This week we’ve got a ton of exclusive collabs from the likes of Alden and Viberg, a sneaky Nicks release, and then a quick trip to Berlin for a new-ish Clinch model. Find all that—and more—below. Our SNBOTW archives can be found 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.] Rider for Stichdown Fritz Chelsea in Maryam Toscanello Horse ..read more

In late 2016, English shoemaker Crockett & Jones unveiled an exclusive new leather to their lineup: Russian Grain. They seemed quite giddy to show off the hatch grain article, and with good reason—the legendary leather was essentially extinct, but had been brought back to life by a yet-to-be-disclosed English tannery. Later, it was revealed that the creator of this new Russian leather was, in fact, the last oak bark tannery still operating in the United Kingdom: J & FJ Baker. Or, to the familiar, just Baker’s. Radnor 4 in J&FJ Baker Russian Grain. Photo via Crockett & Jones B ..read more

Guthrie, Oklahoma-based Lisa Sorrell can trace her own bootmaking ancestry back to one of the first cowboy bootmakers ever: Gus Blucher (a man quite aptly named for a shoe). Gus presumably would’ve been quite proud, as for the last three decades Lisa has oh so gracefully maintained a position of remarkably high esteem in the cowboy bootmaking pantheon, thanks to her overall skill and coveted inlay/overlay work that commands a starting price of $10,000 per bespoke pair. In what is without question one of our personal favorite episodes ever, Lisa dispels a stack of cowboy boot myt ..read more

Manhattan-based menswear shop Leffot has an official motto: Numquam Jactate, Latin for “never boast.” In their view, looking good and dressing well doesn’t mean you have to be ostentatious—you just have to embrace classic styles from makers that offer quality, comfort, and value. But if there were any reason to boast, fifteen trips around the sun is certainly cause for celebration, and as of May 5th, 2023, Leffot will have accomplished just that.  Since opening in 2008, Leffot has maintained a tightly curated selection of footwear from a small cast of shoemakers, including Alden, Edward G ..read more

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Loafers abound from Rancourt & Co., Leffot, and Crockett & Jones this week, and plenty of incredible boots as well. Shoes ‘n’ boots from weeks gone by can be found 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.] John Lofgren Combat Boots in Natural Chromexcel Roughout: $890 It’s been a long wait, but Standard &am ..read more

It’s already been a couple of years since Adam Lane-Olsen and Chris Sawyer took over as owners of Limmer Boots, the 100+ year-old micro-maker for which Lane-Olsen hand-crafts what are considered by many to be the best classic hiking boots available anywhere in the world.   Limmer has two distinct arms of boot production: the aforementioned handmade-in-New-Hampshire custom options from Peter Limmer and Sons, and then their stock Limmer models made by their manufacturing partner Meindl in Germany, the growing wing of the business managed Sawyer. Up to this point, perhaps the most excit ..read more

That’s right it’s time for another SHOEBAG episode, in which Ben and Ticho dig precariously deep into such pivotal topics as: what is an overdyed leather and how is it the same or different from teacore? What’s the deal with that eyelet at the top of the speed hooks? Which outsoles make for the best toe spring? Chelsea boots with suits: yay or nay? Where are we at on balmoral boots? What’s the story with those floppy-topped boots Gaston wears, and why isn’t anyone rocking them today? And are horsebutt boots underrated or (gasp)…overrated?? Give it a listen below! And you can listen to this and ..read more

An eclectic mix can be found in our roundup this week—including summer-ready sandals from FEIT, bison boots from Nicks, seasonal releases from Yuketen, and much more. Our SNBOTW archives can be found 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.] Nicks Boots Shrunken Bison MTO: $640+ Nicks has gotten their hands on six different colors of s ..read more

Japan’s reputation as a society backboned by remarkable craftspeople is well earned. But the picture of a devoted artisan creating unmatched footwear by hand—whether a bespoke dress shoe master such as Hiro Yanagimachi or Yohei Fukuda, or custom bootmaking icon Show Goto—is also quite incomplete. Japanese bootmaking also thrives and distinguishes itself both technically and artistically in a more traditional factory setting. There, handwelting may be exchanged for a 90-year-old beast of a Rapid E, or even a modern Italian sole stitcher without all the the curves and quirks and lore. But an obs ..read more

Yes we consistently and strongly recommend handsewn moccasin construction shoes for spring and summer. Beyond boat shoes, boot-shoes are a warm-weather way of life around here. But it’s 2023 man, and it’s time to just admit that everything this summer is going to be coming up loafers.  Impeccably reliable loaferpeople Grant Stone just dropped a trio of new Traveler penny loafers—plus a fresh sneaker—that span gamuts (color, texture, suede/grain) and remain one of the finest loafervalues you can find anywhere.  First up, the Traveler Penny Loafer is finally available in the Jungle Ka ..read more