Meet Our Team

Nick started this thing as a side hustle while working as a journalist in New York City to nurture his lifelong fasciation with footwear and apparel. After a few years, he was able to quit his job and cover the industry full time, a move that led him to producing videos and articles across the US and over a dozen countries, making him a distinctive voice in the menswear space.

Karl is Stridewise’s Director of Content; he runs the website. With years of experience working in adventure tourism in the wilds of China and Vietnam, he’s intimately acquainted with the importance of gear and footwear that’s both durable and functional — but he likes it to look good, too. When he’s not writing, he’s searching for the best bespoke menswear in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Jordan films and edits all the content on our awesome YouTube channel. He has nearly a decade of video production experience that includes documentaries, nationally televised commercials, and award-winning short films. Outside of work, Jordan enjoys exploring creative outlets like photography and film analysis, always seeking new ways to bring stories to life.

Troy Barmore is a writer and consultant in the luxury menswear space, with extensive professional experience with timepieces and eyewear. Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, Troy has had a passion for subtlety and detail since childhood and has made the study of quality goods a lifelong focus.

Humphrey is a native Brooklynite who has been a resident contributor at Stridewise for over five years. Here, you will find his expertise in leather shoe construction and streetwear, among other subjects related to menswear.

Tim Steiner has written about men’s fashion and travel in Classic Style Magazine and other publications. He has a vast collection of Barbour jackets, Tweed suits, and Filson outerwear. In addition to contributing to Stridewise and maintaining a busy career in finance, he moonlights as Hemingway Jones on a YouTube channel focused on high quality writing instruments.

Jeff is a Level III water plant operator with over two decades of experience, which he also puts to use as a reviewer of all manner of work boots. As a man who spends the workday on his feet, he’s as passionate as possible about finding the perfect boot.

Adam is a sheet metal fabricator, welder, and boot reviewer. After years of wearing cheap boots and shoes that killed his feet, Adam set out to find the right balance of comfort, toughness, and value for himself — and then decided to help other working men do the same.

Hilary is a James Beard Award and ASME-nominated editor and writer, the Culture Editor at Bon Appétit, co-author of cookbooks, ghostwriter of bestsellers, and marketing consultant for brands like L’Oréal, Condé Nast, TripAdvisor, and Hearst.

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Mel Compo is a writer, editor, and general word-geek from Brooklyn, New York. When they’re not writing about the finer side of men’s footwear, they can be found lurking around the streets, trains, and museums of NYC, ostensibly doing something urgent but actually just looking around for menswear style inspiration.

Veljko Vesic is a wordsmith with a soft spot for boots and durable apparel. He thrives on the thrill of combining his love for easy-to-wear apparel with the power of the written word.