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Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe

A local industry with a global footprint

  • Story of an industry
  • Working lives
  • Towns & villages
  • Celebrated in art
  • A global market
    • The story of a local industry
    • The lives of its workers
    • Its towns and villages
    • Celebrated through art in 2012
    • Selling to the world
    The story of a local industry
    More about story of an industry Northamptonshire workers have been making boots and shoes for almost 900 years.
    • The story of a local industry
    • The lives of its workers
    • Its towns and villages
    • Celebrated through art in 2012
    • Selling to the world
    The lives of its workers
    More about working lives The video interviews on this site record hard work, companionship and the ups and downs of an industry.
    • The story of a local industry
    • The lives of its workers
    • Its towns and villages
    • Celebrated through art in 2012
    • Selling to the world
    Its towns and villages
    More about towns and villages Almost every Northamptonshire town and village had its speciality; from work boots to high fashion.
    • The story of a local industry
    • The lives of its workers
    • Its towns and villages
    • Celebrated through art in 2012
    • Selling to the world
    Celebrated through art in 2012
    More about celebration through art In 2012, artists celebrated Northamptonshire footwear with installations around the county.
    • The story of a local industry
    • The lives of its workers
    • Its towns and villages
    • Celebrated through art in 2012
    • Selling to the world
    Selling to the world
    More about a global market Northamptonshire is still selling boots and shoes around the world, worth millions of pounds each year.

About Northamptonshire’s global footprint

‘For me Northamptonshire remains the shoe-making capital of the world.  We have so many amazing international footwear manufacturers…there’s nowhere else  that can claim they produced the boots for Darth Vader, and shoes for James Bond and Prince Charles. This website demonstrates that Northamptonshire has a proud footwear heritage and a thriving local industry today.’

Guy West, international shoe designer

Featured photo

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    Smiths catalogue

Featured interview

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    From shoemaker to F1 racing car engineeer

Featured place

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    Rushden

Latest news

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    Cordwainers' Footwear Student of the Year Award 2014 20/05/2014

Get involved

You are invited to contribute to this website. Have you got any photos, memories, information or stories about the boot and shoe industry in Northamptonshire? Please upload them with our Quick Contribution Form .

British Footwear Association

British Footwear Association logo

Representing the footwear industry

Heritage Lottery Fund Legacy Trust UK Arts Council Northamptonshire County Council Love Northamptonshire
Copyright Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe 2013
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