Menswear
Contemporary British-Made Men's Shoes and Footwear — Voted by the Community
This directory lists 12 brands that make contemporary men's shoes in the UK. They are most often based in Northamptonshire and London. Prices run from affordable to luxury. Ranked by community upvotes.
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
Dartmoor Shoemakers
Dartmoor Shoemakers, founded in 1981 in Devon, handcraft durable, repairable handmade leather footwear.
- Casual
- Contemporary
- Outdoor
- Casual
- Contemporary
- Outdoor
See these brands on the map32 places from 10 brands, 22 of them shops you can visit.Open the map
Solovair
Solovair is a British footwear brand with a heritage dating back to 1881, renowned for handmade, Goodyear welted shoes crafted in England.
- Classic
- Contemporary
Factory shop- Classic
- Contemporary
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
Ross Oliver
Ross Oliver crafts handmade British footwear using traditional techniques and sustainable cactus leather, blending heritage craftsmanship with modern design.
- Casual
- Classic
- Contemporary
- Casual
- Classic
- Contemporary
Noble and Wylie
Noble and Wylie produce handmade, sustainable footwear in Sheffield, crafted for ethical consumers seeking long-lasting, repairable shoes and accessories.
- Contemporary
- Ethical
Factory shop- Contemporary
- Ethical
- Percy Stride
Percy Stride
Percy Stride crafts handmade men's footwear with British design and manufacture. Goodyear welted shoes challenge convention using innovative colours in a family-run factory.
- Classic
- Contemporary
- Classic
- Contemporary
- RED Shoes
RED Shoes
RED Shoes makes award-winning, handcrafted, foot shaped shoes that are repairable and designed to last, based in Machynlleth, Wales.
- Contemporary
- Ethical
Factory shop- Contemporary
- Ethical
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
Duke and Dexter
Duke and Dexter is a British brand founded in 2015, known for contemporary footwear designed in London and handmade in England.
- Contemporary
- Formal
- Contemporary
- Formal
Oliver Spencer
Oliver Spencer is a men's fashion brand specialising in casual and contemporary clothing.
- Contemporary
- Timeless
Shop to visit- Contemporary
- Timeless
Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a British brand founded in 1947, known for its distinctive footwear featuring the iconic yellow stitching and durable Airwair soles made in England.
- Casual
- Contemporary
- Casual
- Contemporary
Shops run by brands that make contemporary men's shoes
6 of the 12 brands that make contemporary men's shoes have a shop you can visit: 3 in London, others in Bath, Chester, Earls Barton and 10 other towns.
Chester
Earls Barton
Barkerfactory shop
Exeter
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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 Shoes
Britain has a long shoemaking tradition. In London, the cordwainers, as makers of shoes from new leather were known, received their first ordinances in 1272 and a royal charter in 1439. Northampton had a guild of shoemakers by 1401. Northampton's rise owed much to military orders. In 1642 the town's shoemakers made 4,000 pairs of shoes and 600 pairs of boots for the army. By 1841 the census recorded 1,821 shoemakers in Northampton, and the county became one of the world's best-known centres of quality footwear. In the nineteenth century Northampton factories adopted Goodyear welting, a machine method developed in the United States in the 1860s by mechanics working for Charles Goodyear Jr. The welt is stitched to both the upper and the insole, and the outsole is then stitched to the welt, so the shoe can be resoled several times. The brogue grew from the bróg, a rough shoe worn in Ireland and Scotland. The oxford is often linked to Oxford students of the early 1800s, although its origin is uncertain. Contemporary British-made shoes carry on this heritage, combining traditional construction with modern refinements.