For years, shopping for wide-fit shoes meant choosing between comfort and style. If you needed extra room in the toe box, a supportive sole, or space for ort...
Made In Britain: A brief background to the British shoe Industry
There is no doubt that the UK has seen a resurgence in manufacturing over the last decade, with fashion being a key contributing industry. The British shoe industry, in particular, is making a slow but steady comeback with an ever-increasing number of British shoe designers trying to get their shoes made in Britain.
With prestigious fashion colleges such as London College of Fashion offering a degree in Cordwainers Footwear, a course which is hugely popular, supporting industry bodies such as The British Footwear Association (BFA) and other wonderful websites set up to support Made In Britain products, it is easy to see why shoe design is a popular career choice, and the desire to make the shoes in the UK in increasing demand.
British Shoe Manufacturing
England is no stranger to shoemaking. It used to be a burgeoning industry, with its heart in Northampton (their football team is called The Cobblers!), which provided lifelong work for generations of families. Initially a highly skilled profession, shoemaking was enabled by the Industrial Revolution, which enabled mass production, and the industry greatly expanded while reducing costs. This helped encourage the concept of shoes as a fashion accessory rather than a strictly practical necessity. Both the First and Second World Wars all but halted shoe making (other than for military purposes), but post WW2 developments in the industry, such as using glue instead of stitching on the sole, meant that shoes became even cheaper to make. At this time, other materials also started to be used for making the sole, again reducing costs.
England's shoe manufacturing strength was challenged in the late 50s and early 60s by overseas shoe imports from Italy, Portugal and Spain. The inability to compete on price saw British manufacturing capacity reduce to a point where, for the most part, only high-end shoes could feasibly be made in England. England's shoe industry declined further with the introduction of even cheaper imports from China, Brazil and more recently India.
There are still a handful of sizeable shoe factories in England that continue to make quality shoes, mostly focusing on men's shoes, such as Joseph Cheaney. Sadly, only a few factories make shoes for smaller brands, hence the need for shoe companies to look to Europe for their shoe manufacturing needs. However, British shoe designers are celebrated the world over for their imagination, attention to detail and creative ideas. Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon, Nicholas Kirkwood, Charlotte Olympia, Rupert Sanderson and Sophia Webster all hail from the UK and have huge worldwide fan bases. Until the closure of our small factory in East London in 2016, Sargasso & Grey was proud to have begin its journey with their shoes being made in Britain. It was a tough decision to move manufacturing away from the UK, a situation not helped by Brexit, but it was essential for the brand to survive, and we are proud of the strong relationships we have forged with the now 5-plus family footwear factories we work with in Spain. What were a most proud of is how our shoes have evolved since the business launched in 2014. The collection itself has grown considerably, from a small collection of stilettos and occasion heels, to a full selection of flats, boots, sandals and trainers, all made with our signature wide toe boxes and all containing unique comfort features that ensure our customers have happy feet and remain loyal to our brand.
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