As a child, I saw the boots on my grandfather's feet and was fascinated by how the leather acquired personality over time. As they aged, their texture became more and more interesting to me. Some parts of the boots wore more than others, some were scratched by rocks or branches in the field, and the tips were toasted from the heat of the fireplace in the winter.
The boots that my grandfather wore were the boots of the working class. They were sturdy. They were work boots. They were the boots of the farmers and the shepherds, of the masons and the carpenters. They were as authentic as the people who wore them.
Over time, the traditional leather boots of my grandfather stopped being fashionable, and the mass commercialization of footwear practically led to the extinction of the workshops where they were made. I never liked throwaway consumption, and I never paid much attention to fashion or trends. I am one of those who are guided by authenticity, craftsmanship, and quality.
Then I had a vision: to create boots that integrate history and traditional craftsmanship with enduring style. The boots of my grandfather showed me my destiny, and together, we walked every step of the way, until I turned my vision into Urban Shepherd Boots.
- Tiago Maximo, Founder & CEO
HOW URBAN SHEPHERD BOOTS
ARE MADE
Urban Shepherd Boots are handcrafted at a small, family-owned workshop in Benedita, Portugal, the traditional home of Portuguese shoemaking, that has been making boots for five generations. Our highly skilled artisans use time-tested construction techniques. Every pair of Urban Shepherd Boots features a genuine leather midsole and heel counter, hand-laid cork footbed, hand-shaped stacked leather heel, and Genuine Goodyear Welt Construction, a durable welt process that allows our boots to be re-soled repeatedly.
Only the highest quality materials are used in making Urban Shepherd Boots. We use only natural leather and high-quality components. We never use engineered or reconstituted leather. All of our leather is sourced locally in nearby Alcanena, Portugal, the birthplace of Portugal’s leather industry, where many of our tanneries have been producing leather using traditional methods for over 100 years.
OUR PURPOSE
At Urban Shepherd, we build the best boots we can. We use time-tested construction techniques and the highest quality materials to make boots that integrate history and traditional craftsmanship with enduring style.
History has taught us that well-made leather boots will provide limitless utility, comfort, and reliability. In the past, throwaway consumption did not exist. Boots were expected to last a lifetime, and boots were passed down from one generation to the next. We seek to preserve this tradition by making boots that last longer than you do.
