Alexis Saab on launching Back Home, expanding beyond custom sneakers, and building a leather goods brand

Guest: Alexis SaabSponsor: NonePrimary Topic: Building a small leather goods brand from a custom footwear backgroundCTA: Listen to the full conversation on The Leather Shop Podcast at leathershoppod.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen. Follow @leathershoppod for new episodes and clips.Discussed in this episodeAlexis’s move from custom sneakers into small leather goodsThe early direction for his new brand, Back HomeDesigning a logo that works when stamped into leatherWhy detailed artwork can fail when pressed into certain leather typesThe skull-and-halo concept behind the Back Home markLearning leather through footwear, scrap leather, and experimentationChrome tan versus veg tan from a maker’s point of viewWhy shoe patterns are harder than wallet patternsSneakers, boots, and dress shoes as different craft disciplinesRush-order stress and the cost of mistakes in custom footwearHeat-activated glue and sole attachmentPost-bed machines, roller feet, and stitching around curvesBell skivers, machine maintenance, and workshop spaceLeather community versus shoemaking communitySelling through design instead of only selling materialAlexis’s long-term goal of creating his own shoe silhouette