Grenson

Founded in Rushden, Northamptonshire by a shoemaker name William Green in 1866, Grenson has became a symbol of English heritage and quality British manufacturing. Initially making shoes from his loft, Green quickly became recognised for not only the materials used, but the attention to detail that was paid to each shoe.

By continuing to construct with this ethos in mind, Grenson grew from strength to strength and being one of the first shoe makers to use of Goodyear welts allowed the brand to become a national success. This success meant that Grensons was ultimately responsible for hand crafting shoes for the British Army which could withstand the most brutal conditions imagineable and this effort only emphasised their clear British heritage.

Because of their rich history, Grensons has been a part of a whole range of trends and it is this first hand experience over the years that Grenson is focusing on to celebrate their 150th anniversary. Delving into their archives and painstakingly reproducing 8 shoes from over the years that define their history and their success.

One example of the collection is the Toe-cap Derby boot. Shoe 3 of the collection originally produced in the 1940’s as part of the war effort. Contracted by the Government, the Toe-cap Derby was worn by British Army foot soldiers and was extremely durable thanks the Grain leather used. They have painstakingly recreated the Derby boot with the same leather, same toe-cap and even the same sole print that was used in the 1940’s.

Shoe number 4 of the collection is also from the 1940’s but takes the form of a Wing-tip Oxford. The predecessor of Grenson’s brogues that they make today, Grenson have had to re-create the last that the shoe was built on for a truly authentic representation of the original shoe that came out 70 years ago.

Taking archived silhouettes and accurately making them again whilst also updating them for the needs of the modern day man has been a massive task but their England factory has managed to complete their objective. A nostalgic yet practical collection from the British brand, the Grenson Derby Boot and Grenson Wing-tip Oxford Brogues are available here.