This week we've got a chat with Andrew Turriff, a Canadian shoemaker who studied at Cordwainer’s Footwear Design program in London, worked for some big sneaker brands, and did pattern work for fellow Canadians Viberg and time in the orthopedic world before deciding to make a zero-drop, anatomical, barefoot shoe with of top-end materials—and also ma…

Send us a text Behind every impressive revenue figure lies a deeper story of business transformation. When my water treatment company hit $114,000 in monthly revenue with just four employees—after previously doing $105,000 with 18 staff members—I knew I had to share the counterintuitive wisdom gained from this breakthrough. The journey to this mile…

Matt Priest, President and CEO of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, came on the Shoecast the morning after 104% tariffs on Chinese goods into the US hit in a rapidly-moving-target trade war with the United States and just about every other country. What ARE tariffs? How might tariffs and general uncertainty impact massive shoe bra…

Send us a text Connect with me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/js_shoez_/ X: https://twitter.com/Shoeinvestor2 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thewater_boy_official Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justinshoemaker9582?si=DSsbCeNl1kgH3EKK LinkedIn: Justin ShoemakerBy Justin Shoemaker

Derek’s an OG forum junkie turned menswear writer for Put This On, mass publications like The New York Times, and his own always-excellent blog Die Workwear!. In the last few years, Derek has become, to many, Menswear Guy on Twitter, where his sharp cultural insights on style and complete lack of brevity break every rule of the platform in such a w…

In 2019, Justin James started Opie Way, a recraftable sneaker brand made right in Asheville North Carolina, USA, using incredibly high quality materials—something that basically didn’t exist previously. Then suddenly, Justin's factory and brand didn't exist. In 2024, Hurricane Helene brought six feet of rampaging water tore through the Opie Way fac…

Jamie Thomas is one of the most revered skateboarders of all time—and also a footwear designer and serial skate shoe brand founder. The release of his latest brand Warsaw seemed as good an excuse as any to have Jamie take me through the history of skate shoes and the sponsorships that arose around them, how and where they're made (and with what mat…

The idea that well-made, resoable footwear can last almost literally forever is one of its core allures—but it’s a promise that simply won’t come true if it’s not cared for properly. Especially the leather. But what’s the best way to do that? And for different types of leather? Well you’ll know a ton more after my fantastic chat with Andy Vaughn, o…

It's our first-ever BONUS Shoecast episode—in a brand new format called Shop Talk. The idea is simple: -1 moderator (Ben from Stitchdown) -2 guests—this time, Brett Viberg of Viberg Boot, and Shuyler Mowe of Nicks Boots. -3 questions apiece—which can be about absolutely anything, and the other guest MUST answer meaningfully. And boy did it end up b…

I will tell anyone who dares listen that handmade bootmaking—and perhaps specifically, cowboy bootmaking—is the highest form of leatherwork as functional art. And then I started paying attention a bit more to saddlemaking and was like damn ok maybe they’re tied. Parker, Colorado-based custom bootmaker Holly Henry knows a ton about both. Holly grew …

In the US, there are schools for everything—of course you can study business, or to become a doctor. But also if you want to be an electrician, or an airplane mechanic—someone can teach you that. And then you’ve got UConn, which has offered an apparently quite intense puppetmaking major, every year since 1964. So why not for shoemaking? Examples do…

Often, vintage clothing and footwear's defining quality IS quality. As in, its actual construction and materials, how well it was made, way back when. In most cases, it wouldn’t even be here today if it wasn’t. The footwear world we explore on this podcast is absolutely the exception, and a beautiful one, to the core rule of the 21st century: most …

15 years ago Viberg was pretty firmly Canada’s most hardcore logging and industrial boot company. Since Brett Viberg took over the reins of the nearly 100-year-old brand from his father Glen, Viberg has in many ways completely changed the high-end, recraftable boot market—most notably with its Service Boot, which became a legitimate game-shifting i…

Send us a text Massive wins this week!!! Goes to show if you dont quit, you wont lose!!! Connect with me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/js_shoez_/ X: https://twitter.com/Shoeinvestor2 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thewater_boy_official Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justinshoemaker9582?si=DSsbCeNl1kgH3EKK LinkedIn: Justin Shoemaker…

Send us a text A raw look at some of the worse times in a start up! Connect with me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/js_shoez_/ X: https://twitter.com/Shoeinvestor2 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thewater_boy_official Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justinshoemaker9582?si=DSsbCeNl1kgH3EKK LinkedIn: Justin Shoemaker…

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 firs…

Send us a text In this episode I go over the 12 biggest lessons I learned from hit our $100k/Month in revenue milestone! I hope you find this helpful! Connect with me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/js_shoez_/ X: https://twitter.com/Shoeinvestor2 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thewater_boy_official Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justinshoemaker9582?si=DS…

When you grow up in a shoe repair shop directly next door to your actual house, it's hard to not catch the cobbling bug. But oh did Molly Monahan try to resist. After learning how to repair motorcycles and doing some farming for a bit, Molly one day told her mother "we're opening the shop back up!" and immediately put mom back to work making leathe…

This episode's chat is with Jess Wootten of…Wootten! The Ballarat, Australia boots and shoes and leathergoods maker that is doing some very interesting work. We covered how Jess somewhat tripped into a family tradition of bootmaking, ran down what Wootten's making in Ballarat and how, some common misconceptions about the Blake/Rapid (aka McKay welt…

“The only way I learned was making many mistakes and losing a shit ton of money in the process” is how Kevin Wilson neatly sums up the never-simple process of getting Caswell Boot Company off the ground. In the past five years since saying "I'm going to start a boot company!", Kevin's stared down a failed Kickstarter attempt, his original US-based …

Ben and Ticho once again dip into the Shoebag to answer listener questions—and tap in some special experts along the way—including: how to size boots to match orthotic inserts? What are some of the best brands for Women’s GYW shoes? Our thoughts on revolutionary new sole materials? Initial footwear “hard pass” that you eventually learned to love? H…

She was born in Canada and grew up in New Zealand, but few people could possibly seem more at home making bespoke cowboy boots in Guthrie, Oklahoma than Flora Knight. Learning the craft from two of the historic western city's best teachers imaginable—bootmaking legends Lisa Sorrell and Ray Dorwart—certainly didn't hurt things. Neither did her other…

Send us a text I call this the deferall close, it has created so much revenue for me and clients feel much better doing business with you! Connect with me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/js_shoez_/ X: https://twitter.com/Shoeinvestor2 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thewater_boy_official Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justinshoemaker9582?si=DSsbCeNl1kgH3E…

Phil Kalas of the Full Grain Podcast takes over the Shoecast this week to interview Ben about his recent trip to boots-and-shoes mecca Tokyo—expect a deep-dive into city's astounding footwear scene, why and how it exists, plus a preview of five upcoming feature videos that'll be coming out before too long. Support the Shoecast, get full bonus episo…

Send us a text What if you could transform your entrepreneurial journey by mastering the emotional and psychological challenges that often stymie business success? On this episode of Harmony of Hustle, we tackle the daunting "valley of fear" that many entrepreneurs encounter due to long feedback loops and a lack of immediate positive reinforcement.…

In long-overdue returns to the Shoecast, White’s Boots President Eric Kinney and Division Road’s Jason Pecarich sat down to pull back the curtain on what it’s really like to develop new footwear products, getting into every twist and turn on past collaborative makeups as well as some forthcoming never-before-seen construction + style combos. We als…

Send us a text I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you for your unwavering support and engagement—it truly means the world to me. Your likes, shares, and subscriptions are the backbone of this podcast, enabling me to bring in more insightful guests and deliver content that helps everyone. As a small-time podcaster without sponsors, you…

Amara Hark-Weber surely must be one of the most delightful people in this world—which anyone could likely tell just from looking at the remarkably unique and creative boots and shoes the Twin Cities, Minnesota-based custom maker creates. This episode, Amara fought through a cold to discuss why she makes EVERY pair different from the previous, the i…

Send us a text Ever felt there's just never enough time for fitness or self-care because of work or family commitments? In this episode, we expose how making excuses can sabotage your personal and professional growth. Join us as we share personal stories and actionable insights on how adopting a proactive approach can revolutionize your life. From …

Send us a text What if you could sidestep the headaches of rapid business growth? Join me in this revealing episode as I share crucial lessons learned from scaling my home service business to 80-90k months. From employees bringing animals to work sites to arriving unprepared, I discuss the pitfalls of having vague Standard Operating Procedures (SOP…

Send us a text Discover the highs and lows of running a small business in this milestone episode as we celebrate 19 months of operation. Ever wonder how to stay resilient amid unexpected setbacks? Learn from our personal sales experiences about the power of resilience and how to handle a dip in performance when faced with fierce competition and une…

Send us a text Ever faced a seemingly insurmountable business challenge and turned it into your biggest growth opportunity? That's the epic ride we're recounting today, sharing the trenches-to-triumph story of how my team and I navigated a high-pressure period that redefined our company's trajectory. We'll dissect the transformative shift from batt…

For the closeout episode of Shoecast season 11, Ben sits down with Will Roman, founder of Chisos Boots, a young and growing brand out of Austin, Texas that offers one of the best values in a legitimately well made, well designed cowboy boot. They cover how Chisos in some ways started with a lemonade stand, how Will ended up in León Mexico and fell …

Send us a text In this episode I go deep into lessons learned this week, and how you can also get value from them! Connect with me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/js_shoez_/ X: https://twitter.com/Shoeinvestor2 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thewater_boy_official Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justinshoemaker9582?si=DSsbCeNl1kgH3EKK LinkedIn: Justin Shoe…

For the penultimate episode of the 11th season of the Stitchdown Shoecast, I’m quite excited indeed to be chatting with the just ridiculously talented man they call Bob Henderson. Bob is the operations manager at Popov Leather, the bustling leathergoods workshop over yonder in British Columbia, Canada—and over the last few years has been sucked up …

Send us a text Hunter Ballew is the CEO of Roofing.com, ROOFCON, REVOLT and is a partner in REPCARD. He is a serial entrepreneur who has helped numerous companies grow and reach their goals. Connect with me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/js_shoez_/ X: https://twitter.com/Shoeinvestor2 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thewater_boy_official Youtube: https:…

This time Ben sits down with two, count ‘em TWO Fritz Seidels: Fritz Jr. and Fritz Sr., who every day are continuing on the tradition of the four-generation, 79-year-old Siedel Tanning Corp in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to getting the lowdown on some longtime Seidel favorite leathers and overlooked gems, we get into Seidel’s history and flui…

Send us a text In this episode i talk about a massive moment in the company, as well as almost die driving 🤣 Connect with me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/js_shoez_/ X: https://twitter.com/Shoeinvestor2 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thewater_boy_official Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justinshoemaker9582?si=DSsbCeNl1kgH3EKK LinkedIn: Justin Shoemaker…

Before he bolts for a very important trip to the bread store, Ticho is back in the leather-smelly homestead for perhaps our most comprehensive Shoebag episode ever, in which we discuss what shoe care products are essential and which you don't really need, brands we'd love to see restored to their former glory, what to wear with Red Wings (vague hin…

Send us a text When the safety of our drinking water is at stake, knowledge becomes our primary line of defense. That's the promise of our latest episode featuring Justin Shoemaker, the innovative mind behind ClearWave Water Solutions. We tackle the critical topic of PFAS—those 'forever chemicals' pervading our water supply—and their alarming impac…

Send us a text Ever wondered how a fledgling business can skyrocket from a steady stream of leads to a roaring river? Well, buckle up, because that's exactly what we're unpacking today. Amidst apologies for less-than-stellar audio, this episode is a treasure trove of strategic insights that took us from 100K to a potential million a month in revenu…

When London (by way of Australia) bespoke shoemaker Sebastian Tarek began making shoes in high school, his grandmother let him in on a little secret: he had been preceded in his journey by 18 generations of family cordwainers. After years of schooling—including at the famed Cordwainers College in Hackney, London—he eventually ended up settling into…

Adam Goldberg has quite legitimately always been one of my favorite actors—and from Dazed & Confused, to the Fargo TV show, to A Beautiful Mind, he has always been EXCELLENTLY attired, right down to his boots. But he doesn't just play a person who cares about boots on TV and in movies! Adam is a very real-deal obsessive who's neck deep in Clinch, Z…

Send us a text Say goodbye to the myth that skyrocketing your business is a high-stakes gamble; it's time to embrace the thrill of rapid growth done right. Through the lens of my personal journey, I shatter the perception that crawling progress is a sign of prudence, revealing instead the perils of complacency that can spell the end for startups in…

Back in 1989, Tony Wyatt and his brother Lance launched Wyatt & Dad Cobbler Company (and even trained their retired-preacher dad to do shoe repair work, so no it's not just a clever name). Thirty five years later, the operation has seen endless swings in the cobbling industry, weathering them as well as any operation out there. The goal was always …

Send us a text Ready to break barriers in your startup's growth while navigating the maze of personal fulfillment? That's exactly what we're unpacking in a riveting discussion about skyrocketing sales and the deceptive allure of status. From an exhilarating partnership with Ace Hardware to redefining commission structures at Clearwave Water, we're …

The sneaker and welted footwear worlds are (very slowly) colliding, and Rory Fortune is smack in the middle of the two In 2019, Rory and his wife Lauren set up shop in LA's design district to open Goods & Services, a half cobbler shop / half sneaker customization pacesetter. Custom resoles—often accomplished via the tricky process of converting cem…

In one of our favorite—and certainly the most sprawling—Shoecast episodes to date, Ben chats with Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada. Which I believe is safe to say—thanks to more than 15,000 shoes, boots, and related artifacts covering 4,500 years of human history—is the world’s preeminent dedicat…

Send us a text Embark on a transformative journey with us as we unravel the secrets of merging passion with profit in the fitness world, guided by our guest, Devin of Strive 11 Fitness. With a decade and a half of personal training under his belt, Devin reveals the intricacies of evolving from traditional training methods to the pioneering boot cam…

Send us a text This session with Justin is jam-packed with actionable intelligence for entrepreneurs hungry to amplify their reach and revenue. Discover how the art of brevity in communication has revolutionized customer interactions, and witness the seamless orchestration of CRM automation that propels immediate lead follow-up and customer delight…