the
shoemakers
SYNONYMS: COBBLER, BOOTMAKER, SOUTER [SCOTTISH]
Who are the people that make sartorial shoes?
MONTEGRANARO, ITALY
bontoni
Bontoni shoes have been part of a tradition in Le Marche region of central Italy for over 70 years. Our story begins in the late 1940s with Guido Gazzani a shoe apprentice at the Calzaturificio Strappa e Valentini shoe factory. At first, he made shoes for other local shoemakers. But his reputation quickly grew. By 1958, Guido was customizing shoes for members of the local gentry as well as for merchants. He became one of the most sought-after master shoemakers in the area. Guido passed his craft down through the generations of his family. His sons Bruno and Manfredo followed in his footsteps and started creating shoes of their own for a
select number of clients. As others began to embrace industrialization and mechanical production from the 1970s onwards, Bruno and Guido held out against this trend and adhered to personalized craftsmanship by hand.
MALLORCA, SPAIN
carmina
1866 Matías Pujadas opened a small workshop in Inca, Majorca, and he began crafting tailor-made shoes and started a family tradition of shoemakers which has lasted six generations.
A generation later, his son Mateo Pujadas followed his father's steps, and opened one of the first factories of Goodyear-stitched shoes in the Balearic Islands.
José Albaladejo Pujadas, the founder's great-grandson, continued the family tradition. After a short training with the best shoemaker in Florence he set up one of the largest shoe companies in Spain.
NORTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM
church's
Our history, one that spans centuries, paints a meaningful portrait of a brand that fully appreciates the value of tradition and how it can keep us grounded while propelling us forward. Much like any structure, heritage is built from the ground up, maintaining stability and strength by staying faithful to foundations, possessing an astute sense of the present and an unwavering focus on the future.
Church’s story in shoe-making starts officially in 1873 with the foundation of the company by Thomas Church and his 3 sons. But the shoe-making heritage was already in the Church’s family since the 17th century. In deed, Stone Church, the Church’s great grand-father of Thomas was born in 1676 in Northampton. This British city had a long and solid heritage in shoe-making. So this specific know-how was written in the family’s DNA for several generations. It was natural that several decades later Thomas Church founded his company in Northampton where they still have the main factory.
The business remained within the founding family until 1999, year that Prada Group took over. Thanks to this acquisition, the British company had enough resources to expand overseas. Today the company produces around 5’000 pairs of shoes every week and 70% of total production is dedicated to exportation.
NORTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM
Crockett & Jones
Founded in 1879 by two brothers in-law, James Crockett and Charles Jones, the firm started as a small-scale producer of men’s boots with a £200 grant in hand. The first factory was situated on Exeter Road, Northampton, and housed the initial 20 employees; it was here where the leathers were cut before being distributed to out-workers, who would take the parts home, complete their process and then return all components to the factory.
Business flourished and production needed to expand, so within a few years the team uprooted to Carey Street – a move that saw Crockett & Jones install the innovative Charles Goodyear machine (more on this later).
NORTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM
edward green
Cut by hand from the world’s finest leathers, each pair of Edward Greens is made in our Northampton workshop according to the same principles that have guided us for over a century.
Crafted and honed with unerring attention to detail our shoes embody the timeless elegance of quintessentially English style.
Edward Green was a man with a singular passion for shoes.
Starting in the industry as a twelve-year-old apprentice, Edward was driven by an ambition to make a better class of shoe. He established his own workshop in Northampton in 1890, gathering around him the town’s most illustrious craftsmen, each an expert in their respective field, and sourced the best materials for them to work with.
“Excellence without compromise,” was his promise and soon his name became associated with the finest English Goodyear Welted footwear, gracing style icons from Ernest Hemingway to Edward, the Duke of Windsor.
NORTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM
Gaziano & Girling
Tony Gaziano and Dean Girling have been making high-end shoes in England for over 25 years. Our objective has been to create the finest men’s shoes in the world, mixing Italian lines and comfort with British craft and tradition. Achieving this goal takes immense dedication and a zero-compromise approach to shoemaking.
Gaziano & Girling designs are unique. We strive to find the right balance between contemporary and classic design, re-inventing the classics for men who demand something new but not over-stylized. We also pay constant attention to finding the perfect equilibrium between the last and the style of shoe.
Our goal is to make shoes that are incredibly comfortable to wear as quickly as possible, providing our customers the ideal blend of Italian comfort with British quality and sturdiness.
Our shoes are entirely made in our own factory in Kettering, Northamptonshire. This is where our team of nearly 20 people dedicates time and energy to producing what we consider to be the finest shoes in the world. Our operatives are highly trained and work under the direct supervision of Dean Girling and Tony Gaziano.
PARIS, FRANCE
john lobb
John Lobb equips its wearer for life in movement. The British bootmaker’s durable designs commemorate the markings of distinct routes travelled in life, spanning city commutes and adventures in nature. Lobb boasts a bespoke atelier in Paris, a By Request service and a men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collection, produced in its Northampton workshop.
Since its inception over 150 years ago, Lobb has trodden an innovative path. Its founder, who travelled on foot from the Cornish coast to London in 1851 as a young apprentice bootmaker, also journeyed to Australia during the gold rush, creating hollow heeled boots, in which miners could stow contraband gold nuggets. On returning to London in 1863, Lobb was named as the bootmaker to the Prince of Wales, before opening the brand’s first bespoke boutique on Regent Street in 1866. In 1899, John Lobb evolved its international presence, opening its first Paris boutique. In 1976, the brand was acquired by Hermès, and in 1982 it first launched a ready-to-wear collection. Today, the label has a retail network spanning 19 global stores, from New York to Beijing, Dubai to Tokyo. John Lobb Ltd, remains family-run, catering to its local bespoke clientele and operates from their James’s Street location in London.
Celebrating the expert craftsmanship of its artisans, John Lobb designs still incorporate artisanal techniques and silhouettes discovered in the house’s extensive archive. The label’s ready-to-wear designs are made using a complex 190-step manufacturing process in Northampton. Today, this includes the use of technical fabrics and the incorporation of ultra-light soles, which ensure comfort and durability in movement, and the integration of organic tones and textures, from seafoam blues to pebbled leathers, which nod to Lobb’s coastal beginnings.
True value lies in footwear that lasts a lifetime and John Lobb’s versatile and timeless offering ranges from boots to loafers, sandals to sneakers. Contemporary styles, including the distinctive Alder walking boot and the Foundry sneaker, sit along with iconic designs, like the Lopez loafer and William double-buckle shoe. They act as timeless companions to life’s journey, absorbing its markings along the way.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOMAbout
John Lobb Bootmaker
A lame Cornish farm boy named John Lobb, who dreams of being a shoemaker, journeys to Australia on the coattails of the gold rush after being rejected by all of the major shoemakers in London. Arriving in the Turon Region, he establishes himself in a small tent and sets about producing innovative boots for gold prospectors.
A bootmaker by Royal appointment. John Lobb produces a pair of riding boots for the then Prince of Wales. They are of such quality and distinction that he is awarded the firm's first Royal Warrant. Quite how John Lobb - the then Australian-based shoemaker - was able to attain the measurements of the future King; and from them fashion the much lauded pair of boots, remains a part of shoemaking legend.
Corridonia, italy
santoni
Santoni's story fits the luxury brand that is Santoni. Andrea and Rosa, founders of Santoni shoes, founded their studio in 1975. Their goal was to create perfect state-of-the-art shoes for true connoisseurs and therefore produce shoes that were made and sold exclusively in their own workshops. Andrea Santoni gradually expanded the brand and his studio became too small. After a while only producing shoes from his studio, it was decided to move to a larger building. Today, Santoni shoes are made in a completely eco-friendly factory. All processes outside the workplace have remained the same.