What was Stitchdown’s Boot Camp 2023?
Well Boot Camp was certainly a world’s fair of boots and shoes and leather, with more than 20 exhibiting bootmakers, shoemakers, tanneries, and toolmakers from literally all around the globe.
Boot Camp was absolutely a place to learn (E. Woodford handwelting workshop???) about how great footwear is made, from the people who actually make it.
Boot Camp was without a doubt an incredible and dare I say unprecedented footwear community hub, with makers and cobblers and the people who love them all coming together for two days at Brooklyn’s Industry City to hang, and connect (real life=very good!!), and honestly just kinda party.
The most asked question I’ve recieved since Boot Camp? “Will there be a 2024 Boot Camp??” The answer is a definitive yes.
So stay tuned for more details coming very shortly—but in the meantime, you’ll have to settle for our recap video and photos below.
Can’t wait to see you next year!
Check-in open!! My badge is currently dangling from a hook next to my treasured Medieval Times VIP credentials.
Viberg sample sale line stacked deep at 11am on Friday.
They brought some boots.
This photographic evidence of the one and only @aaronhuebner enjoying a beverage from our incredible beer sponsor Untitled Art was presumably not taken at at 11am, but I cannot confirm that.
1am, Friday Oct 6th, 2023: Main Boot Camp event floor OPEN.
The Crown Northampton booth was flooded all weekend long with attendees interested in checking out their exceptional shell cordovan (and more!) sneakers—and perusing an extensive list of discounted samples, seconds, etc which were back in Northampton but for sale at Boot Camp.
Crown also revealed their new handwelt brand E. Woodford—and brought their entire workshop across the Atlantic. Will and Louis made shoes amidst the fray, and also gave a series of handsewing tutorials to attendees, certainly one of the highlights of the weekend.
Boot Camp was all about taking both the community and products off the internet and into real life. Grant Stone brought well over a hundred shoes/boots specifically for sizing in basically all their lasts and widths. Smart.
Grant Stone founder Wyatt Gilmore simply could not resist the lure of the other exhibitors and their booths.
Hold it down, Gio.
The Nicks booth was absolutely mobbed—approx. 1 billion sizing measures were taken.
The free belts didn’t hurt either!
Nicks’ new secret project (Still too secret to discuss! Stay tuned!!) that Boot Camp attendees got a sneak preview of.
Aside from the sample sale, Viberg brought their lineup, lasts, some incredible Stead suede tote bags, a comprehensive brand history display, and a remarkable stitchdown sneaker from the Victoria skunkworks that weighed about 600 pairs of Dunks.
The Meermin booth was never not packed, with guests checking out their entire rangy lineup but especially the very very good NEGON-last boots below.
Russell Moccasin was a favorite all weekend, with owners Luke Kolbie and Joe Julian sizing everyone personally and giving a deep dive into the construction of the remarkable handmade products from the famed 125-year-old Wisconsin brand.
100-year-old Russell Moccasins. Good thing they DO make them like they used to.
We’ve been working with Russell for almost a year on a Russell x Stitchdown collab run with their obscure and absolutely fantastic Fishing Oxford pattern—it was an absolute dream to have them on display at Boot Camp.
WATCH BREAK! Windup Watch Shop (who puts on a fantastic fair of their own in multiple locations across the US) did an excellent job of distracting guests both days with an array of exceptional timepieces—and an overflow of knowledge about the craft behind them. 
While competition was fierce, Unmarked may have presented the most impressive stylistic range of all our exhibitors—everything from cowboy boots to loafers to their rightly lauded DB Hunter service boots.
Perera Shoemaker came all the way from Guatemala to display their wonderfully unique, handmade, often patina-painted boots and shoes—it was a joy to finally meet Javier and team in person and handle the boots…definitely keep an eye on them.
A few years back, Kevin from Caswell Bootmakers would likely have been a hugely enthusiastic Boot Camp attendee. To see what the brand and product line and fan base he’s created in such a short time is absolutely astounding.
Isiah from Pebble Bomb took care of everyone’s shoes and boots all weekend.
Everyone’s.
It’s not easy to ship literally thousands of boots from all over the world. Everything made it! Although Cheng’s Iron Boots shipment gave everyone a scare…but man they showed up it was jubilation. Which thrilled me—as I have to so the new Chosen One last certainly lives up to its name.
TichoØstmo.
Hatchgrain Iron x Østmo boots are straight up insane.
Boots without leather are not in fact boots. Ed Gallun was the first tanner to commit to Boot Camp and man am I glad he did. The Gallun leathers are astounding in person. 
Francis Waplinger sure liked what he saw—the Brooklyn bespoke maker somehow managed to finish up a pair of shoes while also being highly distracted all day.
It’s impossible to represent fantastic footwear leather without Horween and The Tannery Row. John Culliton and crew deployed their masterful educational chops to help everyone deepen their knowledge of leather and tanning.
Dale sure dug it.
Aki Choklat and Tom Carbone (who also creates some of the great bespoke shoemaking tools known to man) from Detroit’s College For Creative Studies—and the Last Society Detroit—were on hand to represent perhaps the most important aspect for the future of great shoemaking: educating the next generation of shoe designers and makers.
Which we discussed plenty at our Saturday panel, with Aki, Crown’s Chris Woodford, and Tricker’s master bespoke shoemaker Adele Williamson.
Outside, the Alfargo’s Marketplace crew put on a WHALE of a vintage show. It’s a shame they have no cool clothes for themselves. One day, surely.
And then, of course, we all stayed up ENTIRELY too late enjoying Industry City’s incredible collection of breweries (huge thank you to Thursday Boots for the, um, Friday afterparty!!), distilleries, and more (who caught that salsa dancing???)—and mostly, each other.
This amazing community of footwear makers and lovers has honestly never felt more vibrant. The photos barely do it justice. Next year…next year’s gonna be good.
More info to come! See you at Boot Camp 2024!