Local Love: The Brothers Crisp

Meet The Brothers Crisp, makers of artisan hand-sewn shoes in Hartford, Connecticut.

"We have been in business for 2 years making made-to-order footwear and we released our first collection in October 2014. I was inspired to open the business after a life-time of interest in men’s footwear and sneakers. I was inspired by the upswing in local craftsmen and makers, one specific inspiration was Hartford Denim Company. My goal was to design and produce every shoe in house, bringing a fresh perspective to a traditional design.

We make artisan hand-sewn shoes. Customers are able to shop through our online store, or contact us and work with one on one for a made-to-order design and fit. We carry sizes 5-13, and have a wide range of leather and soles to choose from. We also are expanding our wholesale accounts and working with boutiques all over the place which is quite exciting.

Fashion forward men’s footwear is becoming increasingly popular. We market to a wide range of generations keeping our designs traditional and elegant as our grandfathers used to wear, while still catering to the younger crowed by using 80's and 90's sneakers as inspiration as well. However, we create our collections based mostly on our own personal taste and style.

The challenges of setting up The Brothers Crisp has been getting our name out there. Because we are a high end product, it’s important to find the right retail stores. Social media has been extremely helpful to reach more clientele, and launch our new lines not only locally, but globally. Also, we have entered the fashion industry as a maker brand, and therefore, have the added task of figuring out the artisan manufacturing side of the business which comes with a workshop full of machines that need to be working to keep the wheels moving.

This business has been constantly full of surprises and opportunities. The social media response to our products have been amazing and led to clients all over the world. It’s funny to us that our best customer (he has 6 pairs) is a doctor from Singapore. We would never have guessed that 2 years ago.

We also had an awesome opportunity to pitch to be part of this New York boutique store STORY’s holiday collection this past winter. We got to the pitch event and there was a surprise panelist, Whoopi Goldberg. Crazy. She and the rest of panelist liked the shoes, too, and we were selected to be in the collection.

Currently, we are working on a new line, which will launch in the next month. We are also planning a custom fit event, where guests can not only come and mingle but also get fitted and design their shoe. We are also helping to organize some local markets in our neighborhood in Hartford, Parkville. Be on the lookout for those this summer - delicious local food and music."

The Brothers Crisp

1477 Park Street Suite 2E

Hartford, CT 06106

mail@thebrotherscrisp.com

1 (860) 385 2040

Currently open Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm

Find The Brothers Crisp on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter.

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