Selecting a Barker shoe style consists of considering the shoe style, colour, fitting and last shape but then there’s the choice of sole. Traditionally Barker shoes are made using the Goodyear welted construction in the Earls Barton factory with a full leather sole. Leather is perhaps the best all round material for soles as it’s natural composition means it’s breathable and comfortable on foot due to the leather moulding to the shape of your feet. Full leather soles feature in several Barker ranges including the London, Creative and Professional collections with slight design detailing noticeable. The Barker Handcrafted collection is the Earls Barton shoemakers most premium offering of Goodyear welted shoes with several styles featuring a single leather script sole detailing the history of Barker shoes.
The BarkerTech collection offers Goodyear Welted shoes with the flexibility and comfort of a sneaker. Combining traditional craftsmanship and padded comfort whilst maintaining an elegant aesthetic, BarkerTech Goodyear welted styles feature a leather sole with rubber forepart.
Alongside the classic full leather sole the introduction of several rubber sole options has extended the underfoot function and capability. One of the most used rubber soles in the Barker collection is Dainite, made by Market Harborough-based Harboro Rubber Co., British manufacturers of exclusive soles and heels since 1894. The eponymous studded soles by Dainite is a style classic with the simplicity of layout ensuring that the soles do not retain soil, are easy to clean, whilst remaining comfortable. A Dainite sole emanates quality and class. Hardwearing but comfortable, the soles offer a benefit over leather soles of being fully waterproof.
Initially featured in the Country collection on styles including Calder, Calvay, Kelmarsh, Nairn and Skye, Dainite soles also appear on business styles such as Burford, Chigwell, Malvern and Mansfield.
View all the Barker styles on Dainite rubber soles.
Another rubber sole used in the current Barker collection is Vibram in particular the grippy Vibram® Vi-Lite sole that's lightweight and features shock absorption cushioning for maximum energy conservation. Vibram Vi-Lite features on several outdoor classics including the Glencoe and Noel Country
View all the Barker styles on Vibram rubber soles.
A new lightweight EVA sole introduced in the Creative collection is the XL EXTRALIGHT which uses injection moulding technology ensuring three times more lightness than every other material. Key properties of XL EXTRALIGHT are excellence in water and UV radiation resistance, durability over time and versatility in transferring between shoe designs. New Creative collection styles that feature the XL EXTRALIGHT sole include the Bill Brogue, Dean Derby Shoe, Fred Chelsea Boot and Terry Brogue Boot.
View all the Barker styles on XL EXTRALIGHT eva soles.
Barker also use an own brand rubber sole which offers the profile of a leather sole but with added durability.