Herring Shoes Journal

As people plan street parties and start stringing bunting across their homes, it struck us that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee represents a very British occasion. We are a British company through and through, and while we love all our customers from overseas, one of the reasons they choose us is the traditional shoemaking heritage our products offer.

It got us debating on which of our British shoes are the top five most British! See what you think.

Churchill II
Named after one of our most famous Prime Ministers, the Churchill II is a traditional black Oxford. They are handmade from start to finish in Northamptonshire – the home of British shoemaking. This is a classic formal shoe that will never let you down.

Eden II
Another Prime Minister, another classic shoe from the craftsmen in Northampton. The Eden II has a more contemporary look with a brogue punch to the toe and elegant swan neck brogueing to the sides. The Eden is handmade using the finest calf leathers, stitched onto a Goodyear welted sole and then hand burnished. It really doesn’t get much better than that for British shoe making.

Chelsea boot
With the Chelsea boot’s origins firmly with our previous long-serving Queen Victoria, this boot had to appear on this list. We have plenty of examples, but we decided on the suede Taverner. It’s gorgeously elegant with a spectacular, rich suede upper made on the perfectly proportioned 109 last. We think this is a must-have for the well-dressed.

Carnaby
Not a Parliamentarian in sight for this one with a nod to the rural gent despite its uptown name! You must have a brogue in a British list of shoes, and the Carnaby are our best-sellers. They look great with a grey or navy suit but can work equally well with chinos or jeans. Tan brogues are a man’s best friend!

Greenwich II
The Royal Borough of Greenwich was the inspiration for these very fine monk shoes. In fact, Greenwich became a royal borough to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The Greenwich II are super smart formal shoes that again have been made in Northamptonshire. These have a medallion of punching on the toe to make them stand out…in a good way!

So, what do you think? Are these the most British of British shoes? If you have any other suggestions, please let us know! Until then, enjoy the Jubilee celebrations.