The Story Behind Crockett & Jones, The Heritage English Shoemaker
By
11 months ago
Crockett & Jones is a Great British Brand 2024
Crockett & Jones is an entry in our Great British Brands 2024 book.
Crockett & Jones: Great British Brand 2024
‘Crockett & Jones is England’s largest Goodyear welted shoemaker. We’ve always taken the view that the market for the type of high-quality shoes we produce is big enough to generate sufficient demand for our products. We’ve been doing a lot of work on building our brand over the last 20 years, and our shops have been an important part of that process.
‘Fashion changes constantly with trends varying from country to country. We keep abreast of this by working closely with the finest menswear stores and most experienced buyers from around the world. Nowadays, as sales of formal black Oxfords remain stable, almost all growth is coming from loafers and boots.
‘As a result of the long-term trend towards a more relaxed way of living, we’re selling more brown, suede and rubber-soled shoes and boots. The way Crockett & Jones makes its shoes hasn’t changed much in the last century. It’s a traditional process which, although mechanised to some extent, requires skilled operatives with good hand-eye co-ordination. Each shoe is an individual creation.
‘Similarly, the process of cutting the leather is one in which the cutter’s skill and experience is all important. Leather is a natural product – no two skins are the same – so how the leather is cut depends on the clicker’s judgement and experience, something it would be difficult and no doubt very expensive to teach a computer to do. I’m not saying that AI couldn’t do these things but that the scale would have to be huge to derive any benefit from the cost.
‘We have a solid base of customers who recognise that quality is the result of our commitment to traditional methods and highgrade materials.’
Jonathan Jones, CEO Crockett & Jones
Five Proudest Moments
- At the 1911 Turin International Exhibition, Crockett & Jones showed over 100 styles and won several awards.
- Our Northampton factory was built in 1912 with a then-advanced steel structure, which has stood the test of time wonderfully.
- Crockett & Jones opened its first shop in London’s Jermyn Street in 1997.
- Our association with Eon Productions, the producers of the James Bond films, began with the Alex, Highbury, Tetbury, and Islay shoes, as worn by Daniel Craig in Skyfall, and continues to the present.
- The launch of our e-commerce business in March 2021, which created a whole new sales channel for Crockett & Jones.
What I’ve Learnt…
- The importance of loyalty and long-term relationships.
- That we’re only as good as our people working in the factory.
- Not to rest on our laurels.
CROCKETT & JONES
92 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6JE
+44 (0)20 7839 5239
