Where did you pull your inspiration from when designing Brothers and Sons?

James: At the beginning of the apparel design process, I looked to a variety of places to find inspiration. Crafting a brand where there really isn’t a direct competitor is a unique challenge. It definitely gives you an opportunity to focus on the wants and needs of that target male consumer and what he does, what he wears, and how his apparel helps him get outdoors.

Jamie: Boots inspiration started with an initial brand essence landscape provided to us by our Creative department. It gave us a foundation of inspiration to build upon. From that foundation, I began to explore segments of the United States where the country lifestyle is a way of life and the preferred identity, rather than the western lifestyle: Austin, TX, Denver, CO, Nashville, TN, Lincoln, NE, Charlottesville, VA, and on. After filtering that information, I dove into the people that represent that demographic. I started to look at who that consumer group is and how they live: what jobs they have, what vehicle they drive, all the way down to what food they eat. Utilizing all that information, I began to develop the base persona for the brand. It is that persona that inspires the designs now and for the future.

What is your design process?

James: My apparel design process involved field research. I want to understand what is important to the people I am looking to support. I try to have that mental picture of this man’s world, capturing imagery through pictures of the overall aesthetic. Then I use pictures and 2D sketches of product details.

Jamie: I’m an industrial designer by trade, so my process is to start by building the model of the target consumer. As that takes shape, I begin to look at adjacent markets of products that the consumer identifies with to see if there are trends in the product categories or materials that I might be able to incorporate into the designs that will attract the customer. From there, I use the initial persona information to begin hand drawing loose ideas, attempting to incorporate some of the details identified in my research phase. As I work through my design process, I begin to shape the initial look of the design, and then start to add color and materials to give the design life.

What makes Brothers and Sons unique?

James: While traditional outdoor brands have a northern or mountain states aesthetic, Brothers and Sons apparel speaks to a western and southern outdoorsman. This is a brand looking to give a home to the men who live outside but are not bound by convention.

Jamie: It’s the two foundational principles that each category of products is designed into: performance and authenticity. Each platform is built around a core performance attribute that is in fact authentic to those customers’ needs. A great example of this would be the Zero Gravity Lite collection. A unique blend of authentic country-inspired looks that also have the performance attributes that customers crave. Specifically, the ASE7 Adaptive Stretch Engineering feature allows that product to fit a wider range of customers with its unique ability to expand and allow those with a bit larger foot and calf to still find a comfortable boot that fits their lifestyle.

What inspires you personally about this brand?

James: I have been inspired by the mixture of outdoor and lifestyle pieces; creating a collection that touches everything in a man’s wardrobe without limits, without a specific occasion or activity in mind. But instead creating purposeful details that will enhance his outdoor experience.

Jamie: The brand, at its heart, speaks to the rugged, unrefined nature of its core demographic, and it’s that aspect that I can connect with personally. It’s because of this connection, and my decades of design experience, that I can bring those emotions into the designs and final products. From a personal perspective, I find the Brothers and Sons brand exciting due to its authenticity to the customer; because I am, in large part, a reflection of that customer, I have a deeper emotional connection to the brand itself.

What utility features are you most proud of and how does the customer benefit from these features?

James: There are subtle yet purposeful details to enhance his outdoor experience, like a drop-in knife pocket on a pair of pants for his utility knife, a utility lash point cord on all the back belt loops, or the extra buttonhole on the cotton jackets for an additional lash point or to drop his sunglass post. I hope that men find the product approachable and appreciate the look and feel.

Jamie: The rugged durability is what helps separate Brothers and Sons from similar products. The boots are designed from the ground up with an underlying idea that these should be your go to footwear daily—whether that be on the ranch, in the garage, or out at your local bar, simply because they’ve been crafted with that core principle of durability in mind. The clear benefit to the customer is once they find the right style that speaks to them, they can count on the durability and fit, and that it will be the same every time.

What types of problems do Brothers and Sons’ boots solve?

Jamie: First and foremost, it’s the fit of the product. When trying to fit footwear themselves, some people might compromise on certain comfort aspects for the sake of appearance. Footwear is built around what’s called a last, which is a representation of the human foot. There have been literally 100s of thousands of last shapes over the years, most of which compromise key fit characteristics for a variety of reasons, including cost, appearance, or simply the last was built by someone without proper knowledge of how a last should be made. The lasts we use for Brothers and Sons boots were built by footwear experts who have decades of experience ensuring the lasts are perfect for that boot and boot construction. It’s because of this key aspect that we can be assured that most customers won’t have to compromise on any aspects of fit and comfort.

How do you hope this brand resonates with customers?

Jamie: I hope as more and more people purchase products under the Brothers and Sons label, they connect with the authenticity of the products themselves. I hope the customer understands that we aren’t just trying to sell them a boot, but an overall experience from the moment they walk into a Boot Barn store, all the way through to the end of the lifespan of that boot. We want them to feel as connected to the brand as we are when we are developing the styles for them, and that’s done by providing them the total experience. As the principal designer for the Brothers and Sons brand, I want our customers to know that we are very thankful for their support, and we will always stick to the core principles of performance and authenticity for the brand.