When it comes to investing in a pair of handmade shoes there’s several English shoemakers who continue to honour traditional shoemaking techniques in Northampton, England. One shoemaker in particular is Barker who celebrated their 140th anniversary having been founded by Arthur Barker in the Northamptonshire village of Earls Barton in 1880. From humble beginnings in a house garden on North road, Barker shoes has been guided by five generations of the Barker family until the turn of the century.
The Barker shoe collection for men and women has continued to expand due to the overgrowing expand from around the world with several ranges including the Handcrafted, Professional and Creative collections all offering a different approach on handmade leather shoe styles such as the Oxford, Derby and Brogue.
To buy handmade shoes is to value the art of shoemaking and the time it takes to make a pair of Goodyear-welted shoes. At the Barker Earls Barton factory it takes over 200 individual operations to make a Barker shoe which sees the shoe designed and travel through the leather, clicking, closing, bottom stock, lasting, making and finishing room before its proudly boxed up in the shoe room.
Many of the Barker workers have spent a large part of their careers learning and perfecting the craft of shoemaking and it’s this invaluable knowledge that makes all the difference in handmade shoes. For example, leather and clicking room chargehand Phil Purcell has been working at Barker for over 50 years having started in the trade at fifteen. It’s the skills and knowledge the likes of Phil and many others in the Barker Earls Barton factory have earned and developed over their loyal service which is difficult to replace.
The most prestigious collection made at Barker is the Handcrafted collection which features several distinctive styles made from high quality European calf leathers and hand finished to a deep lustre using antique creams and polishes. The soles are attached using the Goodyear-welted construction and are cut from chestnut tanned Italian bends leather. Many of the Handcrafted collection styles include the Barker heritage script lasered into the leather sole adding the Barker village shoemaking history to each pair in a subtle but remembered way. Iconic designs from the Handcrafted collection include the Falsgrave men's oxford shoe, the Fleet Double Monk Strap, the Jevington Penny men's loafer and Lerwick, a semi oxford brogue shoe, all of which offer refined design with timeless appeal.
An important factor when considering to buy handmade shoes is the shoe fitting as this can have a significant impact on the shoes aesthetic when worn and most importantly the comfort while on the move. The standard fitting in a Barker shoe is the F fitting but also available is G fitting (wide) and H fitting (extra wide). The Handcrafted collection for example is made up of sleek designs offering either F or G fitting having been made on the 396, 464 and 478 last shapes. The latest addition to the Handcrafted collection is Purley, an elegant men's derby shoe which is a FX fitting (in between F and G fitting).
