My family has been making traditional English shoes for longer than anyone can remember. My great-grandfather John opened the first Loake factory with his brothers, Thomas and William, back in 1880. Today, five generations and more than 130 years later, the Loake association with fine, handmade shoes lives on. As the current custodians of Loake, we are immensely proud of the commitment of our forefathers and the tradition they worked so hard to establish. For this reason our premium grade Goodyear welted shoes continue to be made in Kettering, England, in the same factory that the three brothers built in 1894.

The Goodyear welted construction for which Loake is renowned is an intricate process with origins going back over 300 years. Only the very highest quality materials are used. Each pair takes eight weeks to make and we still believe there is no finer way to make a gentleman’s shoe.

Of course, things move on. Alongside our English Goodyear welted footwear we now design and produce a range of shoes outside the UK, using a variety of constructions. This enables us to offer a complete wardrobe of shoes suitable for every occasion.

We estimate Loake has made over 50 million pairs of Goodyear welted shoes since it began. We now export to more than 50 countries and have become a favourite with discerning customers worldwide. Our aim is to uphold this tradition and continue making the most handsome, comfortable and durable shoes we can.