Stitchdown - Wear Better Shoes

Nick Horween’s Leather School: What Is Loose Grain in Leather, and Why Does it Occur?

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Nick Horween's Leather School, where the fifth-generation tanner from Chicago's deservedly famed Horween Leather Co. offers unique insight into leathers of all kinds and their properties, especially through the len... Read More...

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Shoes ‘n’ Boots of The Week That’ll Make You Go “Sheeeeeeeeeeesh!”

This week’s roundup is bussin’, respectfully. New drops from Viberg, a ton of kudu from Meermin, a trio of limited editions from Oak Street Bootmakers...we’ve got it all right here. Check out our previous roundups here. The Stitchdown Pat... Read More...

Foolproof Ways to Get the Best Possible Customer Service When Buying Boots (And, You Know, Anything Else)

There are few things more wonderful than a great customer service experience—especially on an expensive purchase. Unfortunately, they're also a bit too rare. But there IS A WAY to get fantastic, loving, oh-so-sublime customer service! Oh yes, there i... Read More...

New Shoe Shop Alert: Dashing Chicago Is Primed to Get Creative with Alden, Edward Green, and More

If any new brick-and-mortar retailer focusing on quality footwear opens up in the US, it’s a story. But when that store sells Edward Green and Alden (including a deep forthcoming lineup of custom makeups) with plans to expand out from, and used to ru... Read More...

A Rollicking Chat With the Gents Behind Seidel Tanning, The Quiet Leathermaking Powerhouse

From the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, Milwaukee, Wisconsin was a powerhouse of leather production. At one point, it was home to several dozen tanneries, registering it as one of the largest sources of leather in the entire world. Today, Milwa... Read More...

Ron Rider on the 7 Damning Shoe-Sizing Mistakes We All Really Need to Stop Making

All-time Shoecast champion guest Ron Rider—Rider Boot founder, person who may just know more about shoe sizing than literally anyone else in the world, and just all around unfathomably charming man—is back on the Shoecast. This time, Ron lays out ... Read More...

How My Nicks Boots Saved My Dog’s Life (Really)

Author's note: None of this story is embellished in any way, because it needs no embellishment. I have a dog. One of the world's foremost dogs, in many ways. His name is Frank. Frank is a champion athlete, a charmer in the truest sense, a hunter (... Read More...

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait For These Shoes ‘n’ Boots Of The Week. Plus: Oak Street Sale!

This week’s roundup is somewhat about delayed gratification. LOTS of pre-orders open now from Grant Stone, Alden, and Wesco, plus some ready-to-ship options from Viberg and Truman that could be perfect for the prize-laden Patina Thunderdome starting ... Read More...

Unstructured vs Structured Toes? Who Makes the Best Rugged Derby? And More On the Shoebag!

The Shoebag is back! All hail the Shoebag. This time, @tichoblancoshoes and I answer all sorts of reader questions, including: Unstructured vs structured toes? Half soles vs. full soles? What makes a perfect engineer boot? What are the metaphysica... Read More...

Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome: The Official Signup Page

The Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome presented by Standard & Strange, Grant Stone, and Wesco—the premier judged quality footwear aging competition—begins Oct 1, 2021, and runs through May 1, 2022. There are almost $15k in prizes up for grabs for ... Read More...