Southern men rejoice! On Thursday, September 1st, two-year-old Atlanta-based shoemaker Cobbler Union will open their second brick-and-mortar retail location on the second floor of Ponce City Market in midtown Atlanta.
If you haven’t heard about these dudes before – they are a small-batch, luxury men’s shoe brand founded by two life-long friends Stephen Beehler and Daniel Porcelli, who work with Spanish cobblers to bring luxury shoes at an affordable price to men around the world.
After spending three years at a shoemaking studio in Barcelona that sold their product for around $4,000 a pair, the friends were dissatisfied with the high-price point and lack of accessibility associated with luxury shoes. They aimed to utilize their craft and create a brand that appealed to a wider audience. Thus, Cobbler Union was born – a new type of luxury company rooted in the high standards of shoemaking but designed to offer men the highest quality shoes at accessible prices, starting at $395. The brand recognizes the role that shoes play in a man’s life and it is their belief that beautifully crafted, quality shoes have the power to transform. We concur!
The Cobbler Union philosophy is defined by a relentless commitment to three core principles of luxury: Craftsmanship, Quality and Authenticity:
- Craftsmanship – all Cobbler Union pieces are exclusively handcrafted in Europe to ensure top-of-the-line craftsmanship. All of their shoes are Goodyear-welted, a process that requires over 220 operations involving over 20 artisans from start to finish.
- Quality – Cobbler Union shoes are crafted out of the finest, top-grade calfskins and materials available – the same used by some of the most famous luxury houses in Europe.
- Authenticity – With one of the founders and master shoemaker both residing in Spain, Cobbler Union ensures the strictest standards of quality are followed at every stage of production.
After two years of success in e-commerce and a year of brick-and-mortar retail at their Inman Park location (that’s an awesome historic neighborhood in Atlanta), Cobbler Union will open in a 1,037-square-foot showroom – double the size of their existing location – within Atlanta’s new(ish) Ponce City Market. As Stephen explained to us, “Our goal – to help preserve the art and craft of shoemaking while providing men around the world with exquisite shoes – will fit in well within the walls of PCM.”
The largest adaptive reuse project ever in Atlanta, Ponce City Market is housed in the former Sears, Roebuck and Co. distribution center that was built in 1926. The classical building contains 1.1 million square feet of retail, office and residential space. Stephen told us that, “Jamestown (the developer) spent a lot of time and energy to preserve the beauty and legacy of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. building with the vision of Ponce City Market. This same kind of passion for legacy and attention to details is what we obsess over at Cobbler Union.”
Cobbler Union will continue to honor and replicate the uniqueness of the bespoke experience at the new location with features such as their made-to-order (MTO) program where customers will be able to shop existing styles and customize them to their liking by selecting the leather and sole to create their own unique, one-of-a-kind creation in addition to their in-store belt-cutting display where they will demonstrate the cutting of leather belts and weekly Sip n’ Shine events every Thursday evening from 6PM – 8PM, inviting customers and friends to shop, get their shoes shined and have a drink.
