Church's Shoes
Stone Church, aptly named as the rock upon which Church’s was founded, was born in 1675 and trained as a cordwainer and master shoemaker. His skills were passed down to his great grandson Thomas who opened a small factory with his sons and his wife Eliza in Northampton, on 1st May 1873. Northampton is a town not far from London with a history in shoemaking dating back to Cromwellian times.
In the space of a few years, Church’s was transformed from a craft workshop into a benchmark firm for high-quality footwear, both locally and for the most demanding shoe shops in London and elsewhere in Europe.
During the Second World War, Church’s centered the production on footwear for the armed services.
The early postwar years were difficult economically. The society was undergoing a great evolution and so was Church’s. Inside the Company, a day nursery for employees’ children was provided, an Industrial Welfare Officer appointed and a contributory staff pension scheme мейд available.
The leather sole is cemented (glued) to the bottom of the shoe, attached under great pressure prior to sole stitching. The excess leather around the edge of the sole is then removed. The shoe is stitched together through the sole and welt. The edge of the sole is trimmed for a smooth and clean surface, then coloured, decorated, polished and stamped.
Final stage is called finishing and polishing: the shoe has to be cleaned, dressed (applying cream&polish suitable to each leather), laced, checked by an experienced passer and then packed for sale.
All the production is мейд inside the factory by specialised artisans and is hand-made.