To be honest I didn’t think I’d ever get Brian the Bootmaker on this show—he doesn’t do many interviews at all, and for whatever reason I was, quite frankly, kind of afraid to ask him. Which in hindsight is insane because he’s about as sweet and genuine and fantastic to talk to as people come.

Working out of the central Los Angeles workshop he first wandered into in high school while looking for thread to customize some sneakers, Brian IS Role Club, hand-making some of the world’s most distinctive and in-demand custom boots alongside his beloved teacher Nacho for going on a decade and a half.

One of the earliest stories I posted on Stitchdown.com was about a YouTube video of Brian resoling an Alden Indy Boot with a Vibram mini ripple sole. Some said it was sacrilege! But all of Brian’s videos, and work, reflect him so well. He’s an innovator despite relying on techniques hundreds of years old, a calm in the content storm, a still young man who loves nothing more than really old boots. And one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever chatted with. 

Also he just might be Mister Rogers. 

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