The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of the US Handsewn Industry

Handsewns—boat shoes, camp mocs, ranger mocs, guide boots, penny loafers, and other shoes and boots made with handsewn moccasin construction—are some of the most comfortable, and indeed truly handmade footwear that exists.

This week on the Shoecast, and Ticho and Ben from Stitchdown get into how they're made, and how the US industry—based largely in Maine—arose and turned into a powerhouse, then entered a troubling period of decline before being reborn in a legitimately wonderful new fashion over the last couple decades.

This is the first of two handsewn episodes; this one is more focused on construction and industry history, while in the next episode we'll get deeper into the USA-made brands we love, their histories, the unique models they make, and plenty more.



This episode was sponsored by Standard & Strange, where you don't NEED an engineering degree to buy their engineer boots...but it helps. 



Theme music: The Road by Punk Rock Opera

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We'd better see you at Stitchdown Chicago 2026—the world's fair of shoes and boots and leather and more—Nov 6-7 at Artifact Events.

https://www.stitchdownbootcamp.com/