Ep. 109: Discussing Small Scale Luxury Manufacturing with Grant Stone Shoes

Ilya here! On this week’s episode of The Worn & Wound Podcast, we’re switching things up a bit. We’re not really talking about watches (don’t worry, there is some watch talk). But if you follow Zach or myself on Instagram, then you’ve likely noticed that other than watches, we’re both pretty into shoes, and one of our favorite brands is Grant Stone.

Our guests this week are Wyatt Gilmore and his father Randy Gilmore, and they’re the founders of Grant Stone. Grant Stone is a relatively young footwear brand, and, in many ways, they’re not unlike some of the smaller, enthusiast-run brands we cover on Worn & Wound. Since hitting the scene in 2016, they’ve already built a catalog of high quality, classically styled shoes — they’ve got plain toe bluchers and longwings, penny loafers and hard-wearing country boots. All models are Goodyear-welted and feature high-quality uppers, insoles, and outsoles. And the thing is, Wyatt and Randy wouldn’t have it any other way. Their family has been in the shoe business for generations so they’re all about doing it right, and though they’re a small fish in a large pond, that experience has allowed them to break out of the pack, and they’ve already grown quite the following of devotees who swear by their shoes.

Wyatt and Randy swung by Worn & Wound HQ to talk about their brand, but we didn't just talk about Grant Stone. We covered a whole bunch of topics like what actually makes a pair of shoes good? What is a welt? How did Alden’s Indy boot get its name? And yes, even how Randy accidentally rolled a tractor over his Rolex GMT-Master II (see, there's watch talk).

This week’s episode of the Worn & Wound podcast is brought to you by Citizen and their iconic line of Eco-Drive watches. For over 40 years, Citizen has been producing watches with Eco-Drive technology. Highly efficient and versatile, Citizen Eco-Drive watches are powered by any light — artificial, natural, and even dim light. Eco-Drive watches never need a battery replacement and once fully charged, many models will operate for 6 months with no light source.To learn more and discover Citizen’s full line of Eco-Drive watches, head to citizenwatch.com/podcast.

Show Notes

Wyatt’s wrist check - Rolex GMT-Master II

Randy’s wrist check - Heuer 1000 Professional

Zach’s wrist check - Farer Bernina Chronograph

Ilya’s wrist check - G-SHOCK Full Metal GMWB5000V-1

Grant Stone Shoes

Grant Stone’s Instagram

D.W. Frommer

Alden

Alden Indy Boots worn by Harrison Ford

The Shoe Mart

Charles Goodyear

What is Goodyear Welting?