It seems like almost every store in the last year has gone through a website redesign. Context and SSENSE are now mobile friendly, Frans Boone is faster loading, and Self Edge introduced a clever feature they call their “Jean Finder.”
No revamp, however, has been as dramatic as Quoddy’s – the popular Lewiston, Maine maker for handsewen moccasin shoes. The old site was fairly straightforward. It showed their basic models and the limited number of options for customization. It didn’t seem to inspire much, which is why I imagine most people (including me) went to stockists such as Leffot, Unionmade, and Need Supply for their orders.
The new site, on the other hand, is really impressive. You can now design shoes online and see how they’ll look in-real-time as you click through the different options. Being something like Nike or New Balance’s interfaces, this takes all the guesswork out of designing something custom.
Pictured above are some new Wabanaki Chukkas I recently picked up. The uppers are made from Horween’s Natural Chromexcel leather while the bottoms are a stacked, dark taupe Hevea crepe sole. The interior is lined with a soft glove leather, which I think is well-worth the small upcharge. I was also able to get Quoddy to make these with a handsewn back, like Unionmade’s model here, instead of their usual machine-stitched backstay. Minor pattern changes might also be possible in their other models.
For guys who like traditionally made shoes, this is just about the best way to appreciate new technology.
