When it comes to boot buying, a couple things to keep in mind.
One, you’re gonna wear ‘em straight down to the bone. They better be durable.
Two, you’re gonna wear ‘em in New York. They better look the part.
A new Brooklyn brick and mortar delivers on both accounts. Bespoke and then some, Williamsburg’s Sitrana crafts custom-cut leather boots and loafers direct from Santiago.
They’re handmade, handsome and built to last.
Tired of the corporate fashion world, Sitrana co-founder Eric Pitzer bolted from Ohio for Santiago, Chile, where he’d never set foot before. In a new land and punching the clock at a tire factory by day, Pitzer, on a hunt for some new shoes, met Jaime Cardemil, a craftsman and designer who would become his partner.
Cardemil offered Pitzer a two-week turnaround for a custom pair of stompers. The shoes stood apart from the cheap imports Pitzer had seen elsewhere and — voila! — the rest is history. After Cardemil opened his first shop in Santiago — about the size of a living-room rug — the two buddied up, and in 2011, Sitrana was born.
Together, they opened a larger shop in Santiago where the goods are still manufactured today. Six years later, Pitzer decided to spread the company’s seed to Brooklyn.
Apropos for Williamsburg, the shop is rustic and intimate. But the goods speak volumes.
Now with six shoemakers and eight salespeople on board, Sitrana’s boots, oxfords and loafers might not be revolutionary, but they’ll last you a lifetime. Lighter than the average work boot, their kicks are sporty and flexible, their design inspired in part by Cardemil’s rodeo heritage: his uncle is a seven-time Chilean national riding champ. And for the work, the roughly $400 price tag and 2 – 6 week turnaround seems more than fair.
Performance? Quality craft? Good investment?
Check. Check. Check.
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