Heddels Blowout

We have a treat of a discussion for you today with returning guest Ben Robinson. Ben is the founder and editor in chief of footwear website Stitchdown and their upcoming event in Chicago, The Stitchdown Expo.
Longtime listeners will remember my previous talk with Ben about the Indonesian boot scene, but today we get into more details of Ben’s early love of shoes, starting the Stitchdown community, and his picks if he could only have five pairs for the rest of his life.

You can get tickets for the Expo here: https://www.stitchdownexpo.com/

Also thank you to our sponsor, Meermin. Have a look at their selection of welted loafers, oxfords, and boots here: https://meermin.com/

Sashiko is the age old Japanese technique of repairing and reinforcing fabric with rows of decorative running stitches. This little piece of reinforcing thread began over a thousand years ago and has been a mainstay of Japanese peasants, martial artists, and even firefighters.
So if you’ve ever seen some of those awe-inspiring pics of people who have put dozens of hours into customizing their denim and wondered what that was all about, so spool up as we wind back on the past millennium of sashiko  including how you can do it yourself on today’s Blowout.

Today we are talking about that oft-derided denim style that was relegated to the disco era.
This type of cut can go by many names:  bell-bottoms, boot cuts, flares, darts. However you slice it, these inverse-tapered fits usually have a tight fitting top block but are flowing and breezy at the ankle.
As bell-bottoms begin to ring again, let’s take a look at some of the backstory behind these flared jeans.
Thanks again to our sponsor Meermin and thank you for listening and until next time keep it real and keep it raw.

We are currently in the midst of the US Tennis Open being held at the Arthur Ashe arena in Queens, New York, named after one of the most stylish tennis stars of the 20th century, and believe me, there were a lot of them.

It’s also supposedly the end of summer, but it is still 99 degrees where I am in Los Angeles and tennis wear, it’s very nice when it’s hot out! But it wasn’t always that way. So stick around as we dive into tennis shoes, sweatbands, and everything in between on today’s Blowout.

Today’s episode featured writing from the article “Serving in Style” by Kadeem Roper on Heddels.com

We spend an awful lot of time and a lot of digital ink discussing the finer qualities of leather and there is arguably no finer cut than shell cordovan.

You may have seen it on a pair of loafers, a wallet, or a watch strap and immediately recoiled that it was over double the price of the calfskin or chromexcel equivalent. And there’s still a label stamped on the inside of the thing!

Get ready to come out of your shell as we get under the skin of the near mythical shell cordovan on today’s Blowout.

Featuring writing from John Bobey’s article “Shell Cordovan - The King of Leathers”
Meermin
Alden
Crown Northampton
Loyal Stricklin