• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Stridewise

Stridewise

It's a Boot Time

  • Best Boots
  • Boot Reviews
    • Popular Reviews
      • Thursday Captain Boot
      • Red Wing Iron Ranger
      • Wolverine 1000 Mile
      • Viberg Service Boot
      • Grant Stone Diesel Boot
    • Cowboy Boots
    • Work Boots
    • All Reviews
    • Comparisons
      • Red Wing Iron Ranger Vs. Wolverine 1000 Mile
      • Timberlands Vs Doc Martens
      • Thursday’s Captain vs President Boots
      • All Comparisons
  • Boot Guides
  • Gear
    • Bags
      • Backpacks
      • Leather Bags
    • Denim
    • Jackets & Outerwear
      • Leather Jackets
      • Waxed Canvas Jackets
  • About
    • About Nick
    • Review Process
    • Our Experts
    • Revenue
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
Home › Culture

Made in Xiamen – An Interview With Grant Stone

Karl Wasson
Updated May 21, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission from.

Grant Stone is making serious waves in the industry for producing what many consider Alden quality shoes for Red Wing prices. That might sound incomprehensible to the average person, but it essentially means all their shoes cost one or two hundred dollars less than you’d imagine.

Their praises are consistently sung on the Goodyear welt subreddit, I’ve reviewed several of their boots, and I should note that their Penny Dune Loafer is the only shoe I’ve ever given my father:

grant stone penny dune loafer
Stridewise Senior with his new shoes  

That’s how legit the quality is.

So I sat down with Grant Stone’s founder, Wyatt Glimore, to learn a little more about the brand, transitioning from racing motocross to making shoes, and the difficulties of selling boots with a made in China stamp.

[Check out Grant Stone’s boots here!]

Stridewise: Thanks for chatting, Wyatt! My first question is about the company’s background. How did you get into making boots? Your grandfather worked for Alden, is that right?

Wyatt Gilmore: Yeah, he was there for like 60 years; I want to say, maybe just over 60 years. We even got our name Grant Stone from an old Alden shoe salesman.

My dad worked at Alden as a salesman in the Midwest, that’s how we ended up in Michigan. He met my mom here when he was a salesman for Alden over here in the Midwest. He worked for over 15 years with Alden.

My dad never really talked about it that much. My grandpa did, though. Alden was his life. He loved the people there. He loved his customers. His retailers were his best friends. For him, it was 100 percent: he was the shoe guy. 

Rand Gilmore Inspecting Grant Stone Shoes
Randy Gilmore, who has spent his life in the Goodyear welt industry inspects and packs every pair of shoes that leave the warehouse.

SW: What got you into making boots in China, of all places?

It basically started with my dad. He was in the footwear industry his whole life, working for Alden. So back in the 90s, he had contacts with a Taiwanese family, and they were going through a transition from making lower price point shoes to making higher price point shoes for the American market.

My dad stepped in and went over there and started introducing them to new customers, helping a bit on the shoe side of the development. They eventually got into Goodyear welts for American companies. That was in the early 90s.

But for me personally, it all started after I did motocross. I was homeschooled because I needed to spend more time away from Michigan to race.

Motocross didn’t cut it for a career. I was basically like, “you needed do something else.” At that point I was still young enough, I could have gone to school. But before making that final decision, I went to China to check it out, and I ended up doing this.

[Related: my review of Grant Stone’s Chelsea Boot!]

Wyatt inspecting manufacturing in Xianmen
Wyatt inspecting manufacturing in Xianmen

SW: I imagine you have to answer this question 50 times a day, but how do you respond to customers who like your boots, but dismiss them when they hear that they’re made in China?

Yeah, that’s a really tough one. The conversation often turns into this made in China thing. If it’s an Instagram or Facebook comment, then it gets into politics and it’s kind of like, “well how do you change people’s minds? How do you change a Republican into a Democrat or a Democrat into a Republican?”

So, we try to stay away from the politics and focus on our quality. I get it, but I spent time there. The people there are great, and the culture is amazing. Same thing with the factory, you’ve got people who have been working there for 10-15 years. And yes, it’s a completely different culture. But it’s really great in a lot of ways.

As for our quality and the product, I just sum it up that Grant Stone can make high-quality shoes, with great materials from all over the world, at this little factory that we’ve worked with for years. So it’s a win for our customers and our partners in China. It’s not like we just went there yesterday and said, “We want to make cheap low-quality boots for Americans.” The quality of products in China is as good as anywhere else now.

It’s not like we just went there yesterday and said, “We want to make cheap low-quality boots for Americans.” The quality of products in China is as good as anywhere else now.

SW: And the materials are actually very American, aren’t they? Is anything actually from China?

You’re right, a lot of what we make is made from American-made materials, but some uppers aren’t from America. We get leather from Italy and France or CF Stead from England.

We’re using the Barbour welts from Massachusetts because there’s a really strong connection between the manufacturer and us. Our leather laces are made in Kentucky. The lining is from Milwaukee.

Now, if you want a kudu, you are probably going to get it from England. Or if you want a pull up leather, it’s probably gonna be Chromexcel from Horween. Or, if I want a veg tan leather, it’ll probably be from Italy. The only Chinese-made thing you’re buying is the shoe’s packaging.

There aren’t small boutique tanneries in China focusing on French calf. It’s just not gonna happen.

The only Chinese-made thing you’re buying is the shoe’s packaging.

SW: The Diesel boot is your most popular boot, right? Why do you think that is?

It’s a good question. We actually started with the wing tip, and the plain toe shoe. It just seems like people tend to like boots in our segment. Boots are easier to wear with more things. It just seems to be more popular than a plain toe shoe, for example.

When someone has a family member, a boyfriend, a husband, an uncle, they’re always like, “I’ll grab a boot and give it to them.” And they will say, “well, I don’t dress up or anything, so I’m not gonna wear these fancy dress shoes.” So, I think the diesel boot just works for a lot of guys.

And then we have the loafers, which are very popular. But even that’s very hit or miss. People like them or they don’t. So, it’s people who live on the coast and cities seem to lean towards the loafers a little bit more. But the boot seems to do much, much better. So the Crimson Diesel boot is our number one seller.

[Related my review of Grant Stone’s Diesel Boot!]

grant stone saddle tan diesel
Via @youngsilhouette on Instagram

SW: You mentioned a loafer, was that the Natural Chromexcel Penny Loafer? Is that a big seller?

Yeah, it turned into something. At first, shoes never perform well when we release them for like the first month or two, and the Penny Loafer was probably the best example of that. It didn’t do that well at the start.

But of course, it takes a bit of time. It takes time for people’s experiences to get out there. The first thing people do is they go to Reddit or  StyleForm or Google to see how they fit. If there’s nothing online for a reference, customers are like, “I don’t want to get this thing if it doesn’t fit!”

But it’s become our second most popular pattern. The most popular is the Diesel boot, and then the Penny Loafer. So yes, you’re right. Over the past year, it’s outperforming our plain toe shoe.

Further Reading

best loafers for men
10 Best Loafers For Men | Dressy, Chunky, Causal, & More

Grant Stone’s Traveler Penny Loafer is one of our favorites. Learn more →

Unboxing the Penny Dune Loafers Nick bought for his dad.

SW: What shoes are in the future for Grant Stone? Any new models?

Yeah, we working on a chukka which should be out sometime mid next year.

And then also, a tennis shoe, a sneaker. Hopefully that will be here like early summer. We like it so far. But there’s so many good sneakers out there, whether you’re looking at something like a Common Project or the new brands like Koio — dress sneakers. So there’s a lot of great stuff out there.

We want to make something that we would actually want to wear and use something like the veg tan Badalassi Minerva leather. I like how it patinas and everything else. We want to put cool leather on a sneaker. So, I think that’s the direction we’re gonna be going using some unusual leathers like a Chromexcel or using CF Stead suede, maybe a kudu. I like the Minerva saddle tan.

So why not do something different? A sneaker with a vegetable tan leather? Where can you get something like that? There are not too many options. Most seem to be very clean white or black calfskin. But this would be a little more of our leathers but on a sneaker.

[Related our guide to chrome vs vegetable tanning!]

SW: Super interesting, I’m looking forward to seeing some new things out this summer. Thanks so much for your time, Wyatt!

Thank you.

[this interview has been edited for length and clarity]

Karl Wasson

Karl is Stridewise's Managing Editor living in South East Asia. He gets a kick out of durability and dependability. When he's not writing, he's searching for the best bespoke menswear in South East Asia and beyond.

Facebook Instagram LinkedIn More articles by Karl Wasson

You Might Also Like

aerosurferlv boot collection
Why Does This Guy Own 75 Pairs of Boots?
Size and Sku information
Buying Boots Online Is Hard — This App Wants to Make It Easier
red wing v thursday featured
10 Best Men’s Boots for Wide Feet | Moc Toe, Chukka, Chelsea, and More
Grant Stone Diesel boot front
Op-Ed: Why “Made In China” Boots and Denim Shouldn’t Bother You
Stridewise team

About Stridewise

by Nick English

Founded in 2018 to help men buy the best boots, we’ve since expanded our team and purview to review and celebrate casual footwear and menswear that’s as close to “buy it for life” quality as possible. We take great pride in being a trusted source for information while maintaining complete editorial independence. At no extra cost to you, we might earn a commission from a brand when you purchase through our links, which helps us keep our mission alive. Learn More

11 Ways to Save Money on Boots

Subscribe for an exclusive article to help you find the best deals on quality footwear.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Join the Discussion Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Eric

    July 3, 2023 at 11:44 pm

    $380.00 for a pair of Made in China boots? Nah, I’ll stick to RedWind Heritage, Whites, Wolverine 1000 Mile, etc. I like keeping money in the pockets of my fellow Americans. What does the carbon footprint look like when you’re shipping leathers from America to China then back to America again? Charge another $100 if you make them in America then you’ll earn a new customer, Grant Stone, but I’ll never wear a pair of your Made in China boots at any price point. Shame on you Wyatt Gilmore, you could be helping employee American workers rather than pumping money into a country that could care less about their own people, and much less about hard working Americans that could use an industry like this on our own soil.

    Reply
    • Nick English

      July 5, 2023 at 12:01 am

      I guess there’s a good chance that the company wouldn’t have been successful if they were making these products here and competing with the US brands, this way there’s a brand making cool products and getting them into more hands. But I respect you only wanting to buy American made!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Want to dress better?

See which boots suit your preferences and style.

My Top Picks

Most Popular

Best made in usa boots

The 10 Best American-Made Boots

Best chelsea boots for men 1024x576 1

The 13 Best Chelsea Boots

best moc toe boot

The 7 Best Moc Toe Boots

Stridewise team

About Stridewise

by Nick English

Founded in 2018 to help men buy the best boots, we’ve since expanded our team and purview to review and celebrate casual footwear and menswear that’s as close to “buy it for life” quality as possible. We take great pride in being a trusted source for information while maintaining complete editorial independence. At no extra cost to you, we might earn a commission from a brand when you purchase through our links, which helps us keep our mission alive. Learn More

11 Ways to Save Money on Boots

Subscribe for an exclusive article to help you find the best deals on quality footwear.

Most Recent

Flint tinder flannel lined denim trucker jacket review

Flint and Tinder Flannel Lined Denim Trucker Jacket Review: Their Most Underrated Product

Frost river briefcase review

Frost River Bags Review: Waxed Canvas Correspondent Brief Tested

Bleu de chauffe visit

Bleu de Chauffe: How They Make the French Leather Bags American Men Love

Best british boots made in england

Best British Boots: Northampton’s Finest Footwear Reviewed

Left field visit_youtube

Inside Left Field NYC: The Underdog of USA-Made Denim and Workwear

Trending Now

  • a man pondering the best boots for men16 Best Boots For Men to Buy Tested By Experts (Spring 2025)
  • doc martens alternatives6 Doc Marten Alternatives That Don’t Suck
  • best american boot brands10 Best American Made Boots to Buy in 2025 (Made in USA!)
  • Best leather briefcases for men, Satchel & Page Counselor on the right, and Saddleback Pilot on the left11 Best Leather Briefcases for Men in 2025: High-End, Budget, Vintage, and More
Stridewise

Casual Durable™.

Yup, we even trademarked it. Just because you’re dressed down, doesn’t mean you have to dress bad. 

This site started to help guys find the best boots for their dollar and has since expanded to cover the highest quality casual menswear, from leather jackets to selvedge jeans to canvas bags — the kind of simple, fashionproof classics that help you get dressed without overthinking your “style.” Read more

  • About
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Our Experts

11 Ways to Save Money on Boots

Subscribe for an exclusive article to help you find the best deals on quality footwear.

Articles by Category

  • Accessories
  • Backpacks
  • Bags
  • Boot & Leather Care
  • Boot Guides
  • Boot Reviews
  • Boots
  • Briefcases
  • Clothing
  • Comparison
  • Cowboy Boots
  • Culture
  • Denim
  • Denim Jackets
  • Denim Review
  • Fabric
  • Footwear
  • Hats
  • Jackets & Outerwear
  • Leather Bags
  • Leather Conditioners
  • Leather Jackets
  • Loafers
  • Pens
  • Shirts
  • Sneakers
  • Waxed Canvas Jackets
  • Women's Boots
  • Work Boots
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • X

© 2025 · Stridewise · All Rights Reserved · Terms · Privacy · Affiliate Disclosure · Accessibility