At Crown Northampton, we often talk about materials and craftsmanship - cornerstones of our work. But shoes are about more than leather and stitches; they’re about the people who make, wear, and passionately champion them. In our latest People and Product series, we celebrate an individual who embodies this connection to the world of footwear.
We’re proud to feature Ben Robinson, founder of stitchdown.com - a leading voice for boot and shoe enthusiasts and the driving force behind the annual Stitchdown Boot Camp. With his deep knowledge of heritage footwear and a dedication to building a thriving community, Ben has become a vital figure in the industry. In this interview, Ben shares his insights on what makes a shoe truly great, why he chose to collaborate with Crown Northampton, and how he’s working to keep the art of shoemaking alive.
Hi Ben, thank you for letting us interrogate you we’ve been meaning to pin you down for a while! It's great to finally do so on your side of the Atlantic. You’ve reviewed countless brands and products over the years - what characteristics do you think make a shoe or boot truly great?
Now, of course a pair of shoes or boots that fits the wearer perfectly (or pretty darn well) could easily be considered as the MOST important aspect. If you can’t wear the damn things, and comfortably, what’s the point of any of the rest? But, fit and sizing are so personal that we’ll leave that one aside.
Which means truly high quality materials, skilful and thoughtful construction approaches that incorporate how those materials function and interact, and a well balanced design are all of equal importance to me. There’s really nothing that doesn’t thrive in each of those areas that I would consider to be “truly great”.
Ben wears a pair of Crown Abbey Unlined Oxford Sneakers — made using Horween's Dearborn leather for its super softness, the Abbey provides ultimate comfort.
What led you to choose Crown Northampton and E.Woodford & Sons as a partner for Stitchdown Boot Camp, and what stood out to you most about our shoes and production approach?
The legitimately unique footwear that Crown and E.Woodford put out was no doubt the spark - our community has been so intrigued by the shell cordovan Harlestone Handstitch sneakers for years (and with good reason; I have a pair and they’re remarkable). But it was the visit I took to Northampton with a small group that sealed the deal. Visiting the Crown factory was one of our highlights, especially the handwelting tutorial we received. Despite excellent instruction, I clumsily sent the shoe I was welting flying into my chin - with cartoon stars circling my head I said “ok we definitely need to have people do this at Boot Camp.” Luckily they were all much safer than me.
As for the shoes, there’s quite legitimately nothing like them. E.Woodford & Sons’s ultra-slow handmade production with details you basically never see is just so unique. The materials used for the sneakers are as good or better than what is used in the world’s best dress shoes, which is senseless and wonderful. The resoleability is crucial - it would be a damned crime to see a pair of Crown sneakers in the trash, ever.
The Shell Cordovan Harlestone Handstitch Derby — popular amongst the Stitchdown community
In your opinion, what are the key considerations for someone looking to make their first investment in high-quality / high cost footwear?
Fools rush in, said Salma Hayek. Or Elvis. Definitely one of them. But boy were they right. Great footwear is not cheap, nor should it be. But that just means making the most informed choice possible is all the more important to really getting it right. Taking your time, figuring out as much as possible, and just BEING considered is the only reasonable route as far as I’m concerned.
I get the “what are the best shoes I can buy” question way too often. There’s no answer I can give anyone straight off the bat. The question needs to be “what are the best shoes I can buy…for me, for 'x' use case, for 'x' time in my life?” My personal keys are thinking about:
- what you’re drawn to stylistically,
- how well it’s made and with what materials, and
- how, why, and where you plan to deploy these wonderful things. The right recipe of those - plus of course - hopefully getting a great fit figured out plus some time in the slow cooker tends to produce the dish you want.
"The materials used for the [Crown] sneakers are as good or better than what is used in the world’s best dress shoes, which is both senseless and wonderful."
From your experience, what separates good leather and components from truly exceptional ones when it comes to creating a long-lasting boot?
The sad reality is that most leather used on most products in the world is really not that great. Some can be more than fine for its job - but when it comes to footwear, the stakes are absolutely raised. Truly great leather takes a top-flight raw material and tans it expertly. So how can you tell the difference? A skilled eye can usually determine if something is pretty shit just by looking at it. But the best stuff has to be handled to understand it, and seen in action on well-used footwear.
The good news is, while leather is ALWAYS a variable natural material (important to remember!), the world’s best tanneries do a fantastic job of putting out a consistent product. As for resources, I strongly recommend the Patina Project app to understand how great leather performs and ages. It has hundreds of thousands of photos of shoes and boots made with very specific leathers, tracked over time. If you like what you see after some serious wear, there’s a decent chance your next pair could do the same.
Our growing Crown community is central to what we do, and connecting with customers is a key part of our work. How do you approach building and engaging with your community, and what role does it play in your work?
I fully believe there might not be a quality shoe industry ten years from now without a strong community that creates and buys and loves it. That community is everything. The simple fact is that the majority of people just aren’t ever going to embrace better footwear.
But so many tiny little pockets of interest and love for it exists around the world. The idea that we can come together online daily, and in person as often as possible, and share that love and our knowledge is so essential to helping wider interest grow (and keeping our shoe-addled brains sane).
Our yearly Boot Camp event is the biggest example of an in-person community gathering for footwear lovers, and the energy and connection in that weekend is just amazing. The Stitchdown Discord is a wonderful daily meeting place for people to share knowledge, advice, and more - and even just to engage in the simple act of telling someone else how fantastic their boots look. But even on a wider scale, Instagram and Reddit and Styleforum are all so essential. The more conversation that’s happening in various places, the better for everyone who makes or loves great shoes. And man it’s just so damn fun.
A bit about you, if we may…why did you start Stitchdown and Boot Camp? How did it come about?
Stitchdown started simply because I loved shoes and boots way too much, and wanted to help people understand them better while learning every day myself. A few years in I realized some hard truths about the quality footwear industry - mainly that it literally might not persist if we couldn’t educate people and help it continue to gain interest in a world full of disposable, cheap shoes.
So the stakes certainly got higher, and has required some strategic focus and tactical changes in terms of content and education. But in the end…I love this stuff, and I want to see it continue. The more people get educated and excited about it, the better the shot it’s got in the long term.
What do you want it to look like ten years from now?
Oh man, the big one. Expanding the deeply engaged audience for what we cover and believe in - while keeping everything pure and honest and on-mission is the paramount goal. So honestly, if I’m NOT traveling the world for a Netflix show opening millions of eyes to the wonder and beauty and craft of this kind of footwear, something’s gone wrong.
Lastly, when you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Other than “owner of more really dope shoes,” I was quite certain I was going to be editor in chief of Sports Illustrated.
Thank you to Ben Robinson for sharing his time and expertise with us. From his thoughtful advice on investing in great footwear to his vision for expanding the boot and shoe community, Ben’s passion for quality and craft is unmistakable.
While his childhood dream of running Sports Illustrated may have taken a different path, his influence in the footwear world is undeniable - and we’ll be cheering him on when that Netflix show becomes a reality. Thank you, Ben!
Visit Stitchdown.com for more from Ben!
