All boots look better worn hard and loved deeply. Not exactly a controversial statement! But we decided to put it to really the test all over again, in the third-annual Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome presented by Grant Stone, Nicks Boots, and Standard & Strange. The 2023-24 edition of the Dome represents the first time we had 1000 pairs entered—1,116 to be exact. Thunderdome boots hit the ground on every continent other than Antartica, unless someone was just oddly quiet about their visit. One trillion (*approx) steps were taken. Houses were built. Bacon grease was spilled. Soles were repla ..read more

For the penultimate episode of the 11th season of the Stitchdown Shoecast, I’m quite excited indeed to be chatting with the just ridiculously talented man they call Bob Henderson. Bob is the operations manager at Popov Leather, the bustling leathergoods workshop over yonder in British Columbia, Canada—and over the last few years has been sucked up by the indomitable tractor beam known as bootmaking, operating as Bob Henderson Handmade Boots. In a nice and rangy chat, Bob and I get into how Popov came to be and has managed to become a major player in the ever-more-crowded wallets, belts, and o ..read more

This time Ben sits down with two, count ‘em TWO Fritz Seidels: Fritz Jr. and Fritz Sr., who every day are continuing on the tradition of the four-generation, 79-year-old Siedel Tanning Corp in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to getting the lowdown on some longtime Seidel favorite leathers and overlooked gems, we get into Seidel’s history and fluid approach to tanning and meeting shifting market demands, what in the hell all that machinery in a tannery is doing all day long, why making heavyweight boot leathers is so damn tough—and of course, cows getting diaper rash. Give it a listen below ..read more

If I can be permitted to editorialize for a second… I have been locked in a combination staring contest/battle of the will with one of the models in this week’s roundup for months, and am now mere centimeters from the abyss. Out of fear of speaking its name I’ll leave it you to guess which one, and I’ll write you if it gets me. In the meantime, you’ll find some absolutely banger Yuketen bluchers at Dashing Chicago, the return of the leather sole on Withered Fig’s latest Viberg collab, unlined Alden loafers at Brick + Mortar, and more, in this weeks: Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week. Yuketen Italian ..read more

Before he bolts for a very important trip to the bread store, Ticho is back in the leather-smelly homestead for perhaps our most comprehensive Shoebag episode ever, in which we discuss which shoe care products are essential and which you don’t really need, brands we’d love to see restored to their former glory, what to wear with Red Wings (vague hint: anything!), how many midsoles is just too many midsoles, what we’ll look back at in 10 years and make fun of ourselves for, and plenty more! Give the (possibly helpful?) madness a listen below! And you can listen to this and every Shoecast episod ..read more

We’ve got a couple a brand new models gracing the roundup this week, in addition to some notable releases—so without further ado lets get into Oak Street’s N-1 Boondocker restock, Division Road’s latest Tricker’s collab, the third Viberg SS24 drop, a new Lofgren model, and everything else we’ve got in store in this weeks: Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week! To check out every shoe, every boot, and of course every week, click the link: 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 St ..read more

I guess you just can’t stop the march of time (cue the drummer). The bootmakers, at least, are spending it productively, and we’ve got the introduction of the Viberg’s 1905 last, a new chukka from Rancourt, and more, in this week’s: Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week! Just can’t get enough? Browse every roundup ever (!) 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 ..read more

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 molds to your foot’).  Said Vimes Theory goes like this: “The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of O ..read more

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 schooling—including at the famed Cordwainers College in Hackney, London—he eventually ended up settling into a role as a bottom-maker for some of Savile Row’s most prestigious bespoke firms, both in an in-house capacity and also as an piece-work outworker. Today, Sebastian continues his outwork…work…while also creating his own bespoke shoes and boots for ..read 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 Leffot, shell cordovan discounts at Carmina, and plenty more. We’ve rounded up all our roundups for your convenience 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 es ..read more