Sole Survivor Leather

For more than 50 years, Sole Survivor has carried on the tradition of the fine art of leatherwork in St. We are passionate about creating exceptional leather goods! Steve, our founder once expressed, "When I started working with leather in the mid ‘60’s, I knew that this would become my life’s work.” And it did. His legacy endures today, as his family faithfully upholds the traditions and visions

they cultivated through years of dedicated collaboration. Sole Survivor is located in Maplewood, MO - just minutes from downtown St. Louis and close to Forest Park, museums, and the zoo. Visitors can tour the workshop to see an impressive array of hand tools and machinery as well as a view of the artists at work. To take the tour go to the website: https://www.solesurvivorleather.com/products/studio-tour

A BRIEF HISTORY:
"Our adventures began in the late 60's into the 70's with the Midwest arts and craft show circuit. Louis where, in 1985, Sole Survivor settled and opened shop in the Central West End. Over the years, changes to the retail scene inspired a series of moves that eventually led us to Maplewood. Since January 2014 Sole Survivor has been happily settled in Maplewood. We love it here! The community has been so welcoming and supportive." ADDED 7/7/2025
At Sole Survivor, we can only be ourselves—real, authentic, and human. You won’t find influencers promoting our goods or overly produced social media posts. What you will find are people that take pride in our work and value the opportunity to share our skills and knowledge with the community. And if you do come across a Sole Survivor post that looks especially polished or professional— that’s still us. We’re just using the tools available and expressing our work in the best light we can. We're committed to keeping it real and staying true to that “profile,” no matter how it may look. It’s 2025—of course we use the free tools at our disposal. But I’m not interested in being told how things “should” be done, nor do I spend time studying how others do it. I trust my own instincts—backed by over 45 years of experience in this business. That’s what guides me, and that’s what defines Sole Survivor