside The Red Wing & SB Foot Factories, by Josh Bornstein

https://www.stitchdown.com/brands/red-wing-boots-and-shoes/red-wing-shoes-sb-foot-factory-visit/


]]> Since 1986, SB Foot Tanning Company is most known as the tannery owned by Red Wing, and with good reason: every bit of leather used on Red Wing Heritage footwear is developed and made by SB Foot just a few miles from Red Wing’s US manufacturing facility.

But the tannery itself and its relationship with Red Wing stretch much further back—to the late 1800s. And SB Foot creates leather for far more than just its neighbor in Red Wing, Minnesota—everyone from solo makers, to Russell Moccasin, to the US military.

Lacy Schumann has spent her last five years developing leather for SB Foot. Maybe Lacy was always supposed to make leather—she did grow up on a beef farm—but it took a veer away from a career in the art world to get her there.

I absolutely loved this chat with Lacy, who takes me through SB Foot history 101, what leather development at SB Foot entails (along with the nonstop interactions with Red Wing’s development team), how hard it is to accurately color leather—and let’s not even get started on truly waterproofing the stuff—why she’s in total roughout mode right now, and plenty more.

Mentioned in the episode:

The Tannery & The Shoe: A Deep Look Inside The Red Wing & SB Foot Factories, by Josh Bornstein

https://www.stitchdown.com/brands/red-wing-boots-and-shoes/red-wing-shoes-sb-foot-factory-visit/


]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-17357421 Wed, 18 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0400 5181 15 7 full false BONUS: Shop Talk with Horween's John Culliton and Grant Stone Founder Wyatt Gilmore BONUS: Shop Talk with Horween's John Culliton and Grant Stone Founder Wyatt Gilmore Horween Leather Co. and The Tannery Row everything-man John Culliton and Grant Stone founder Wyatt Gilmore stopped by the Shoecast for another bonus Shop Talk episode—where each guest gets to ask any three questions, and the other guest HAS to answer. 

Which this time, led to a wonderfully insightful chat about, how the leather supply chain has shifted and in some ways gotten worse, the dangers of discounting a premium product and where that road ends, how to keep customers (and how to handle when they leave), and why family affairs tend to equal great products.

]]> Horween Leather Co. and The Tannery Row everything-man John Culliton and Grant Stone founder Wyatt Gilmore stopped by the Shoecast for another bonus Shop Talk episode—where each guest gets to ask any three questions, and the other guest HAS to answer. 

Which this time, led to a wonderfully insightful chat about, how the leather supply chain has shifted and in some ways gotten worse, the dangers of discounting a premium product and where that road ends, how to keep customers (and how to handle when they leave), and why family affairs tend to equal great products.

]]> Buzzsprout-17248696 Fri, 30 May 2025 08:00:00 -0400 2889 full true Custom Cowboy Bootmaker Jake Houston on Preserving Knowledge, León Mexico, and Zebra Races Custom Cowboy Bootmaker Jake Houston on Preserving Knowledge, León Mexico, and Zebra Races About a half hour from Reno, there’s a place called Virginia City Nevada, where everything feels like it’s 1859 and the US’s largest silver deposit was just discovered. The bars say saloon and look the part. The cemetery is definitely haunted. And of course there’s a custom hatmaker—who shares a space in one of Virgnia City’s oldest surviving buildings with bespoke cowboy bootmaker Jake Houston. 

Jake Houston wasn’t the first person to fall victim to the wonderful folly of “the boots I want are too expensive, so I’ll just figure out how to make them.” One Lisa Sorrell DVD set, a few rodeos, and over a decade later, Jake has put together an impressively well-rounded business in Virginia City, making fully custom cowboy boots, while also finding vintage pairs to sell in the shop alongside his more affordable Houston Boot Company “shelf” boots made in Leon Mexico. 

Jake and I had a fantastic chat about his bootmaking journey, the time he glued the lasts into a customers’ pair, the half-decade path to get those shelf boots manufactured, his insistence on sharing his bootmaking knowledge—for free—and why people sometimes get really, really upset when you tell them what bespoke cowboy boots cost.

Here’s Jake Houston, on the Shoecast. 

https://www.houstonbootcompany.com/

https://www.instagram.com/houstonbootco/

]]> About a half hour from Reno, there’s a place called Virginia City Nevada, where everything feels like it’s 1859 and the US’s largest silver deposit was just discovered. The bars say saloon and look the part. The cemetery is definitely haunted. And of course there’s a custom hatmaker—who shares a space in one of Virgnia City’s oldest surviving buildings with bespoke cowboy bootmaker Jake Houston. 

Jake Houston wasn’t the first person to fall victim to the wonderful folly of “the boots I want are too expensive, so I’ll just figure out how to make them.” One Lisa Sorrell DVD set, a few rodeos, and over a decade later, Jake has put together an impressively well-rounded business in Virginia City, making fully custom cowboy boots, while also finding vintage pairs to sell in the shop alongside his more affordable Houston Boot Company “shelf” boots made in Leon Mexico. 

Jake and I had a fantastic chat about his bootmaking journey, the time he glued the lasts into a customers’ pair, the half-decade path to get those shelf boots manufactured, his insistence on sharing his bootmaking knowledge—for free—and why people sometimes get really, really upset when you tell them what bespoke cowboy boots cost.

Here’s Jake Houston, on the Shoecast. 

https://www.houstonbootcompany.com/

https://www.instagram.com/houstonbootco/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-17166889 Thu, 15 May 2025 08:00:00 -0400 6299 15 4 full true Seiji McCarthy is Making Some of the World's Greatest American Bespoke Shoes—In Japan Seiji McCarthy is Making Some of the World's Greatest American Bespoke Shoes—In Japan Tokyo-based, half-American/half-Japanese Seiji McCarthy discusses his uniquely late path into shoemaking, the development of his vintage-Americana-inspired bespoke line, why he feels more American in Japan, and why it’s sometimes better if your bespoke shoemaker doesn't make your shoes entirely themselves.

https://www.seijimccarthy.com/

]]> Tokyo-based, half-American/half-Japanese Seiji McCarthy discusses his uniquely late path into shoemaking, the development of his vintage-Americana-inspired bespoke line, why he feels more American in Japan, and why it’s sometimes better if your bespoke shoemaker doesn't make your shoes entirely themselves.

https://www.seijimccarthy.com/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-17107628 Thu, 15 May 2025 08:00:00 -0400 5344 15 3 full false Is Turriff Functional Footwear Making the Best-Quality Barefoot Shoe on the Market? Is Turriff Functional Footwear Making the Best-Quality Barefoot Shoe on the Market? This week we've got a chat with Andrew Turriff, a Canadian shoemaker who studied at Cordwainer’s Footwear Design program in London, worked for some big sneaker brands, and did pattern work for fellow Canadians Viberg and time in the orthopedic world before deciding to make a zero-drop, anatomical, barefoot shoe with of top-end materials—and also make it resolable, which it’s otherwise quite tough to find. 

Turriff Functional Footwear's launch model recently became available and I’ve been wearing and loving the shoes for over a month now. Are my feet stronger? I have no idea. Am I a barefoot shoe zealot now? Nope! But I legitimately love the shoes Andrew’s created. 

Our chat that gets deep into the science behind barefoot shoes, the technical construction and design aspects of Turriff Footwear, and the shoemaking journey that provided the building blocks for what’s certainly been one of the more interesting pieces of quality footwear I’ve worn in a while. 

https://www.turriffshoes.com/

]]> This week we've got a chat with Andrew Turriff, a Canadian shoemaker who studied at Cordwainer’s Footwear Design program in London, worked for some big sneaker brands, and did pattern work for fellow Canadians Viberg and time in the orthopedic world before deciding to make a zero-drop, anatomical, barefoot shoe with of top-end materials—and also make it resolable, which it’s otherwise quite tough to find. 

Turriff Functional Footwear's launch model recently became available and I’ve been wearing and loving the shoes for over a month now. Are my feet stronger? I have no idea. Am I a barefoot shoe zealot now? Nope! But I legitimately love the shoes Andrew’s created. 

Our chat that gets deep into the science behind barefoot shoes, the technical construction and design aspects of Turriff Footwear, and the shoemaking journey that provided the building blocks for what’s certainly been one of the more interesting pieces of quality footwear I’ve worn in a while. 

https://www.turriffshoes.com/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-17064024 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0400 5794 15 2 full true How Tariffs Are Already Impacting the Footwear Industry, with FDRA CEO Matt Priest How Tariffs Are Already Impacting the Footwear Industry, with FDRA CEO Matt Priest Matt Priest, President and CEO of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, came on the Shoecast the morning after 104% tariffs on Chinese goods into the US hit in a rapidly-moving-target trade war with the United States and just about every other country. 

What ARE tariffs? How might tariffs and general uncertainty impact massive shoe brands? Smaller ones? Made-in-USA footwear? Retail prices? What's kinds of supply chain breakdowns have already happened and what might be next? How does the lobbying work that FDRA does function and benefit the footwear industry? And why is everyone suddenly really, really mad at Matt? 

]]> Matt Priest, President and CEO of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, came on the Shoecast the morning after 104% tariffs on Chinese goods into the US hit in a rapidly-moving-target trade war with the United States and just about every other country. 

What ARE tariffs? How might tariffs and general uncertainty impact massive shoe brands? Smaller ones? Made-in-USA footwear? Retail prices? What's kinds of supply chain breakdowns have already happened and what might be next? How does the lobbying work that FDRA does function and benefit the footwear industry? And why is everyone suddenly really, really mad at Matt? 

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-16951838 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2703 15 1 full true BONUS: Derek Guy... Returns! BONUS: Derek Guy... Returns! After a half decade of relentlessly shaming him into it, last month we finally had Derek Guy on the Shoecast—you know, Menswear Guy from Twitter, the style sage behind the Die Workwear podcast on Blamo and his own Die workwear blog, and plenty more. 

That first episode—pretty much an hour and a half of shoes Derek likes and doesn’t, with way even more depth than I bargained for—was so good that we had to have him back on for a bonus episode. 

This time we get into a bit more on Derek himself, including his earlier days as a forum nerd and how the whole Twitter thing happened—plus his thoughts on house shoes, Reebok Pumps, why the emotional durability of things we buy is so important…Dainite nipples?… and why he sometimes wishes he was a little bit nicer. 

]]> After a half decade of relentlessly shaming him into it, last month we finally had Derek Guy on the Shoecast—you know, Menswear Guy from Twitter, the style sage behind the Die Workwear podcast on Blamo and his own Die workwear blog, and plenty more. 

That first episode—pretty much an hour and a half of shoes Derek likes and doesn’t, with way even more depth than I bargained for—was so good that we had to have him back on for a bonus episode. 

This time we get into a bit more on Derek himself, including his earlier days as a forum nerd and how the whole Twitter thing happened—plus his thoughts on house shoes, Reebok Pumps, why the emotional durability of things we buy is so important…Dainite nipples?… and why he sometimes wishes he was a little bit nicer. 

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-16864529 Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:00:00 -0400 5450 full true BONUS: Shoe Care Listener Q&A w/ Pure Polish's Andy Vaughn BONUS: Shoe Care Listener Q&A w/ Pure Polish's Andy Vaughn Andy is BACK for a Shoecast bonus episode—to field listener questions and let us all know how to tell when's the right time to condition leather shoes (and why you shouldn’t condition outsoles), how to unsqueak your shoes, why PH basic=bad, how shoe care misinformation spreads, and plenty more, of course including cheese. 

Check out Andy's main episode here: https://www.stitchdown.com/stitchdown-shoecast/shoe-leather-care-101-andy-vaughn-pure-polish/

And Pure Polish's site and product range: https://www.purepolishproducts.com/

]]> Andy is BACK for a Shoecast bonus episode—to field listener questions and let us all know how to tell when's the right time to condition leather shoes (and why you shouldn’t condition outsoles), how to unsqueak your shoes, why PH basic=bad, how shoe care misinformation spreads, and plenty more, of course including cheese. 

Check out Andy's main episode here: https://www.stitchdown.com/stitchdown-shoecast/shoe-leather-care-101-andy-vaughn-pure-polish/

And Pure Polish's site and product range: https://www.purepolishproducts.com/

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-16766805 Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:00:00 -0400 1630 full true Skateboarding Legend Jamie Thomas Is Here To Cook Your Shoes in a 300° Oven Skateboarding Legend Jamie Thomas Is Here To Cook Your Shoes in a 300° Oven Jamie Thomas is one of the most revered skateboarders of all time—and also a footwear designer and serial skate shoe brand founder. The release of his latest project Warsaw seemed as good an excuse as any to have Jamie take me through the history of skate shoes and the sponsorships that arose around them, how and where they're made—and with what materials, constructions, and performance considerations—and how the landscape of one of the world's most influential types of footwear has shifted over the decades. 

Here’s my chat with Jamie Thomas, on the Shoecast. 

Jamie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiethomas/

Warsaw: https://warsawltd.com/

Jamie Thomas' 1997 Leap of Faith jump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqqPCqyAfl4

]]> Jamie Thomas is one of the most revered skateboarders of all time—and also a footwear designer and serial skate shoe brand founder. The release of his latest project Warsaw seemed as good an excuse as any to have Jamie take me through the history of skate shoes and the sponsorships that arose around them, how and where they're made—and with what materials, constructions, and performance considerations—and how the landscape of one of the world's most influential types of footwear has shifted over the decades. 

Here’s my chat with Jamie Thomas, on the Shoecast. 

Jamie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiethomas/

Warsaw: https://warsawltd.com/

Jamie Thomas' 1997 Leap of Faith jump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqqPCqyAfl4

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-16518027 Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0500 4250 full false How to Make Your Leather Footwear Last Literally (Possibly) Forever, With Pure Polish's Andy Vaughn How to Make Your Leather Footwear Last Literally (Possibly) Forever, With Pure Polish's Andy Vaughn The idea that well-made, resoable footwear can last almost literally forever is one of its core allures—but it’s a promise that simply won’t come true if it’s not cared for properly. Especially the leather. 

But what’s the best way to do that? And for different types of leather? Well you’ll know a ton more after my fantastic chat with Andy Vaughn, owner of Pure Polish, the Oregon-based company whose emphasis on 100% natural, non-toxic leather care products is fulfilled thanks to the kind of experience and knowledge that comes with obviously researching and making the stuff—but also personally restoring over 100 pairs of vintage shoes—all of which we got out of Andy over the course of a fantastic episode. 

Get ready for the most fun you’ll ever have learning about Bentonite clay, along with where things can go VERY wrong, Andy’s Universal Care Truth Trinity, why brushing is so essential and if the fancy ones are worth it, and plenty more. 


Time to keep it clean, keep it conditioned, and keep it protected, with Andy Vaughn, of Pure Polish. 

]]> The idea that well-made, resoable footwear can last almost literally forever is one of its core allures—but it’s a promise that simply won’t come true if it’s not cared for properly. Especially the leather. 

But what’s the best way to do that? And for different types of leather? Well you’ll know a ton more after my fantastic chat with Andy Vaughn, owner of Pure Polish, the Oregon-based company whose emphasis on 100% natural, non-toxic leather care products is fulfilled thanks to the kind of experience and knowledge that comes with obviously researching and making the stuff—but also personally restoring over 100 pairs of vintage shoes—all of which we got out of Andy over the course of a fantastic episode. 

Get ready for the most fun you’ll ever have learning about Bentonite clay, along with where things can go VERY wrong, Andy’s Universal Care Truth Trinity, why brushing is so essential and if the fancy ones are worth it, and plenty more. 


Time to keep it clean, keep it conditioned, and keep it protected, with Andy Vaughn, of Pure Polish. 

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-16396086 Tue, 07 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0500 4192 14 6 full true BONUS Episode: Shop Talk With Brett Viberg & Shuyler Mowe of Nicks Boots BONUS Episode: Shop Talk With Brett Viberg & Shuyler Mowe of Nicks Boots It's our first-ever BONUS Shoecast episode—in a brand new format called Shop Talk. 

The idea is simple: 

-1 moderator (Ben from Stitchdown)

-2 guests—this time, Brett Viberg of Viberg Boot, and Shuyler Mowe of Nicks Boots.

-3 questions apiece—which can be about absolutely anything, and the other guest MUST answer meaningfully. 

And boy did it end up being hugely revealing, and insightful, and just damned interesting. And fun! 

Hope to see you in the Discord! And right here for more bonus episodes, coming very soon. 

]]> It's our first-ever BONUS Shoecast episode—in a brand new format called Shop Talk. 

The idea is simple: 

-1 moderator (Ben from Stitchdown)

-2 guests—this time, Brett Viberg of Viberg Boot, and Shuyler Mowe of Nicks Boots.

-3 questions apiece—which can be about absolutely anything, and the other guest MUST answer meaningfully. 

And boy did it end up being hugely revealing, and insightful, and just damned interesting. And fun! 

Hope to see you in the Discord! And right here for more bonus episodes, coming very soon. 

]]> Ben Robinson Buzzsprout-16293402 Tue, 17 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0500 2602 full true