Episode 18: Kayleena from Wrackline Leatherware

Some tools are designed to last a few years. Others survive generations of craftspeople.

Cowboy boots occupy a unique place in leathercraft. They combine traditional shoemaking, custom fitting, exotic materials, and generations of specialized knowledge into a product that has to perform just as well as it looks. Matt sits down with Jake Houston of Houston Boot Company to explore what goes into building handmade cowboy boots from the ground up. Jake shares how a search for the perfect pair of stingray boots unexpectedly led him from music and leather carving into full-time bootmaking. Along the way, the conversation covers working with exotic leathers like stingray, elephant, alligator, and kangaroo, the realities of CITES regulations, and why material selection is only one piece of building a great boot. The discussion also dives into lasts, custom fitting, boot anatomy, sizing differences, and the construction details that separate bespoke boots from factory production. Whether you're interested in footwear construction, leather selection, or simply enjoy learning how experienced makers approach their craft, this conversation offers an inside look at one of leatherworking's most specialized disciplines.

Grant Anderson never set out to sell leather. He set out to make a bag as nice as the saddle-leather interior of a used King Ranch truck he loved. That turned into Uptown Common, a one-person shop in the Indianapolis area built around structured, hand-sewn bags. Then a single sale at a Chicago show went sideways. A customer wanted a strap, the exact MPG hide had been discontinued, and Grant had to call in a favor just to finish the order.

Alexis Saab joins Matt Roach for a follow-up conversation on the shift from custom footwear into small leather goods. After years of working on custom sneakers, Alexis is building a new brand called Back Home, focused on wallets and leather goods that can stand on their own without depending on another footwear brand’s silhouette. The conversation moves through logo design, leather stamps, the difference between chrome tan and veg tan, and why simplicity matters when branding leather. Alexis also breaks down what makes sneakers so time-consuming: patterns, lasts, machinery, sole attachment, hidden mistakes, and the stress of long custom timelines. Matt and Alexis compare shoemaking to wallet making, talk through post-bed machines, bell skivers, workshop space, tool maintenance, and the challenge of charging fairly for work that takes years to learn. They also get into community, content, and Alexis’s long-term goal of creating his own footwear silhouette. For anyone building leather goods, thinking about footwear, or trying to develop a brand voice through product design, this is a grounded look at craft evolution in real time.

Mike from BulSae Leather joins Matt in this deep‑dive into Korea’s vibrant leathercraft culture. Starting with a single wallet and fueled by a passion to “make things that last longer than our lifetime,” Mike has built BulSae Leather into a small but mighty workshop known for its clean design, uncompromising hand‑work, and thoughtful storytelling. In this episode you’ll hear how a childhood fascination turned into a full‑time craft, why the name BulSae—Korean for “phoenix”—represents both heritage and reinvention, and how Mike balances tradition with modern tools in a world where “handmade” is often gate‑kept.