Stitchdown - Wear Better Shoes

Every Single Winner From the 2022-23 Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome

Well, we've officially reconfirmed that six months of really wearing a pair of boots (or shoes!) is a good solid way to make some footwear magic happen. The 2022-23 Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome presented by Grant Stone, Nicks Boots, and Standard ... Read More...

DEEP Behind the Patina Thunderdome Scenes With All the 2022-23 Judges

The six months of beautiful boot-aging mayhem known as the 2022-23 Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome is OVER! The esteemed judges have selected their 50 winners in both the Work and Open categories (all of whom you can see right here). Fabulous prizes f... Read More...

Unsung U 22-1 Slog Boot Horween English Tan Dublin Roughout

Standout Pairs From Patina Thunderdome Two, Revisited

Just after the second Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome began this past October, I checked in with a group of contestants who entered the contest with a wide array of unique and intriguing pairs of boots and shoes. With the Thunderdome now brought to a ... Read More...

Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week: Nicks Boots’ Munson-Inspired Thurman Last, Ready-To-Wear Sagara Boondockers, and More

This week’s roundup highlights loafers from Alden, Rancourt, and (for the first time ever) Caswell; plus, we check out the latest from Frank’s Boots, the return of a classic favorite at Nepenthes, and much more. All of our roundup archives can be fo... Read More...

Nicks’ CEO Shuyler Mowe on Explosive Growth, Developing New Leathers, and Spokane’s Uniquely Competitive Bootmaking Scene

For the past three years, CEO Shuyler Mowe has lacing up his now decade-old Builder Pros to helm Nicks Handmade Boots, shepherding the Spokane maker from a pure focus on work boots and into a new era of lifestyle relevancy—and dramatic growth that's ... Read More...

oak street cap toe lakeshore boot snuff shrunken kudu

Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week: Oak Street’s Lakeshore In Shrunken Kudu, Taft’s Stitchdown Launch, and More

In this roundup, we recap this week’s new releases from White’s Boots and Dr. Sole while also checking out the latest from Alden, Truman, and more. More shoes ‘n’ boots can be found here. White’s Boots Perry Select 6”: $390 White’s now offers ... Read More...

dr sole pioneer game changer withered fig

Withered Fig Celebrates Five Years With An Exclusive Dr. Sole Game Changer Boot

Big milestone here for Taiwanese sole brand/cobbler/shoemaker Dr. Sole: for the first time ever, footwear from their in-house Pioneer label is available at a North American retailer. Virginia-based shop (and Patina Thunderdome sponsor!) Withered Fig... Read More...

Taft’s Kory Stevens on How to Accidentally Start a Hugely Successful Shoe Brand

In 2014, Taft Clothing was selling camouflage and polka-dot no-show socks. One fateful Reddit moment later, Kory Stevens was somehow overseeing a shoe and boot brand that was absolutely on fire—and designing some of the most unique footwear you’ll ev... Read More...

White’s Beefs Up Their Moc-Toe With The Perry Select

When White’s Boots launched their Perry moc-toe boot a few years back, it very much felt like the Pacific Northwest’s answer to brands like Red Wing or Thorogood. Made with Seidel work leathers on White’s low-arch 1972 last, the Perry was otherwise b... Read More...

Red Wing Japan Alum Michiya Suzuki Is Back With His Latest Venture—The 2 Monkeys

Few people played a more pivotal role in shaping the heritage footwear revival at Red Wing Shoes than Michiya Suzuki. A few years prior to the worldwide launch of the Minnesota-based icon's Heritage division in 2007, Michiya became general manager ... Read More...