Edward Green: Our Story

OUR STORY

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.

MR EDWARD GREEN

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.

TODAY

We're still based in Northampton and have over sixty skilled artisans making around 350 pairs of shoes a week, many for export to the world's leading boutiques and department stores as well as our own shops in London and Paris. We continue to strive to make the best shoes possible, refining and improving where appropriate, but always taking our time to ensure that each pair of shoes is fit to bear our founder’s name and dress another generation of men who appreciate the difference.

THE DIFFERENCE

The quality of a shoe starts with the quality of its components. We select the finest French and Italian calf, and hand-finish the skin upon the last, giving an Edward Green shoe its signature antiqued patina. Our soles are oak bark tanned for nine months imbuing an unrivalled comfort & durability. A shoe takes its form from the last upon which its made – and from the classic 202 to the chiselled 890, our lasts have been developed over time for their distinguished profiles and the comfort of their fit. And for us ‘craftsmanship’ is more than a slogan. It's the mastery of techniques passed through the generations, ensuring each shoe is made to the same exacting standards. From the hand cutting of the calfskin to the bevelling of the waist, it may take more time and it may take more effort but it’s this commitment to meticulous detailing that makes for a shoe of real quality and character.