Crown Northampton Shoes

Crown Northampton Shoes Quality handmade shoes made in Northampton, England since 1908. The Woodford family have been hand making quality boots and shoes since 1908.

Established by my great great grandfather Earnest Woodford in London, the business later moved to the home of footwear: Northampton, England. Five generations on and we’re still producing quality hand-made footwear, using the finematerials and utilising knowledge and skills passed down from generation to generation. Our company is one of the few to have the privilege of being allowed to use the to

wn's crest on its products. This confirms our commitment and promise to have every boot and shoe made in our Northampton factory by highly skilled cobblers, many of whom are following in the footsteps of their ancestors by working in the shoe industry. Over the years we’ve become world renowned for comfort and craftsmanship and approximately seventy per cent of our production is now exported worldwide. Using only the finest materials, all sourced from local leather merchants, we design, develop, and hand-make our shoes to the high standards set by both the town’s forefathers and the Woodford family. As a proud Northampton company, we understand the rich and important shoemaking heritage of our town and have funnelled this passion for tradition and excellence into our new flagship brand 'Crown Northampton'. The range features traditional British shoe designs , along with boots and shoes sculpted with modern trends in mind. Each style is named after an historic Northampton factory, evoking the rich history and heritage behind each design. It’s our belief that the best things from our past should help us step into the future.

- Chris Woodford, Owner of Crown Northampton

Soft as a slipper, sharp as an Oxford. The Abbey Unlined in Bracken Dearborn, Horween’s softest leather in one of their ...
05/06/2026

Soft as a slipper, sharp as an Oxford. The Abbey Unlined in Bracken Dearborn, Horween’s softest leather in one of their warmest browns. Hidden structure inside, the leather straight against your foot. Made to order in .

The Abbey in Shell Cordovan For dinner, or a sharper, more polished look, Shell Cordovan is one of the rarest leathers w...
31/05/2026

The Abbey in Shell Cordovan For dinner, or a sharper, more polished look, Shell Cordovan is one of the rarest leathers we use, with a glossy surface that rolls rather than creases as it ages. Horween first produced it in 1905, for sharpening razor blades of all things, and most cordwainers will tell you it is the finest leather in the world. Available year round in Black, No.8, Bourbon, and Cognac.

Introducing The Unlined Collection. Four new unlined styles built on a technique we have developed in tribute to Haynes ...
03/05/2026

Introducing The Unlined Collection. Four new unlined styles built on a technique we have developed in tribute to Haynes & Cann, a Northampton RAF bootmaker whose craft nearly disappeared from this town. The Abbey Oxford, Harlestone Derby, Thornton Wholecut, and Ashby Loafer live on the website. Link in bio.

28/04/2026

Some collaborations are meant to be. in Chicago, Crown in Northampton. Third, fourth, fifth generation on both sides of the Atlantic, running almost in parallel.

The Everdon Wholecut Mid. Shown here in Shell Cordovan, buffalo and suede. Every pair made to a different specification,...
17/04/2026

The Everdon Wholecut Mid. Shown here in Shell Cordovan, buffalo and suede. Every pair made to a different specification, different leather, different sole, different character. This is what made to order looks like when you line them up. Each one built for one person.

What would yours look like?

The sun is out in and the greens are starting to show. There is no better time for white box calf. The Overstone Derby...
08/04/2026

The sun is out in and the greens are starting to show. There is no better time for white box calf. The Overstone Derby, Upton Wholecut and Abington Toe Cap, each one handmade individually, for you.

North of Cordovan. A new leather added to our Classic Collection. By new, we mean hundreds of years of knowledge, from ...
29/03/2026

North of Cordovan. A new leather added to our Classic Collection. By new, we mean hundreds of years of knowledge, from Chicago to our workshop in .

“It is a privilege seeing how passionate Skip and his team are about crafting the best they can. That ethos mirrors our own, and it is often the starting point for where we go next. Chicago heritage passed to Northampton heritage, rare and wonderful leathers, presented by the finest shoemakers.” Chris Woodford.

Limited to 30 pairs. Link in bio.

27/03/2026

North of Cordovan. One remarkable leather. horsehide strips,finished with a traditional casein glaze that gives the leather its natural hogh sheen. Made to order in Northampton.

Limited to 30 pairs. Link in bio.

We are sharing the latest in our Meet the Makers series. Ollie has been with Crown for twelve years. He runs the finishi...
22/03/2026

We are sharing the latest in our Meet the Makers series. Ollie has been with Crown for twelve years. He runs the finishing room, which means every pair we send out passes through his hands before it leaves.

“I love seeing a shoe come back to life. Every pair that comes in for a resole has a story. You can see how it has been worn, how the leather has moved and settled. That is the whole point of making something this way. We make a shoe, the customer then makes it their own.”

Link in bio.

True Blue. Across the Crown Northampton collections, blue varies by tannery, by finish, by nap and by light. Wear adds a...
01/03/2026

True Blue.

Across the Crown Northampton collections, blue varies by tannery, by finish, by nap and by light. Wear adds another layer, softening the shade in places and deepening it in others until it starts to feel like yours.

When the weather is in two minds, it is easy to default to grey and black and leave colour for later. This is a blue edit to pull you out of that habit. Five leathers, each fibre structure dictating the design, each one holding the colour differently once it is cut, worn and lived with.

1. Horween Ink Chromexcel [Rambler]
A deep pull up blue that shifts with wear. It will soften, lighten at the high points, and develop the way your favourite denim does.

2. Horween Ink Buffalo [Harlestone Derby]
Another Horween blue, but with a different character. More grain, more texture, and it looks better the more you put it through.

3. Navy Scottish Red Deer Suede [Everdon Mid Boot]
Plush nap, rich tone, and a blue that changes with the light. Soft to the touch, with the strength for everyday wear,

4. Navy Calf with Kudu Suede [Adnitt Gatt Shoe]
A lighter wearing option, finished on a slim sole, with tumbled navy calf and CF Steads kudu suede overlays adding contrast and texture.

5. Navy Calf [Overstone Derby]
Classic box calf in a steady navy. With wear and care it keeps its colour, then softens into the shape of the foot.

6. Navy Kudu Suede [Woodford Boot]
Hard to get hold of, but currently available as a Desert Boot or Shoe. Thanks to the tight fibre structure on the surface, reverse kudu is naturally durable and offers a surprising level of water resistance. Underneath, the fibres open up, which gives it that signature comfort and flexibility.

More shades, coming in March

A note for the people who follow our limited drops. We are excited to announce that D15 lands in early March.

It is Shell Cordovan, and it has beautiful variations. If you remember the marbled releases, you will know why we are mentioning them, but this one looks very different!

In the meantime, we hope you find your blue.

Address

86 Bunting Road
Northampton
NN26EE

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