CHURCH’S was founded in 1873 by Thomas Church and his three sons Alfred, William and Thomas Jr., who could count on family experience in the production of handmade men’s shoes dating back to 1675. Church’s is based in Northampton, not far from London, in a county which has been the centre of a flourishing leather and footwear industry since the Middle Ages.

Church’s history and DNA are not only synonymous with tradition, but also with innovation: if back in 1881 Church’s was the first shoemaker to introduce the concept of “left” and “right” in its pairs, it is now the first high-end footwear manufacturer to introduce the innovative Goodyear Welted Flexible sole. This is a new, somewhat revolutionary interpretation of the Goodyear process, which results in lighter, more flexible and faster adapting models, particularly appreciated in warmer climates.

THE GOODYEAR PROCESS is the traditional method for the manufacture of mens dress shoes and it takes its name from the inventor who came up with the original hand-sewn method. The benefit of a dress shoe which is made using the Goodyear welt construction is that the system allows for a constant flow of air through the shoe, keeping the shoes ventilated, durable and strong.

So how are these dress shoes constructed? Essentially, the upper part of the dress shoe is shaped over the last and fastened on by sewing a leather strip (also known as the ‘welt’) to the inner and upper sole. As well as using a ‘welt’, a thread 12 strands thick is used to hold the material firmly together.

The welt obviously forms a cavity which is then filled with a cork material known as ‘Flexofil’. This highly unique material is supplied by Livingston & Doughty Ltd and has become world-renowned due to its high flexibility and resilience (leading ultimately to a more comfortable pair of dress shoes). The final part of the dress shoe is the sole which is then attached to the welt of the dress shoe with a high power adhesive.

The very nature of this shoe construction means that Goodyear welted dress shoes take much longer to manufacture than cheaper alternatives. Factories commonly hire scores of highly skilled and trained operators to create dress shoes of comfort, strength and durability.

INSTORE:

Ladies Spring Summer 2011

 

Mens Spring Summer 2011

(The famous “Shanghai”, originally released in 1929.)

 

Tags: Church's, England, Ladies, Mens

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