Stridewise.com’s Expert Network comprises some of the foremost authorities in high-end and durable footwear and menswear. Each member of our Expert Network brings extensive experience to their respective industries, from design and manufacturing to brand leadership and retail expertise. Our network includes influential bootmakers, CEOs, journalists, and historians who have used their insights to improve the content on Stridewise.com.
Articles that have been Expert Approved are distinctly marked at the beginning. This badge highlights the experts who have personally reviewed and endorsed the content, ensuring our readers receive the most reliable and accurate advice available.
Global Product Design & Development Manager | Red Wing Heritage
Mike has spent over a decade learning from veteran tanners and shoemakers in Red Wing, Minnesota, and today manages product design and development for the USA’s most iconic boot brand, Red Wing Heritage.
CEO & Creative Director | Thursday Boot Company
After 10 years of developing hundreds of materials and lasts, Nolan has a uniquely profound understanding of footwear manufacturing and design processes, and has turned Thursday Boot Company into the fastest growing brand in the space.
Creative Director | Naked & Famous Denim
Bahzad has a wealth of experience across multiple areas of heritage menswear. This includes sales, merchandising, buying, product development, design, and general management at Naked & Famous Denim, where he’s responsible for many of the brand’s most memorable fabrics.
Leatherworker & Founder | Rose Anvil
Weston Kay is a professional leatherworker, boot surgeon, and the founder of Rose Anvil, a leather goods shop and a juggernaut of a YouTube enterprise with over a million subscribers across three channels.
Founder & Shoemaker | J. FitzPatrick Footwear
Justin FitzPatrick apprenticed in bespoke shoemaking in Italy under the late Stefano Bemer, and after years of working in London and Paris, he launched J. FitzPatrick in Soho, Manhattan.
Boot Photographer & Expert | Ticho Blanco
Ticho Blanco is a marketing consultant, co-host of the excellent podcast The Stitchdown Shoecast, and the feet behind the popular Instagram account @tichoblancoshoes.
Managing Director & Shoemaker | Bridlen Shoes
Affan Mohammed, a third-generation cordwainer and shoemaker-in-chief at Bridlen. Affan studied under an experienced Northhampton-based last maker and apprenticed under Kiyotaka Watanabe.
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COO & Co-Founder | Adelante Shoes
Mike Pelzer is the COO and co-founder of Adelante Shoes, a made-to-order footwear brand with the goal of improving the livelihoods and job security of Guatemala’s shoemakers — and the goal of offering an array of fits and handmade touches seldom seen at this pricepoint.
Leatherworker & Founder | Dale’s Leatherworks
Dale Basista is a leatherworker, boot collector, and YouTuber who turned his hobby into a thriving handmade goods business and an extraordinary wealth of knowledge about leatherwear.
Lecturer, Professor, & Founder | The Denim School & Endrime
Mohsin Sajid has spent 25 years in the denim industry with a career including teaching at over 40 universities, producing documentaries, bespoke tailoring, and launching the denim brand Endrime.
Videographer & Founder | The Iron Snail
Michael Kristy, founder of The Iron Snail, creates durable, cool denim and menswear. He also produces the extremely popular YouTube & TikTok channels dedicated to high-quality garments and products.
Cobbler | Potter & Sons
Trenton is a professional shoe cobbler and co-owns of Southern Polished sandals with his brother Heath. The gents can be found on their YouTube channel Trenton and Heath, with almost half a million subscribers.
Founder | Oak Street Bootmakers
George Vlagos founded Oak Street Bootmakers and the Independence heritage menswear store in Chicago. He works to preserve the heritage of fine American shoemaking through thoughtfully designed and attentively crafted shoes and boots.
Managing Director | Crown Northampton Shoes
Chris Woodford is the founder and Managing Director of Crown Northampton Shoes, broadly considered to be among the world’s most premium sneaker brands.
Vice President | North Star Leather
Michael Batson, the Vice President and Heir Apparent of North Star Leather, grew up around leather at the company his father founded in 1969.
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Co-Owner | BLKBRD Shoemaker
Sandeep Parihar co-owns BLKBRD Shoemaker, aiming to elevate India’s global footwear presence with high-quality shoes rivaling European craftsmanship.
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