Clinch is made by BRASS, one of the first high-end shoe repair shops to open in Japan, owned and operated by Minoru Matsuura. They quickly evolved from shoe repair; to re-lasting to their custom lasts; to building incredible footwear around their custom lasts. 

These lasts are where the magic is. Most modern lasts are optimized for mass-production. Wider, straighter, easier to pump through a production line, and easier to fit every single person into. Clinch lasts are highly sculpted, only suitable for hand-lasting, with a tight fit much like the lasts of the early 20th century. The CN-S last used for these boots has a tight instep and is trim throughout.

The shape of the last dictates the careful construction of the boot. The insole is soaked, then molded to the bottom of the last. From there, the boot is built around that insole. The process for each step is chosen carefully to optimize the final product. A crimping machine is used to pull the machine sewn upper around the last to get a snug fitment; however, all of the welting process is done by hand before the outsoles are stitched on with a Rapid-E.

The leather on these boots is horsebutt from Europe, hand-selected by Minoru himself for the right qualities of density and grain. This part is exceedingly important, as there is tremendous variation in quality in the supply of horsebutt with less than 50% of the stock being suitable for Clinch boots. 

This horsebutt still contains the portion of membrane usually cut out to produce shell cordovan. There is a high density of fibers in this particular cut of hide, which leads to rolls in the area of the boot that flex, rather than creases. No other boot out there will break in like these. Have a look at the worn shots to see how these boots age. 

The rest of the materials are of equally high quality. Brass hardware, welts, and nails all come from Japan; the insole and midsole leathers come from the best tanneries in the world; and the outsoles are custom-made just for Clinch.

The combination of carefully selected hides, truly hand-built construction, and unique lasts creates a boot that is as close to vintage as possible but with all the advantages of modern materials. 

For a really deep dive into the brand, check out this detailed article on Stitchdown.

• Brown overdyed horsebutt uppers
• Brown midsole staining
• Hand-sewn welted construction
• Custom brass hardware from Japan
• Nails from Japan
• Welting from Japan
• O'Sullivan's reproduction corded sole and heels
• CN-S Last
• Resoleable and rebuildable
• Unstructured toebox
• Hand-made in Tokyo

If you have any questions about sizing - or are unsure of your size - please contact us before ordering.