While a lot of the world’s bootmakers are amazing craftspeople, they aren’t always great marketers or tech aficionados, so their amazing products languish in the shadows… until a couple of doofus shoe fans make a list like this one. For this video (and article!) I needed help from someone with even more in-depth and niche … Read more
More and more American brands are outsourcing their production overseas, and look, that doesn’t necessarily mean their products are becoming lower quality. Good and bad products are made in every country, and the producers’ nationality has a lot less to do with it than their business practices. But that doesn’t mean there’s no reason to … Read more
It is surprising how many boot companies don’t offer wide options for their boots. It makes more sense when you realize that these businesses need to make new lasts — foot-shaped blocks of wood used to create the fit — when they want to offer wider sizes. Creating new lasts is incredibly laborious and expensive, … Read more
So, you’re serious about boots. You’re looking for the highest quality, the ones that will really last, and it’s got you asking the real questions like, “I want these boots to last ten years, will I be able to resole them?” We get it, and is resoleability (a word we’re choosing to believe exists) is … Read more
I always thought a Chelsea was a Chelsea was a Chelsea until I came across the Holt, the aesthetic of which I can only describe as a Chelsea from the future. Founded in 2009 by Josh Binghaman and now a fixture of Austin’s shoe scene, Helm is a company that I’ve always liked for their … Read more
Helm is an Austin-based shoe company that has become a fixture of the city’s boot scene. Well known for their trademark white stripe in the midsole, their shoes pull off a rare feat of being distinctive but traditional, with silhouettes that work in a ton of different outfits and environments. I’ve reviewed their flagship Muller … Read more
For those coming from YouTube, the discount code is just beneath the video↓ Joshua Bingaman had a storied history in footwear before launching Helm. His career had included managing (then selling) a chain of footwear stores and by the time he started this Austin-based outfit, he had racked up twenty years in the footwear industry. … Read more