Stitchdown - Wear Better Shoes

Why We Obsess Over Great Boots: An Anti-Vimes Exploration

If there was a leaderboard for “ways to justify buying expensive boots,” your chart-topper would be the Captain Samuel Vimes ‘Boots’ Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness (with the second and third place going to ‘resoling’ and ‘something something mold... Read More...

Bespoke Shoemaker Sebastian Tarek on West-End Outwork and Judging the World’s Greatest Shoemaking Competition

When London (by way of Australia) bespoke shoemaker Sebastian Tarek began making shoes in high school, his grandmother let him in on a little secret: he had been preceded in his journey by 18 generations of family cordwainers. After years of schoo... Read More...

Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week: Brand New Nicks, Red Wing Moxfords Return, Cordovan Week, and More

So we're slightly late here! Apologies! But hey we had to compile a very very good lineup, including a Red Wing oxford making a grand US return, Nicks dropping three new models in Horween's Shackleton tannage, some excellent upcoming Aldens from Leff... Read More...

Adam Goldberg—Actor Who Loves Boots Too Much—Stitchdown Shoecast

Footwear-Addled Actor Adam Goldberg on His Lifelong Quest to Remake James Dean’s Boots

Adam Goldberg has quite legitimately always been one of my favorite actors—and from Dazed & Confused, to the Fargo TV show, to A Beautiful Mind, he has always been EXCELLENTLY attired, right down to his boots. But he doesn't just play a person... Read More...

Shoes ‘n’ Boots of Week: Europe’s Special Iron Ranger, A Rolling Dub Quartet, a Shell Halkett at Viberg, and more

In what is perhaps a fitting reflection of the utterly random weather we've had on the eastern seaboard, we've got all sorts of boots for you this week. Tall: check. Short: check. Chonky? Sleek? Double check. We can't tell tell which ones will be ... Read More...

Tony & Tobias of Wyatt & Dad Cobblers on Building a Shoe Repair Mini-Empire

Back in 1989, Tony Wyatt and his brother Ricky founded Wyatt & Dad Cobbler Company (and even trained their retired-preacher dad to do shoe repair work, so no it's not just a clever name). Thirty five years later, the operation has seen endless sw... Read More...

Rory Fortune — Goods & Services Los Angeles

Goods & Services’ Rory Fortune on Handwelting Sneakers, and the Shell Cordovan BIRKENCHONKS

The sneaker and welted footwear worlds are (very slowly) colliding, and Rory Fortune is smack in the middle of the two. In 2019, Rory and his wife Lauren set up shop in LA's design district to open Goods & Services, a half cobbler shop / half ... Read More...

Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week: Veg-Tan at Jim Green, Many Many Vibergs, Caswell’s LTT, and More

This week, and without further ado, we eagerly bring you 2024's first Super-Mega-Roundup, featuring eighteen boots, including handful of brand new models and other firsts—all we ask is that you read it yourself to decide if those extra adjectives wer... Read More...

elizabeth semmelhack—director and curator—bata shoe museum toronto

The (Mostly) Complete History of Boots with Bata Shoe Museum Director Elizabeth Semmelhack

In one of our favorite—and certainly the most sprawling—Shoecast episodes ever, I chatted with Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada. Which I believe is safe to say—thanks to more than 15,000 shoes, boo... Read More...

Sebastian Tarek—Bespoke Shoemaker—Shoemaking Tool Time

Shoemaking Tool Time: Bespoke Maker Sebastian Tarek’s Most Used & Beloved Tools

Sebastian Tarek is an extremely talented and unique Australian bespoke shoemaker operating out of London's West End—and an engaging storyteller like few others. (Also his beard is quite good.) Photo by Alun Callender In our first-ever episode ... Read More...