As we get closer to this year’s Stitchdown Expo x Super Trunk Show in Chicago, I wanted to highlight one of the more special experiences taking place around the event: the Optimo Hat Factory Tour.

For those who have followed the Super Trunk Show over the years, you will know that I have always felt the event should be about more than simply putting a lot of shoes in a room. The most interesting part of this world is the craftsmanship behind the products—the makers, the materials, the machinery, the techniques and, ultimately, the people keeping these trades alive.

And while hats might not technically be shoes, Optimo certainly belongs in that conversation as one of America’s craftsmen. Optimo joined us in our NYC Super Trunk Shows and was always among the most popular brands displaying.

Located in Chicago, Optimo makes some of the finest hats in America, and their factory is quite frankly incredible (from what I have heard and seen in pics — and I very much look forward to seeing it in person).

The factory itself is housed in a beautifully restored historic Chicago firehouse, and the interior feels more like a combination of an old-world workshop and a modern design studio than what most people probably imagine when they hear the word “factory.”

More importantly, this is a working factory. The machinery, blocks, tools, and processes you see are actually being used to make hats. That is precisely why we thought it would make such a great addition to the Chicago Super Trunk Show weekend.

I think that the location/factory building is such a brilliant idea, and my hat is off to Graham (no pun intended) for this choice of location. Graham Thompson is the owner and founder of Optimo Hats.

The Optimo Hat Factory Tour

The Optimo Hat Factory Tour takes place on Thursday, November 5th, from 1pm–6pm, the day before Stitchdown Expo x The Super Trunk Show officially gets underway.

Guests purchasing the Optimo Hat Factory Tour Pass will get access to the factory and an opportunity to see how Optimo’s hats are actually made. If you appreciate shoemaking, I know you will find plenty here that feels familiar and resonates with your appreciation for craftsmanship.

There is something fascinating about seeing traditional manufacturing up close: old machinery still doing exactly what it was designed to do, specialized tools that exist for one very particular purpose, craftspeople who understand processes that most people never even realize exist.

Whether the end result is a bespoke shoe, a well-fitted suit, or a fine hat, there is a common language between these crafts. That craftsmanship is something that needs to stay alive in order to pass on to the next generations. And Optimo’s factory is an especially beautiful example of preserving the craft.

And Then There Is Saphir…

Naturally, we couldn’t have a Super Trunk-related gathering without bringing shoes into the equation.

As part of the Optimo experience, Saphir Médaille d’Or (Preston Soto of The Elegant Oxford) will host a Shoe Shine Masterclass, giving attendees another opportunity to dive deeper into proper shoe care and polishing techniques.

Saphir is one of the presenting sponsors of this year’s event and will also be involved throughout the weekend, including presenting The Americas Championships of Shoe Shining on Saturday.

So, in the middle of spending an afternoon learning about traditional American hatmaking, we will naturally find a way to talk and educate about shoes and shoe care. As one does 🙂

Cocktails With Kirby Allison

The afternoon will then transition into a cocktail reception hosted by Kirby Allison.

Anyone familiar with Kirby probably understands why Optimo is such a natural fit for him. His entire world revolves around craftsmanship, traditional menswear, and the people who continue to make exceptional things properly.

So rather than simply touring the factory and leaving, the idea is to make the afternoon a proper gathering—an opportunity to spend time with fellow enthusiasts, talk shoes, hats, and menswear, and enjoy one of Chicago’s more remarkable manufacturing spaces.

And that social element is important.

One of my favorite parts of the Super Trunk Show has always been what happens around the products themselves. You come to see shoes, but you end up spending half the day talking to a shoemaker, a collector, someone from a tannery, or another enthusiast you have only ever known through Instagram.

This Optimo afternoon should have very much that same feeling, only in a much smaller and more intimate environment.

The Pass Gets You Much More Than the Factory Tour

It is also worth emphasizing that the Optimo Hat Factory Tour Pass is not simply a ticket to Thursday’s Optimo event.

The pass costs $225 before booking fees and tax and effectively becomes your VIP ticket for the entire weekend.

It includes:

• The Optimo Hat Factory Tour on Thursday, November 5th, from 1–6pm
• The Saphir Shoe Shine Masterclass
• The cocktail reception hosted by Kirby Allison
• Early Access privileges for Stitchdown Expo x The Super Trunk Show
• 9am entry on Saturday, two hours before General Admission
• VIP Wrap Party access Saturday evening from 6–10pm
• Complimentary beer and wine at the Wrap Party
• Priority registration for Chicago School of Shoemaking classes

The main event itself takes place Friday, November 6th and Saturday, November 7th at Artifact Events in Chicago, bringing Stitchdown Expo and The Super Trunk Show together for the first time. The result will be everything from rugged boots and tanneries to classic shoes, bespoke shoemaking, tailoring, shoe care, leather goods and repair—all under one roof.

In other words, this is not really an Optimo ticket with a few extras attached. It is one of the more complete ways to experience the entire weekend.

A Rare Chance to See Behind the Scenes

Factory tours like this are something I have been fortunate enough to experience quite a lot through my work in the shoe industry, and I never really get tired of them.

You simply understand a product differently once you see how it is made.

We spend a lot of time talking about “craftsmanship” these days, sometimes to the point where the word starts to lose its meaning. But walking through a real workshop and seeing the machinery, materials, processes and human skill involved puts everything back into perspective.

That is what makes the Optimo experience interesting to me.

You get an afternoon inside one of America’s most interesting traditional manufacturers, a Saphir shoe shine masterclass, drinks with Kirby and a group of people who are probably just as obsessed with well-made things as you are—and then two days of one of the largest gatherings of quality footwear and leather in the country.

Not a bad way to spend a long weekend in Chicago.

Get Your Optimo Hat Factory Tour Pass

The Optimo Hat Factory Tour Pass is $225, plus booking fees and applicable tax.

Thursday, November 5th: Optimo Factory Tour, Saphir Masterclass & Cocktail Reception
Friday, November 6th: Stitchdown Expo x Super Trunk Show
Saturday, November 7th: Early Access + Expo + VIP Wrap Party

Space for these special experiences is naturally much more limited than general admission, so if the Optimo tour is something you want to do, I would not leave it until November.

BUY THE OPTIMO HAT FACTORY TOUR PASS

See you in Chicago!

—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob

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