The Stitchdown Shoecast WILL return, don’t you worry. Ben and Ticho have taken a well-deserved break and are working on preparing the next batch of episodes for your ears. We heard many of you are patiently waiting for the next season of the Shoecast, and have even turned to going back and re-listening to old episodes. I know Ben and Ticho are flattered to hear this!
But, there’s definitely other great podcasts out there that can fill that Shoecast-shaped hole in your listening queue. One that we highly recommend listening to is a show that just premiered not too long ago: The Full Grain Podcast, hosted by none other than Phil Kalas and Nick Horween.
Phil Kalas
If you’ve been listening to the Shoecast for a while, you may recognize Phil and Nick have both been featured as guests before. Nick, of course, is a fifth-generation tanner at Chicago’s world-famous Horween Tannery; meanwhile Phil, who worked at Horween for a decade, is now one of the folks behind leather goods crafters Ashland Leather.
Nick Horween
This dynamic duo is here to provide their expert insight on all things leather-related, and they delve into many topics that we think listeners of the Shoecast will find both illuminating and fascinating. What do leather marketing terms like “full grain” or “top grain” really mean? Why are leather prices going up? What really is “sustainable leather”? Is the “Boat Shoe Index” actually a thing??
The conversations aren’t only centered on leather. Along the way, Phil and Nick touch upon some other topics that have captivated their attention recently: Space. Cameras. Death metal.
They’ve also managed to snag some illustrious guests so far, including Brett Viberg of Viberg Boot, as well as Skip Horween, president of Horween (and Nick’s dad). Both of their respective episodes are a great listen, but Nick and Phil do an excellent job carrying the show themselves (they’ve been friends for many years).
As of this writing, there are half a dozen episodes of The Full Grain Podcast available to listen to wherever you get your podcasts, and more to come. Be sure to follow them on Instagram and YouTube as well. Also: a little bird told me we can expect to hear a Shoecast/Full Grain team-up soon…