This roundup is BIG. Biggest we can remember in a while. Hail Summer! New leathers from Red Wing, Nicks, and White’s; new collabs from Engineered Garments and Leffot, revived and restocked models at Division Road, Grant Stone, and Meermin, and an expansive footwear sale from Standard and Strange with a bunch of one-off models. BIG. You’ll find all previous roundups collected here. [Ed Note: while we never choose anything specifically because of them, some of these recommendations contain affiliate links—the price is the same for you, but Stitchdown gets a small commission if you make a purchas ..read more

On this week’s episode we’re going off script to talk about socks and learn about wool…but we didn’t forget about the boots. We’ve got Viberg’s mammoth Wooly Chromexcel release (only five models but I couldn’t help it), discounts at Division Road and Rancourt, and a new model from Bridlen. All that and more on this weeks: Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week! Want to reread every roundup in order? You can find them all here. [Ed Note: while we never choose anything specifically because of them, some of these recommendations contain affiliate links—the price is the same for you, but Stitchdown gets a sm ..read more

In long-overdue returns to the Shoecast, White’s Boots President Eric Kinney and Division Road’s Jason Pecarich sat down to pull back the curtain on what it’s really like to develop new footwear products, getting into every twist and turn on past collaborative makeups as well as some forthcoming never-before-seen construction + style combos. We also hit on White’s lead times improving, very promising new boot-shoes, and what to expect at the White’s residency at Division Road this September 20th-21st. Also: what in the heck are “lifestyle” boots anyway, and do we need a new word for them?? Giv ..read more

In this week’s lineup, Red Wing pulls a leather (and a sole) from the vaults, Division Road brings back a boot-shoe icon, and Grant Stone debuts a brand new loafer pattern. You’ll find all that and more in the latest: Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week! Missed last week’s roundup? Last month’s? February 2021? Check them (and every other roundup) out here. [Ed Note: while we never choose anything specifically because of them, some of these recommendations contain affiliate links—the price is the same for you, but Stitchdown gets a small commission if you make a purchase. It’s essential to keeping the ..read more

The seemingly boundless and irrepressible spell of loafermania continues on its unbroken march towards the heavens and possibly beyond into realms mankind has yet to grasp. Penny loafers have gone mainstream. Tassel loafers have escaped the bank and the courtroom and are running amok in the streets, worn by people who wear wide legged pants and thoroughly fail to resemble your grandfather. So what do you need to make your mark on this upside down world? A snaffle, apparently… The snaffle-ness of it all is quite relevant now, because Grant Stone just released their first Horsebit Loafer, and w ..read more

Amara Hark-Weber surely must be one of the most delightful people in this world—which anyone could likely tell just from looking at the remarkably unique and creative boots and shoes the Twin Cities, Minnesota-based custom maker creates. For the first episode of the 12th season of the Stitchdown Shoecast, Amara nobly fought through a cold to discuss why she makes EVERY pair different from the previous, the incredible teachers who helped her learn the craft in very different ways, why she owns approximately 100,000 awls, not sleeping the night before a customer picks up their pair, her work sp ..read more

A Shelby Sharp and a trio of new boots from Briselblack in Bandung? Normally I’d tell you to pinch me/slap me awake, but that’s really what we’ve got this week, as well as some new hatchgrain shell cordovan at Viberg, and more, in the latest: Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week. Get your roundup fix here. [Ed Note: while we never choose anything specifically because of them, some of these recommendations contain affiliate links—the price is the same for you, but Stitchdown gets a small commission if you make a purchase. It’s essential to keeping the site alive, so we really, really appreciate it ..read more

The history of the chukka boot is a little ambiguous. Depending on which retelling you hear, it features characters including the Duke of Windsor, Marlon Brando, and of course Nathan Clark, in addition to some combination of South African conscription, Indian polo, Dutch colonialism, and at least one World War. But for the most part, they’re a short ankle boot with a couple eyelets. Of course the funny thing with shoes is, while there are some rules—many rules actually—those rules aren’t ever really rules. (See: oxfords, not). A traditional but casual chukka for a postwar edition of Esquire ..read more

Yes we kinda like boots over here—but that means we also get excited when makers with welted credentials push the boundaries of what you can do on a sneaker (and make it resolable). We’ve got two examples of just that from Hiro Yanagamachi and Crown Northampton, alongside a… well… dashing v-tip makeup from a certain Chicago shop, Grant Stone’s new women’s loafer, and more, in the latest Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week. You’ll find more shoes and boots from more weeks in our archives here. [Ed Note: while we never choose anything specifically because of them, some of these recommendations contain a ..read more

Launching two years ago with the Nora plain toe boot, Grant Stone’s women’s line is something of an outlier: Goodyear welted boots on patterns and lasts designed from the ground up with build quality and components identical to their mens boots. Why that still makes them said outlier frankly leaves us a little baffled. There is certainly a dearth of recraftable, resolable women’s footwear in general. We also see brands making welted mens footwear, then charging the same prices for cemented women’s footwear…well it doesn’t quite add up (literally). But Grant Stone continues to be noteworthy, ex ..read more