I was prompted to write this article as I was a little surprised as to how many customers we had to phone this morning to tell them their refurbished shoes had been returned from the factory and were ready for them to collect.
All I hear is grumbles about the decline of British manufacturing however this seems to be the contrary in English shoe making. Demand is at an all time high. Their export business to the Far East and Russia is booming however they are also seeing a steady increase in the UK. At The Golden Boot our biggest growth in our men’s business has been the English made shoes. So how can it be that in tough times our most expensive shoes are selling the best? It’s got to be the quality of the product and the value for money. Often when you speak to customers who have had an English made pair of shoes they will proudly tell you how long they have had them and how many times they have had them re-heeled and repaired, it’s almost like a badge of honour.
At my local pub I’m often having shoes thrust at me claiming that they had brought these shoes from my father back in the 80’s and that they are still going strong, often stronger than some of the wearers! This is truly testament to how durable these English made shoes are.
Customers are often unaware how much work that goes into making these Goodyear Welt shoes, if you have a few spare minutes, take a look at our article showing a recent Loake factory visit.
To finish my prophesising about English made shoes have taken a few snaps of the shoes that have been repaired by the manufacturer and have come back looking like new.
