Cobbler Union is an footwear brand that Hugo Jacomet strongly advocates, which blends the European style and American taste, it is a honour to have an interview with its founder, Daniel Porcelli.
Please tell us more about yourself, such as your childhood, your family, your hobby, your education and so on.
I was born and raised in the beautiful country of Argentina.
Like most Argentine kids, growing up, I played “futbol” and idolized the late Diego Maradona.
At the age of 18, I migrated with my family to the U.S., where I still live with my wife and two children.
Before Cobbler Union, I had a pretty traditional global business career. My hobby is Cobbler Union!
How did you fall in love with shoes?
My small hometown in Argentina wasn’t necessarily known for style! I grew up surrounded by the most amazing natural beauty, which I suppose helped me develop some sort of unique sensibility for all things beautiful.
However, I had no way of knowing that one day I would dedicate my life to shoemaking. My love for design, architecture and shoes really started when I arrived in New York City more than 30 years ago.
How did you enter this industry and who are your friends or mentors?
I entered this industry, first as a consumer, and later on as an investor. I enjoyed dressing well when I was a management consultant. Shoes became a key part of my wardrobe.
My entrance into this industry was fortuitous. One of my childhood friends is Norman Vilalta, the great Barcelona-based bespoke shoemaker. As I learned about what he was doing, I started falling in love with his craft and decided (together with my current business partner) to partner with him to attempt to grow his company.
After a couple of years, we realized that the bespoke world was too small for us and saw an opportunity to bring a bespoke-inspired product to market at a competitive price and with a more scalable (direct-to-consumer) business model.
Soon after, Cobbler Union was born in Barcelona and launched online in the summer of 2014.
Where is Cobbler Union headquartered?
From day one, we’ve had offices in Spain and the U.S.
The Spanish team operates from Spain’s capital city, Madrid.
Our American office, where I’m based, is in Atlanta, GA.
Cobbler Union was born online. Do you plan to open stores in the future?
We currently operate a physical store in Atlanta, and while we believe in an omni-channel strategy, the online channel is where we plan to invest most of our time and resources. Our goal is to promote our craft globally and the online channel gives us that possibility.
While nothing replaces trying a shoe in person, we have a group of trained master fitters who do a world-class job assisting our customers in the U.S. and around the world – no matter where they live.
So what is the motivation of Cobbler Union as a brand.
The main motivation of the Cobbler Union brand is to create a worldwide community of like-minded men (and women) who appreciate classic design, elegance and exquisitely-handcrafted products. Our brand, as our name indicates, aims to be the link between the artisans and the consumer. We strongly believe that we need to all work together to both preserve and push our craft forward.
Cobbler Union was also born to allow customers from all corners of the world the opportunity to purchase exceptionally-priced luxury shoes from the convenience of their home or office, wherever they are. You don’t need to live in NYC, London or Shanghai to have access to our world-class products.
Ultimately, our brand aspires to help men discover the power of style and self expression. We believe shoes are the most important part of a man’s outfit, reflecting what that man truly stands for. Well-dressed men are generally more confident, successful, and, most importantly, happier!
Except your own brand, are you carrying other brands? Who are them and why do you love them?
All of our shoes are designed and made by Cobbler Union.
We’ve also created a complimentary business, called, Union Market, where we sell accessories and unique products we love.
The Union Market features a carefully-curated collection of luxury shoe care products, premium accessories, and a few rare objects. We travel throughout Europe extensively and have built strong relationships with other entrepreneurs who share our same vision and passion for handcrafted products. We are proud to bring these products to our customers who may not otherwise have access to them.
Could you describe CU’s style? Why do you think CU is unique?
Cobbler Union’s style is classic European, yet contemporary. Timeless. We are a bit nostalgic about the “roaring 20’s”, but much more interested in offering men a more modern and comfortable alternative given today’s dress styles and demand for versatility.
What makes Cobbler Union unique is our overall value proposition. Our shoes are exclusively designed and made by us, using the very best leathers in the industry and crafted by expert artisans in Spain and Portugal.
Whether we are talking about our Goodyear-welted collection, our drivers, sneakers or belts, all of our products are true luxury products sold at the most competitive prices a customer will find.
Most importantly, we understand we cannot simply rely on our products to be the best. That is why we invest heavily in customer service and the overall customer experience. We want our customers to join our Union for life.
Many shoemakers, like Cobbler Union, manufacture their shoes in the same European factories. How do you differentiate yourselves?
The luxury shoemaking ecosystem today is quite exclusive, and it’s true that some of us share production facilities with a few iconic brands, as well as with fellow independent shoemakers. However, you’re looking at a very small group of companies. Furthermore, this is actually a good thing because we need a community of shoemakers to thrive in order to preserve our craft.
Most importantly, each brand has its own business goals and DNA. Some shoemakers just want to produce a few hundred pairs, while others, like Cobbler Union, produce thousands of pairs. In our case, we have a full-time team at our main factory in order to control every aspect of the production process. Others just show up once a year. Each of us has different design and quality standards. Ultimately, we all make each other better, which is good for the customer.
For dress shoes, what do you think is the most important?
Four elements define a true luxury dress shoe. Quality of materials, construction (craftsmanship), design and attention to detail. Regardless of the shoe type (Oxford, loafer, boot…) you like, I believe you need to consider these four elements when choosing your next pair, or assembling your dress shoe collection.
What can we expect from Cobbler Union in the future?
You can expect to see Cobbler Union continue to expand globally to further promote our amazing craft.
Please say something to Chinese shoe lovers.
I would love to say THANK YOU, and invite them to join us in our journey to preserve and promote our extraordinary craft. Our great craft needs shoe lovers from all over the world to support what we do and to ensure future generations get a chance to enjoy it too.
I’d encourage your readers to join our Union, give us an opportunity to introduce ourselves, experience our products and our industry-best customer service. They won’t be disappointed.