Stivali About: Our Story — Stivali New York | Handcrafted Boots Since 1998

OUR STORY

Stivali New York was founded in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2016 by Lina and Louis — a Colombian couple, second-generation shoemakers, and partners in life and business.

Lina fell in love with fashion as a child, designing and sewing dresses for her dolls before she could read a pattern. Louis grew up in his family's atelier in Colombia, where artisans have been handcrafting leather footwear since 1998 — surrounded by leather, lasts, and the sound of sewing machines. They met at university in Bogotá and fell in love. As their lives came together, so did their worlds — Lina discovered the family's atelier, its artisans, and the craft behind every pair of shoes. What started as curiosity became conviction: together, they could build something that would bring this extraordinary craftsmanship to the world.

After graduation, they moved to New York City with that dream and little else. They designed their first boots from their apartment, working other jobs to fund every pair. No investors. No industry connections. Just conviction, great leather, and the artisans back home who believed in them.

artisans handmaking stivali new york womens western cowboy boots in the atelier

SECOND-GENERATION SHOEMAKERS SINCE 1998

Every pair of Stivali boots is handcrafted in our family's atelier in Colombia — the same workshop where Louis first learned the craft as a child. Our artisans don't operate machines on an assembly line. They cut, stitch, shape, and finish each boot by hand, a process that takes days, not hours.

We control our entire supply chain from design to delivery. Every boot starts as a sketch in New York and becomes reality in Colombia, made from premium leather selected by artisans who understand the material the way a chef understands ingredients. This is what allows us to offer handcrafted quality without the traditional luxury markup.

When you wear Stivali, you're wearing 28 years of family shoemaking tradition. Every stitch has a story.

NEW YORK GIVES US EDGE. OUR ROOTS GIVE US SOUL.

New York gives us edge — the energy, the style, the pulse of a city where fashion lives on the street, not just the runway. Our roots give us soul — generations of leather-working mastery, a tradition of craftsmanship that runs deeper than any trend.

Stivali New York exists at the intersection. Boots sophisticated enough for a New York sidewalk. Bold enough for a Texas dance floor. Made with hands that have been perfecting this craft for nearly three decades.

INDEPENDENT. ETHICAL. INTENTIONAL.

We are a family-owned, independently funded brand. No venture capital. No outside investors. No shortcuts. Every decision we make — from the leather we select to the artisans we employ to the price on the tag — reflects our values, not a boardroom's.

Our artisans are not anonymous factory workers. They are skilled craftspeople whose families depend on the work we create together. When you buy Stivali New York, you support their craft, their families, and their community. That's not a marketing line. That's the reason we exist.