Stitchdown Shoecast

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 ... Read More...

Lee Miller Interview—Custom Bootmaker—Texas Traditions

The Lee Miller Interview

Lee Miller is the owner and head bootmaker at Texas Traditions, the humble shop at 2222 College Avenue in Austin Texas that combines some of the world’s great b... Read More...

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... Read More...

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 s... Read More...

Wolverine 1000 Mile—Justin Cupps Interview

How Can Wolverine Revive its Iconic 1000 Mile Brand? Work Group President 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, whi... Read More...

Rough and Ready Photographed by Rachael Reid

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... Read More...

michael williams—a continuous lean—interview

ACL’s Michael Williams on Misguided Shoe Recs & The “Disappearing Middle” of Quality Footwear

I met Michael Williams probably 15 years ago, when I was working in a media job that didn’t have nearly enough to do with footwear, and Mike was working with Wo... Read More...

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: Carmina. In this Stitchdown Shoecast epis... Read More...

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 ... Read More...

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 ... Read More...