Custom shoe craftsman Drew Altizer in his workshop at Old House Provisions, a fine menswear boutique on Cameron Street in Old Town.
For Drew Altizer, the COVID lockdowns of 2020 provided an opportunity to pursue a newfound hobby, one decidedly different than most people who were working on perfecting their cooking skills. Altizer instead focused on turning his dream into a reality, which came to fruition with the opening last December of Old House Provisions, a menswear boutique with a concentration on bespoke, or custom made, footwear.
“I got into shoe making over COVID as a hobby – I needed something to do with my hands,” Altizer said during a February visit to his workshop. “During COVID I went down a YouTube rabbit hole, mostly watching videos of Japanese shoemakers making shoes and I got hooked.”
Located on Cameron Street in Old Town, Old House Provisions features bespoke shoes, made on premises by
Drew Altizer holds a custom shoe mold, called a last, as he describes the process of bespoke shoe making.
Altizer, a Saint Stephens & Saint Agnes graduate who founded the company in 2022.
Altizer, 29, knew he wanted to make shoes as a career but needed to find a way to make the transition from his consulting career.
“Shoemaking is not a very viable career in the U.S.,” Altizer said. “So the shop has evolved into selling other things to subsidize keeping the trade alive.”
Whether tailored clothing or more casual wear, Old House Provisions features high quality brands without exorbitant brand premiums. Menswear and accessories are part of his inventory.
“We carry clothing from all over the world — Japan, Italy, the U.S., all made by craftspeople who are passionate about what they do,” Altizer said
Altizer trained in his craft primarily in Italy but also worked under British and Japanese masters. His on-site workshop features the tools of his trade, which allow him to provide personalized service for each pair of custom crafted shoes.
Altizer begins the process by taking the clients' measurements and discussing their desires for their shoes. Those measurements are then used to sculpt a completely unique form, called a "last," that the shoes will be made around.
Once the last is sculpted, a pair of fitting shoes is made to verify the fit and highlight any adjustments that need to be made. Once fit is achieved, the final shoes are made entirely by hand using traditional bottoming methods and materials. The process takes over 180 hours for the initial pair and 100 hours for subsequent pairs. The customer is then presented with his shoes in a custom Old House Provisions wooden box.
Altizer’s bespoke pricing for 2024 was $6,200 for the initial pair and $5,200 for additional pairs. But he carries several lines of ready-to-wear, high quality footwear in addition to offering his bespoke services.
“I am the only shoemaker for about 100 miles,” said Altizer, who noted that there are more working astronauts in the U.S. than working shoemakers. “I find that odd since most of the bespoke shoe buyers are in U.S. but there are less than 10 of us in the whole U.S. I hope to change that and get more people into the trade. I love the retail but the main driving force is to expand the craft of shoemaking.”
Altizer points out that shoemakers and cobblers are two distinct trades. As such he will be hosting a side-by-side welting demonstration with Bedo’s Leatherworks on Saturday, March 29 from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. It will feature a coffee tasting from 6 Planes Coffee from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and a bourbon tasting sponsored by Caswell Boot Co. from noon to closing.
“I thought this would be a fun way to show people the differences between the two trades,” Altizer said. “I’m excited about what I do and want to share that with others.”
Old House Provisions is located at 315A Cameron Street in Old Town. 703-969-9566
www.oldhouseprovisions.com