Menswear
Formal British-Made Men's Boots — Voted by the Community
This directory lists 14 brands that make formal men's boots in the UK. They are most often based in Northamptonshire and London. Prices run from affordable to luxury. Ranked by community upvotes.
Cheaney Shoes
Cheaney Shoes is a family-owned British brand making high-quality shoes entirely in Northamptonshire since 1886. They maintain traditional craftsmanship at their original factory.
- Classic
- Country
- Formal
Factory shop- Classic
- Country
- Formal
Tricker’s
Tricker’s, founded in 1829, is Britain’s oldest shoemaker, crafting high-quality shoes and boots entirely in Northampton using traditional techniques and Goodyear welt construction.
- Classic
- Country
- Formal
Factory shop- Classic
- Country
- Formal
See these brands on the map59 places from 14 brands, 47 of them shops you can visit.Open the map
Crockett and Jones
Crockett and Jones, founded in 1879 in Northampton, England, is a family-owned British shoemaker specialising in high-quality Goodyear welted footwear with a heritage of craftsmanship.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Factory shop- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Sanders & Sanders
Sanders & Sanders is a British footwear brand founded in 1873 by brothers William and Thomas Sanders in Northamptonshire. They remain family-owned, producing handcrafted shoes in their original factory.
- Casual
- Classic
- Contemporary
Shop to visit- Casual
- Classic
- Contemporary
John Lobb
John Lobb is a British bootmaker founded in 1866, renowned for its handmade bespoke footwear crafted with traditional techniques and royal heritage.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Shop to visit- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Church’s
Church’s is a British footwear brand founded in 1873 by Thomas Church, known for its traditional shoemaking, expert craftsmanship, and timeless designs made in Northampton.
- Classic
- Formal
Factory shop- Classic
- Formal
Robinsons Shoes
Robinsons Shoes, established in 1954, is a British brand known for its heritage and expertise in quality footwear.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Shop to visit- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Bowhill & Elliott
Bowhill & Elliott is a British shoemaking company founded in 1874, known for its heritage craftsmanship and traditional albert slippers made in Norwich.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Shop to visit- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Bodileys
Bodileys of Northampton is a British shoemaking brand established in 1919, known for its century-long family heritage and traditional craftsmanship in English footwear.
- Classic
- Formal
- Classic
- Formal
George Cleverley
George Cleverley, founded in 1958 in London’s Mayfair, is a British independent shoemaker known for its signature chisel-toed bespoke shoes crafted with over a century of heritage and precision.
- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
Shop to visit- Classic
- Formal
- Heritage
John White Shoes
John White Shoes: British footwear since 1919, known for quality craftsmanship and timeless style. Discover the legacy of a true Northamptonshire brand.
- Classic
- Contemporary
- Country
- Classic
- Contemporary
- Country
Barker
Barker, founded in 1880 by Arthur Barker in Earls Barton, England, is a British footwear brand known for its handcrafted shoes and enduring heritage.
- Classic
- Contemporary
- Formal
Factory shop- Classic
- Contemporary
- Formal
Grenson
Grenson is a British footwear brand founded in 1866, renowned for handmade shoes using traditional craftsmanship and the Goodyear welt method.
- Classic
- Country
- Formal
Shop to visit- Classic
- Country
- Formal
Herring Shoes
Herring Shoes offers expertly crafted footwear through partnerships with renowned Northampton manufacturers, ensuring exceptional British craftsmanship since 1966.
- Classic
- Formal
- Classic
- Formal
Shops run by brands that make formal men's boots
11 of the 14 brands that make formal men's boots have a shop you can visit: 9 in London, others in Edinburgh, Northampton, Leeds and 12 other towns.
Barker, Cheaney Shoes, Church’s, Crockett and Jones, George Cleverley, Grenson and 3 more
Church’sfactory shop, Crockett and Jonesfactory shop, Tricker’sfactory shop
Leeds
Belfast
Show 10 more townsShow fewer towns
Birmingham
Chester
Desborough
Cheaney Shoesfactory shop
Earls Barton
Barkerfactory shop
Exeter
Glasgow
Newcastle upon Tyne
This independent directory lists UK-made clothing brands, and marks those that make only some items here.Why choose British-made?
A Brief History of British Made Boots
The United Kingdom has a long history of footwear making, and Northampton and the surrounding county are its best-known centre. In the Middle Ages Northampton had a street of cordwainers, or shoemakers, and a Shoemakers Guild was set up in 1401 to regulate the trade. In 1642 a group of local shoemakers won a contract to supply 600 pairs of boots and 4,000 pairs of shoes for the army going to Ireland, and the area went on to make army footwear for many later wars. By 1841 there were 1,821 shoemakers in the town. Several of today's makers began in this period. Tricker's was founded by Joseph Tricker in 1829, and its Northampton factory on St Michael's Road opened in 1904. Crockett & Jones was set up in Northampton in 1879 by brothers-in-law James Crockett and Charles Jones, and became known for Goodyear-welted footwear. Both still make their boots in Northampton. British bootmaking has served farm and estate work, the army and town wear, and today's makers still use welted construction and traditional methods alongside newer designs.