Connor Wilson and Nolan Walsh began bootmaking in Guatemala rather serendipitously. Through hard work, the two learned the industry’s nuts and bolts with remarkable speed, which included making educated production decisions as their company grew. The two considered manufacturing all over the world, but ultimately decided to produce the majority of their boots in León Guanajuato, Mexico. We sat down with Nolan and Connor to talk about the pros and cons of manufacturing in the Mexico versus the U.S., and what attracted them to León.
TB:
How did you begin manufacturing in Mexico?
CW:
When we first started out, we met with top-tier manufacturers all over the world who built products for a lot of the top legacy brands, and it was during that vetting process that we found our great partners in León Guanajuato, Mexico. They had the same philosophical priorities we had in terms of ethical sourcing, fair labor, and high quality goods. We do some manufacturing in the U.S. and Italy, but we haven’t really felt that type of compatibility to the same extent anywhere else.
TB:
How does producing in the U.S. compare?
CW:
It’s convenient. Speed is especially important if we need to receive samples quickly because we’re developing special-edition products. There’s a lot of back-and-forth between the designers and the factories when you’re developing new products. The communication process can be easier if it’s done with people nearby. With that said, there’s a huge range in both speed and quality between factories in the U.S. and Mexico. So, generalizing about the production process in either country is hard. Some of the factories we use in Mexico get us product samples faster than our U.S. partners. It really has more to do with who you’re working with, rather than where. We’re really lucky to have found top-notch partners in both countries.
TB:
Are there any downsides to producing in the U.S.?
CW:
The only downside is that in the U.S., the whole production process is generally done in different locations, and it’s much better if everything happens in one place. When everything happens in different locations, it’s detrimental for the environment, and for the final product too. We do everything we can to streamline our production in the U.S., so that we aren’t being wasteful, and so that the steps flow in sync. But, this is a drawback you’ll encounter if you aren’t careful.
The way we look at it is that we want to have integrity with everything we do, regardless of marketing. So, working with good sub-suppliers that have really good values is really important to us.
TB:
Are there any downsides to producing in Mexico?
CW:
With prudent consideration about where you manufacture in Mexico, there really aren’t any downsides. You just have to make sure you’ve chosen factories with fair labor practices and workers with ample experience. But, when you visit the factories, it becomes evident very quickly which places are producing responsibly, and which are not. We would never manufacture at a factory with standards that weren’t up to par with those in the U.S.
TB:
You mentioned that you use American leather. Why?
NW:
We actually get all of our leather from the U.S. except shell cordovan, which we source from Italy. We do this because there are better practices here than in other countries. We’re responsible manufacturers. We don’t work through sweatshops — I don’t care if that would make us more money — and we care about the environment. We do a lot with our tannery partners to try to find responsibly sourced leather.
TB:
What are your manufacturing goals?
NW:
By 2020, we only want to use hides that aren’t sourced through feed lots, and we’ve started the process, but it’s a piece by piece journey. The way we look at it is that we want to have integrity with everything we do, regardless of marketing. So, working with good sub-suppliers that have really good values is really important to us. Even though we’re not at 100% yet, we’re working hard at doing more.
