Stitchdown - Where US Leather Heritage is Part of the Draw

CHICAGO | The smell of bootblack and leather ensured boutique bootmakers and suppliers of America’s finest leather felt instantly at home as they entered Chicago’s Stitchdown Boot Camp in early November.

Under crystal chandeliers at the Artifact Events space, members of multigenerational US tanneries and brands that have supplied footwear for kings, presidents and famous explorers since the 1800s, mingled with artisans and enthusiasts. They exchanged trade updates, advice and the occasional secret of the art of fine shoemaking.

Boots were bought, repaired, sold and soled, and participants discussed different models, styles and, of course – finishes.

At Nick’s Handmade Boots the CEO himself praised Wickett & Craig’s raspberry double stuffed, holding up a purplish boot. BLKBRD’s forest green and cognac lace ups, made of Big Horn (shrunken bison) from Law Tannery, sold out in two days. And most artisans, including those from Indonesia, China and Japan, had incorporated Horween’s Chromexcel in some way or other.

“For us this is a great opportunity to come and showcase our boots,” said Sandeep Parihar of BLKBRD Shoemakers from India. “We also get to meet everyone in person and get even closer with our American suppliers and that’s very exciting for us.”

Equally excited was Matt Bressler, VP of Sales and Operations at Wickett & Craig.

“This was our first Stitchdown and it was invigorating,” he said “Not only did we get to speak with the bootmakers and manufacturers, we got to interact with the boot-users and the end consumer. At the end of the day those are the people that are driving the market. If they’re Wickett & Craig fans, they’re going to push for our boots.”

Wickett & Craig, a US veg tannery, has been in business for 138 years. It has a long and rich story, just like the other American tanneries among the exhibitors.

“This is a new market for us, which is what makes it so attractive,” Matt said. “We are aiming at this pretty hard.”

Horween Leathers, another company with an enormously rich heritage, were not only exhibiting but also hosted some of the events. There was an all-day workshop for artisans, apprentices, design students and career cobblers at The Tannery Row, and guided tours. Hobby bootmakers and enthusiasts soaked up Skip Horween’s every word during the tour of his tannery which started in 1905. He’s a legend in this crowd.

While there were also few great tanneries represented from Europe and Latin America, it was clear that Stitchdown’s patrons are particularly keen on US heritage. They may be niche, but craft boots and Americana are trends that won’t go away. In most sales pitches, the heritage and artisanship of US finished leathers were equally important to that of their craftmanship.

“It positions us and our story nicely,” said Ryan Law, a fourth-generation tanner and president of the company bearing his last name, and got agreeing nods from neighboring exhibitors who were also tanners from Milwaukee.

In the midst of all this walked a man with a patch-pocketed, large-collared cardigan (think Big Lebowski’s The Dude), well pressed green jean pants, flawlessly polished boots and a big brown beard. Ben Robinson is the Stitchdown father, founder and editor in chief. He’s a 44-year-old career journalist, who started the Boot Camp seven years ago with the desire to spread his love of great footwear and leather worldwide.

“It’s a personal obsession of mine,” he says. "My goal is to help an enthusiast audience grow their knowledge base. Arguably the strongest way to do that is by creating a space where they can tap directly into the makers and industry at our events, which also helps the industry understand what those enthusiasts truly care about."

His overall goal is to further the needs and growth of the industry through “education, passion and fun.” As part of the Stitchdown brand, Ben produces the “world’s greatest footwear and leather goods aging-contest” with more than 5,000 entries, a podcast (the Shoecast) and a YouTube feature channel (Sole Searching), which prove a big hit last year for its “Tokyo Series”.

Ben also helps brands grow and develop products. Basically, he is a conduit, connecting the industry in ways it hasn't been previously.

“Everyone in this space is stronger together,” he says. “Hence the focus on the large-scale events that get everyone in the same place and foster connection, collaboration, and honestly just great sportsmanship, even between competitors.” 

And it’s true, most US brands on site are doing well in their own right. But together they are mighty and make up a sizzling story of American leather’s heritage.