The leather tanning process is an ancient one—almost 10,000 years old. And yet, it can also be a massive damn mystery!

So Ashland Leather's Phil Kalas—who put in over a decade at Horween Leather—stopped by the Shoecast to take us through the entire leather tanning process, and all its possible routes to creating beautiful leather for footwear (and everything else).

How does the veg-tanning process differ from chrome tanning? What's a base tan and what's a re-tan? How does grading work? Wet stuffing and hot stuffing? What are the different ways to dry hides and what does that affect? How does finishing go, and what's the deal with crust leather?? Phil lays it all out, in a beautifully understandable manner. 

Even if you feel you know every single thing about leather, my suspicion is there's a LOT to learn in this one.



This episode was sponsored by Grant Stone, one of the best values in Goodyear welted footwear, period


Join the Stitchdown Discord today, unless you hate boots of course


Theme Song: The Road by Punk Rock Opera 

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

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We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
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2021! 'Twas another extremely weird year! It really was. But man was it a wonderful one in in the world of boots and shoes.

This episode, Ticho and Ben from Stitchdown.com review some of the most exciting, surprising, and inspiring quality footwear industry trends we saw emerge in 2021—and also look forward, making bold some predictions on where the space will evolve in 2022 and beyond. And said predictions are definitely 100% right, which is great.

Enjoy!


This episode was sponsored by Grant Stone, one of the best values in Goodyear welted footwear, period


Join the Stitchdown Discord today, unless you hate boots of course


Theme Song: The Road by Punk Rock Opera 

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/

The boot brand Kreosote is but one man—JD Gabbard—some wonderful vintage tools, a 1978 Airstream, and one of the most unique and curious spirits in all of the handmade footwear world.

After decades traveling the world as a fine art photographer, Gabbard found himself at a bench in a Texas cobbler shop, compelled to learn the trade of boot repair—the first step in his journey to making the things himself, from the last on up. 

Today, operating out of that Airstream, Gabbard hand-crafts some of the most singular boots you'll find anywhere, each of which combines his own American folklore roots and deep historical inspiration.

While in the research phase before designing his PaRLOR SkAR engineer boot, Gabbard went all the way back to 1814 to trace the history of the engineer boot forward—and let's just say he discovered some things that may rock your understanding of the style's lineage and uses over the decades.



This episode was sponsored by Grant Stone, one of the best values in Goodyear welted footwear, period


Join the Stitchdown Discord today, unless you hate boots of course


Theme Song: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/

Way back in some far-off distant boot past, Lars Jensen was the first-ever Shoecast guest. He came on to tell us his story, one of making truly incredible Østmo boots, 100% by himself, one pair at a time. Now, Lars is back to tell us about Østmo's future—and it's a very exciting one.

For the final episode of Season 4, Lars and some strange person I've never heard of before have been working since that first episode to find a way to bring Østmo boots to a larger audience. The first step: find a bootmaking partner that held the same passion and maniacal dedication to quality, precision, and uniqueness that defines Lars himself.

And guess what they've found it: Iron Boots, the small Chinese workshop run by Lars' brother from another motherland Kai, who has been making simply fantastic boots under Iron's own brand for a handful of years now.

We chat about how the partnership came about, why it just makes sense, the development process, and of course, what the Østmo x Iron boots will look like and when and how they'll be available (quite soon).



This episode was sponsored by Nicks Boots, whose Buy With Confidence guarantee ensures you get the right size boot—every single time.



Theme music: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/

There are few things more wonderful than a great customer service experience—especially on an expensive purchase. Unfortunately, they're also a bit too rare. But there IS A WAY to get fantastic, loving, oh-so-sublime customer service! Oh yes, there is a way. It just takes a small bit of work and thoughtfulness on your part. 

Which is why we brought in Neil Berrett, co-founder of excellent customer-servicer shop Standard & Strange to lay out for us a simple set of guidelines and philosophies that can make you happier with the majority of your interactions when buying boots, shoes, and other footwear. And if you also buy other things from time to time for some strange reason, those things too.



This episode is sponsored by Nicks Handmade Boots,  the Spokane-based maker whose Buy With Confidence guarantee ensures you get the right size, every single time. That's very good customer service!!


Theme Music: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/

All-time Shoecast champion guest Ron Rider—Rider Boot founder, person who may just know more about shoe sizing than literally anyone else in the world, and just all around unfathomably charming man—is back on the Shoecast.

This time, Ron lays out his Seven Damning Shoe Sizing Mistakes—from not focusing on heel-to-ball fit nearly enough, to assuming boots and shoes will stretch WAY more than they actually will—that we all, really, really, really need to stop making (Ticho and Ben from Stitchdown too).

But the sheer amount of sizing philosophy and hard, actionable info we get at outside those mistakes—including how to tell how if your shoes are mis-sized just by looking at them—is enough to fill up a 14 FFFF boot from our sponsor this week, Nick's Handmade Boots (that's a real size they offer!). 

Don't you DARE pick up a new pair before listening to this one...


Join the Stitchdown Discord today, unless you hate boots of course


Theme song: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/

The Shoebag is back! All hail the Shoebag.

This time, @tichoblancoshoes and Ben from @stitchdown answer all sorts of reader questions, including: Unstructured vs structured toes? Half soles vs. full soles? What makes a perfect engineer boot? What are the metaphysical differences between oxfords and derbies? (There are plenty.) How do you figure out what new brand to make a move on next as you continue on your shoe journey? Are shell engineer boots essential or insane?

Also for some reason we end up talking about freeze-dried gummi worms a lot. Lots of reasons, I guess.



 This episode was sponsored by Grant Stone, king of wide-width shoes and boots (I lavish much praise upon my EEE Diesels in this episode)


Theme music: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/

Meet Adele Williamson: Tricker's youngest bespoke shoemaker ever, and also Tricker's first female bespoke shoemaker—in the brand's 192-year history.

Adele's story is fantastic: unsure of what to do with her life, she enrolled in a shoe design class (not really the good kind), then applied for an internship at Northampton stalwart Tricker's shortly after. Fast forward honestly not that many years, and she's working  every day with customers in an endlessly personal manner to create the bespoke creations of their dreams.

And I have to say on top of all that, Adele is just an absolute joy to speak with—bursting with passion for shoemaking, humble, charming, and utterly aware how lucky she is to have her absolute dream job.

Oh and she made shoes for Stringer Bell. And Prince Charles! But more importantly, Stringer Bell.



This episode was sponsored by Grant Stone, one of the best values in quality footwear that you can find absolutely anywhere


Theme music: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/

Grant Stone's Wyatt Gilmore is one of the people we most love talking to in the entire footwear industry—so it was high time we had him on the Shoecast. While we spend plenty of time discussing how GS develops new models, and chooses leathers, and how wearing EEE in their Leo last has changed my life, and what Wyatt will be looking for as a judge of the Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome, the best part of this podcast is without a doubt the brand's origin story.

Grant Stone emerged a half-decade ago as a challenger to the norm: a brand based in Michigan that manufactured in China that was ACTUALLY making a legit incredible product. People were initially skeptical, but that has faded for anyone paying attention, or certainly wearing their products.

But to hear Wyatt tell the story of how he personally ended up at a shoe factory in China with no idea of what to do with his damn life, then learning the trade and truly becoming part of a family that wasn't his own...it's apparent why the decision to manufacture there was made, and why Grant Stone has emerged as such an important player making incredible shoes and boots in a price range that almost seems unfair to everyone else.  It's really a beautiful story, and an inspiring one.

Also: vampire GenFacts!



This episode was sponsored by Standard & Strange, where you don't NEED an engineering degree to buy their engineer boots...but it helps.


Theme music: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/

Very special episode! The entire shoe world has been on the edge of its heels waiting for 2030th Shoelympics to kick off from Northampton, England, and the Shoecast has secured exclusive coverage of the opening ceremonies!

Esteemed bootcasters Tichblucho and Boot Robinshoe are all set up in Longwing Stadium to give you a first-hand view of the pageantry, the spectacle, and the SHOES, whose amazing stories will be told through an extremely thin veil of blatant unchecked corporatism. And of course to deliver a preview on which shoes and boots you should expect to see taking home hardware in events like Gaff-Standing, Mirror Shine, the Handwelting, the Steeplechasse, and plenty more. 

[Producer's note: this is by far the weirdest Shoecast episode ever. Also maybe the best? So uhhh...be sure to tell us which.]



This episode was sponsored by Grant Stone, multiple-time gold medalist in the Value event, and a rising contender in so many more.



Theme music: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episode access, and join the most interesting shoe-and-boot-loving community on the internet with a Stitchdown Premium membership

https://www.stitchdown.com/join-stitchdown-premium/

We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

A website. We have one.
https://www.stitchdown.com/