sagara bootmakers

This content was made with the assistance of the Government of the City of Bandung. Stridewise would like to thank Mr. Gunawan and Mr. Qadafi for their help with logistics, transport, and translation — it was very gratefully received. One of the first articles I ever published on this site was an interview with Bagus Satrio of Sagara Bootmaker, one of Indonesia's best known brands in the space. Since day one of covering this industry I've been fascinated with the thrall that the city of Bandung holds over the American boot lover. Even though most orders take months to fulfill, even though the orders usually need to be made over WhatsApp, and even though these boots are objectively heavier and stiffer and more expensive than your average American boot, enthusiasts are more than happy to invest the time and money into getting a pair — every brand in Bandung has a waiting list months long. Why is this the case? On a recent trip to see friends in Jakarta, I decided to make the 3-hour drive south to the West Javan capital and ask the unofficial king of Indonesian boots himself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?vhCKELlT1H9o The History of Bootmaking in Bandung When it comes to global hotspots of bootmaking, a lot of people might think of Northampton in England, North America's Pacific Northwest, Spain's Mallorca, or Mexico's León. So it may be surprising that I traveled halfway around the world to the West Java, but Indonesia's storied history of cordwaining is just as interesting. (Cordwaining is the art of making footwear. Contrast with cobbling, which is the art of repairing footwear.) The story begins when the Dutch colonized the archipelago in the 19th century, bringing European shoemaking techniques with them. Obviously, that's a bit of an oversimplification; what the Dutch "brought" and "took" is a massively long and complex story on its own, but for the purposes of the niche we're spotlighting here, that's how the seed of Bandung's boot scene was planted. But according to the elders in Cibaduyut, where Bandung's boot trade kicked off in the early 1900s, the city's Chinese diaspora also deserve credit. Further Reading 9 Best Indonesian Boot Brands You Should Know About We've put together a list of the best of the best Indonesian boots. Learn more → https://youtu.be/JWQ6F7hgABk "The history goes back to the colonization period in Indonesia when Chinese businessmen established shoe workshops in an area called Cibaduyut, a shoemaking center in Bandung, back in the 1900s," he says. "The craft has continued through generations, and we aim to keep this tradition alive." Chinese migration, particularly when there are business opportunities, has been commonplace in Asia for centuries. With nearly three million Chinese Indonesians today, they're the country's most significant ethnic minority of foreign origin, and Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines each have over a million Chinese residents. Bandung has a reputation as Indonesia's creative hub, attracting artists and craftspeople from all over the country. With the Dutch bringing their time-honored shoemaking techniques and Chinese business interests contributing to their proliferation, there was enough momentum to help this cottage industry slowly build for over a hundred years. Image Source: Sagara Sagara Boots' Construction In many respects, the way Bandung bootmakers craft their wares is frozen in the 19th century. While larger brands welt and last their footwear with high-tech machines that replaced hand welting and hand lasting over a century ago (see our factory trips to England's Tricker's and Spain's Carmina for examples), Bandung is known for embracing the old fashioned ways. "Because we do all the processes by hand," Bagus explains when asked what the draw is. "As you can see, we don't have all that big stinking machinery. We enjoy our older production techniques." This is the core of why Indonesian boots are like catnip for enthusiasts. No machines, no heating rooms, no laser cutting. And there are arguments to be made that these more old fashioned techniques make for more durable boots. But let's get more precise with what we mean by old fashioned techniques. Image Source: Sagara Hand Lasting & Welting When describing the construction as opposed to the materials — which are rare and unusual in their own right — two notable techniques that are commonplace in Bandung are handlasting and handwelting. I've done both, poorly, and can attest that they're physically and technically demanding processes. The boots I made had a litany of problems but in the hands of experts like Sagara, you'll get one-of-a-kind boots that are could well be superior to the mass-produced kind. "Lasting" is when a boot is pulled over the foot-shaped mold, creating the shape and fit of the final product. This boot is being machine lasted at Tricker's. Why Hand Lasting Matters A last is the foot-shaped mold that determines the fit and shape of a boot or shoe. Lasting is the process of pulling the leather over that last and nailing it in place, and it's a lot easier said than done. Most brands use machines to do the job, after which the boot is placed in an oven or sauna-like room to speed the process of the leather molding to the last's shape. But in Indonesia it's all done by hand, and many enthusiasts prefer it that way. "Handlasting allows us to control the tension better, resulting in a superior fit and durability," says Bagus. "When we handlast, we don’t use heaters or ovens to force the leather to mold to the shoe shape. We let them cure naturally, which takes about two weeks to mold perfectly." When hand lasted, a plier pulls the leather over the last. It's a far more complex art form than it sounds, requiring considerable skill and attention to the way the leather "wants" to be stretched. Oak Street Bootmakers is one of the few American brands that also hand lasts their products. "Each piece of leather is going to stretch a different amount, and when you last it on a lasting machine, it’s not going to adjust the tension the way a person would. The machine just grabs it and stretches it," explains the brand's founder, George Vlagos. "The right and left boots come from two different pieces of the hide so they'll probably stretch differently, and hand lasting is way more precise in terms of adjusting that tension: you feel the point where it has stretched as much as it should. So you’re getting a way better fit from a shoe that’s hand lasted, you’re getting a more consistent product, and at the end of the day, some people just enjoy something more handmade." While a Goodyear welt machine can produce hundreds of stitches per minute, a craftsmen takes an hour to finish a boot — more if it's a particularly complex construction like the Norwegian welts Sagara's known for. Why Hand Welting Matters Most resoleable boots have a welt: instead of the upper and the sole being stitched to each other, they're stitched to a strip of leather (usually it's leather) called a welt that's sandwiched between them. In the 1860s, Charles Goodyear created a machine that enabled this operation to be performed in a fraction of the time that folks were taking to do it by hand. Goodyear welting replaced hand welting over 150 years ago, but many cordwainers and enthusiasts still prefer hand welted footwear. "Machine-welted boots use a lock stitch, which can unravel completely if one stitch breaks," says Bagus. "Handwelting uses a continuous thread, making the boots more durable and easier to repair." https://youtu.be/HZHiDSg6fI8 Goodyear welted boots also typically have a strip of canvas glued under the insole, through which the welt is stitched. Hand welted boots don't: instead they cut a channel into the insole and stitch through that instead. We're simplifying here, but because there's no risk of a canvas rib coming unglued, hand welted boots can be said to be more durable than Goodyear welted. The last reason why some guys prefer hand welted and hand lasted footwear? They take more time and skill to make. They bring more artistry and craftsmanship to the boot you're wearing. There's nothing wrong with paying more for that reason alone. Further Reading Why Hand Welted Boots are Better Than Goodyear Welted We get expert insights into how handwelted boots hold up against the gold standard Goodyear welt.Learn more → Marbled Shell Cordovan from Chicago's Horween Leather Company and flown all the way to Bandung. The Unusual Leathers Used On Indonesian Boots You've noticed that in this area of footwear there's an emphasis on slower, more labor-intensive production methods, and this extends to the leathers used. For thousands of years we tanned hides with tannins from plants and bark ("vegetable tanning") but in the 19th century, two scientists from Germany and Sweden invented chrome tanning. That makes a leather that's softer and stretchier — and does it much more quickly and cheaply. Chrome tanning usually takes a day or two, while vegetable tanning usually takes weeks or months. It's rare to find vegetable tanned leather footwear because it's more expensive to produce, chrome tanning can make a wider range of colors, and vegetable tanned leather is simply a lot stiffer: it takes more time to soften, and brands find that more customers return them while complaining about blisters. Note the "honeycomb" look on this vegetable tanned horsebutt, an Italian leather that's extraordinarily popular among American clients of Indonesian boot brands. To be clear, Sagara and other Indonesian brands use plenty of chrome tanned leathers as well as combination tanned leathers, which incorporates elements of both methods. But as a niche that draws the attention of connoissuers and traditionalists, Bandung bootmakers find that many of their customers prefer the thick and tough "veg tan" stuff. "We use thick, pure, vegetable-tanned leathers, around four to five millimeters thick," says Bagus. (Your standard American work boot leather is about two millimeters thick.) "It's overkill, but that's how we like it. This durability allows the boots to last for decades. I often resole boots of ours that are over ten years old." How undyed (or "natural") vegetable tanned horsebutt leather ages. A good indicator of the clientele attracted to Bandung's boot scene is the prevalence of not just vegetable tanned leather, but vegetable tanned horsehide, which is extra thick and hardy. The best known is the natural horsebutt — "natural" meaning it's undyed, so closer to the color of tanned skin — from Italy's Maryam Tannery. "Almost 80 percent of our boots are made with horse leather," says Adi Hermawan, the founder of Bandung's Briselblack Bootmaker. "It's my favorite leather to wear, but it's hard to work with as a craftsman because it's so stiff and thick." "These days, about 70 percent of my boots are made with horsebutt," adds Rizky Afnan of Onderhoud Handmade, a small team of four cordwainers. "Maybe it's because it has some of the cordovan membrane shell part so it creases less than other leathers. It 'rolls' instead." "And it ages very, very fast," adds Bagus. "Seriously. You will find them patina to medium brown in, like, half a year." Tuscan veg-tanned shell cordovan. Image Source: Sagara The most expensive vegetable tanned leather you're likely to find is called Shell Cordovan, which is only made from a membrane at the base of a horse's tail. (There's some debate as to whether it is leather, given it's a membrane and not skin.) Durable, self-shining, and immune to creasing (it "rolls" instead), Shell Cordovan was more commonplace when Americans ate and rode a lot of horses, but today it's harder to come by — and an entire horse will only give you enough Shell for about one pair of boots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v4hpDO1W5-vY Today, Shell Cordovan more often found on dress boots and shoes that usually cost well into four figures. Remember how chrome tanned leather is more soft and stretchy? Although it has great tensile strength, the vegetable tanned Cordovan has very little elasticity, so it's famously hard to last. ("Tears like rice paper" is a common complaint.) Because of the price, how hard it is to work with, how limited the supply is, and how resistant it is to conforming to the foot's shape, Cordovan is rarely offered by big shoe brands. Of course, this isn't the case in Bandung, where Shell Cordovan is often sourced from world renowned tanneries like Chicago's Horween and Japan's Shinki Hikaku. Indonesia is also the place you're most likely to find Shell Cordovan boots made for casual wear. Bagus's favorite casual hiking boot is made with Shell Cordovan, a material usually thought of as the most premium dress shoe leather. The Trailmaster, made with marbled Shell Cordovan from Chicago's Horween Leather Company. Popular Indonesian Boot Styles Most Indonesian brands will make absolutely any kind of boot you like; the customization options are limitless. But not everybody wants to specify dozens of instructions for their orders and most of Bagus's customers order one of these three models. https://www.youtube.com/watch?vj1RGzhIicJE The Monkey Boot Sagara's Cordmaster is a monkey boot, meaning its laces end closer to the toe than most models. Also called lace to toe or LTT boots, it's yet another example of something that's uncommon in big boot brands, but popular among American customers ordering from Bandung. "You can adjust the fit all the way up to the toe area, unlike derby style boots," Bagus explains. "The fitting is more forgiving." The design was inspired by Polish military boot designs from the World Wars, though some argue that lace-to-toe (LTT) boots were originally Czechoslovakian. But Bagus notes that his model is also drawn from the kind of work boots traditionally worn by linemen. "Back in the day, people climbed poles to fix the electricity," he explains, pointing to the extra strip of leather protecting the inner foot. "They needed extra security on the inside of the boots because the boots always rubbed against the pole." Further Reading Sagara Boot Review: How Do Indonesian Boots Hold Up? I test the Cordmaster to see if it lives up to the hype. Learn more → A well worn pair of boondockers from Onderhoud Handmade, a small brand well known for this style. The Boondocker Another popular model that gets sent to America is the boondocker, modeled after the service boots worn by World War II infantrymen. "From my knowledge, back in the day, the US Marines used boondockers with Horween Chromexel roughout," says Bagus. It looks like suede, but roughout is your regular, thick leather that's simply been turned inside out: the fuzz that you'd normally see on the inside of the boot is now on the outside. "The original Boondockers had Horween roughout leather, which is very durable. It doesn't scratch very easily and it doesn't really need care or conditioning. It's very, very hard wearing." To help him stand out from the crowd, Bagus likes to use roughout horse leather on his boondockers. "If I'm being narcissistic, I think our shape is better than the original boondocker," he admits. "In my eyes, at least!" Further Reading Why Horween Leather Company is America’s Best Tannery I headed to Chicago to see how Horeween makes its popular leathers. Learn more → Image Source: Sagara The Trailmaster Hiking Boot Another exemplary boot and Bagus's personal favorite is the Trailmaster, the name he gave his hiking boot. "I love talking about Trailmasters because I love outdoor activities," he gushes. "I like going to the forest, motorcycling, and hiking. And I need some waterproof boots that work well for these activities." The challenge was making a traditional hiking boot that was actually waterproof. "These are classic-style hiking boots, but we added modern features, like a waterproof interlining. And all the hardware is specially made and designed by us. If you broke down the boot, you'd find a lot of plastic washers and seals." How to Buy Indonesian Boots "About sixty to seventy percent of our customers are overseas, mainly Americans," says Bagus. "Indonesian customers can be impatient and less informed, often wanting cheaper prices, whereas American customers know what they want, they're patient, and they appreciate the craftsmanship." The good news: Indonesian boots are completely customizable and they're considerably less expensive than American-made boots. Or they would be, if hand welted horsebutt boots were made in the United States. We're yet to find any made outside of one-man workshops charging four figures for them. The bad news is that unless you're ordering something with Indonesian leather, your boots will probably cost over $500 and take several months to arrive. While you might think boots will be cheaper if ordered from Southeast Asia, you can find cheaper brands stateside because they use machinery instead of hand welting or hand lasting, so they require a lot less labor to produce. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KXXtNgkjriM But that's not the main hurdle for American customers: the main hurdle is the fact that most Indonesian boot brands don't have functioning websites. You need to DM them on Instagram or find their Whatsapp numbers and start the process from there. This can be a bit of a shock for shoppers who are used to Shopify, but the proof is in the pudding: there are dozens of brands in Bandung that are working at peak capacity to get their orders to their customers. Just wait until you see a few reviews on r/goodyearwelt before ordering from newer, untested brands. Sometimes — only sometimes — one will pop up, take orders, and close shop without delivering. Look for established names. Wrapping Up Indonesian boots are not for people looking for immediate gratification. They are, in fact, the total opposite, and that's precisely why they have such an enthusiastic fanbase. These workshops will make you absolutely any kind of boot, from something dressy to something simple, but as Bagus has noted, they're best known for, well, "overkill." Uncommonly tough leathers and construction methods make for boots that may outlast any other model on the market — and look better every day to boot.