CRAFTSMANSHIP

The most essential aim of E.Woodford is to be viable as a modern, growing business to provide secure jobs to current and future shoemakers.

Each pair is handmade following the same process after the lasts are selected. It takes time ‑ a lot of time ‑ but with our experienced team we are able to produce to incredibly high standards.

Every individual, from clicker to machinist, laster to finisher, personally signs off their contributions in a document which comes included with your finished shoes. This record of each worker's involvement in crafting your boots and shoes allows you the option to request their expertise again when ordering more E.Woodford footwear in the future.

We use lasts designed exclusively for E.Woodford in collaboration with local firm Spring Line. We've produced wooden lasts that embody Northampton’s rich shoemaking heritage while also taking influence from more contemporary styling and fits. Our thorough fitting procedure ensures all of our shoes provide excellent feel and quality.

The history behind each shape and style, along with our understanding and appreciation of materials, techniques and even the inner workings of the factory floor, all contribute to the design of our styles.

Every material we choose to work with is as unique as the crafting process itself. We hand-cut from only the very best sections of top-grade hides for E.Woodford shoes. As a natural product, each individual skin has its own particular grain and markings, rather than a uniform appearance.

Our makers undergo considerable preparation and training to ensure they’re able to match pairs while hand-cutting. Each shoe is designed and built to perfectly complement its partner.

Our handsewn uppers set us apart. We handsew in order to keep the craft alive. The result is a shoe both authentic and individual, infused with history and tradition.

Each design has its own punch and stitch detail, meaning one pair can take more than a day to prepare, fit, punch and sew by hand.

It takes many years to hone the craft of lasting and making by hand and all of our workers have a long background in the trade. Even so, every order is carefully checked over at each stage of production to ensure nothing below standard leaves the factory.

Manufacturing at speed is not our motivation ‑ the time and labour we invest into everything we create is the reason why our shoes and boots are peerless.

The quality of the material we use dictates the care and attention of the finish we apply. Employing a delicate touch, we apply a naturally derived polish to the bottom stock, highlighting the authentic charm of the oak-bark tanned leather. Each upper leather receives tailored treatment with an appropriate polish to enrich and safeguard the material.

Edge stain is not used unless requested, so as not to detract from the distinctive appearance of the world’s finest leathers.

Each pair bears the handwritten date of its completion as a sign-off on the boot or shoe’s internal shield design, a nod to the original signage of the London store of 1908. Your order will be presented in our English-made display and storage box, accompanied by Spring Line shoe trees; dust bags; a shoe horn; a shoe brush and selected shoe polish.

Built on a heritage family shoe business, E.Woodford & Sons is a combination of old and new.
Five generations, three centuries, and two world wars brought us here.