Brand guides to the welted shoe and the work boot — Northampton houses, Mallorcan family makers, bespoke ateliers and American and Japanese bootmakers.
Good shoes are defined by construction and by where they are made, and these guides set out both for each maker.
Shoemaking towns
Northampton is home to Crockett & Jones (since 1879), Tricker’s (since 1829), Church’s (owned by Prada), Edward Green and Grenson; Joseph Cheaney Goodyear-welts in its own Desborough factory. Mallorca has Carmina, Lottusse and TLB Mallorca in Inca, and Meermin. In the US, Alden has made Goodyear-welted shoes in Massachusetts since 1884, and Allen Edmonds is owned by Caleres. In Japan, Otsuka, founded in 1872, is described as the country’s oldest surviving Western shoemaker.
Bespoke and boots
Bespoke houses include George Cleverley, Corthay, Yohei Fukuda and Scheer, the Viennese house founded in 1816. Bootmakers include Wesco, making boots to order in Oregon since 1918, R.M. Williams in Adelaide, and Solovair, which once made Dr. Martens under licence.
How to use these guides
Each guide covers who owns the name today, where the products are made — by the maker’s own account and, where it differs, by other sources — and the brand’s visual identity. A company’s description of itself is attributed to the company, and where a business has closed we say so plainly. The table at the end gathers the essentials.
Goodyear-welted makers
Crockett & Jones, Alden, Carmina, Carlos Santos, Ludwig Reiter, Vass and J.M. Weston.
- Crockett & Jones — The family-owned Northampton house whose Goodyear-welted shoes are made in England since 1879.
- Alden — The independent Massachusetts maker whose Goodyear-welted shoes, famous for shell cordovan, are made in the USA since 1884.
- Carmina — The Mallorcan family maker whose Goodyear-welted shoes are made in Inca, Spain, the brand founded in 1997 on shoemaking roots to 1866.
- Carlos Santos — The São João da Madeira maker whose Goodyear-welted shoes, known for hand-applied patina, are genuinely made in Portugal.
- Ludwig Reiter — The fourth-generation family house whose Goodyear-welted shoes are made in Vienna since 1885.
- Vass — The independent Budapest house, founded by László Vass in 1978, long known for hand-welted shoes made in Hungary.
- J.M. Weston — The French house, founded in Limoges in 1891, whose Goodyear-welted shoes are made in France with its own sole tannery.
Welted heritage
Scotch Grain, Tricker’s, Allen Edmonds, Enzo Bonafè, TLB Mallorca, Heinrich Dinkelacker and Paraboot.
- Scotch Grain — The Japanese Goodyear-welt specialist, made in Japan by the Hirokawa family, built for Japanese feet.
- Tricker’s — The Northampton house, making Goodyear storm-welted country boots in England since 1829, with a Royal Warrant.
- Allen Edmonds — The Wisconsin house whose Goodyear-welted dress shoes anchor American shoemaking, now owned by Caleres.
- Enzo Bonafè — The small family workshop in Bologna making hand-welted and Norwegian-welted shoes in Italy.
- TLB Mallorca — The young Inca maker, founded 2016 by Toni Llobera Barceló, whose Goodyear-welted shoes are made in Mallorca.
- Heinrich Dinkelacker — The German Budapester brand, made in Europe, whose geography and ownership have moved over time.
- Paraboot — The French family house making Norwegian-welted, rubber-soled shoes in France since 1908, with its own rubber soles.
Houses and survivors
Church’s, Santoni, Lottusse, Aubercy, Otsuka, Ambiorix and Saint Crispin’s.
- Church’s — The Northampton house, Goodyear-welted in England since 1873, that survived by acquisition and is owned by Prada.
- Santoni — The family-controlled Le Marche house whose soft Goodyear-welted shoes, hand-painted in Velatura, are made in Italy since 1975.
- Lottusse — The Fluxà-family Mallorcan house whose Goodyear-welted shoes are made in Inca, on a shoemaking lineage traced to 1877.
- Aubercy — The family-owned Paris shoemaker, founded 1935, known for hand-welted Goodyear shoes and its independence.
- Otsuka — Japan’s oldest surviving Western shoemaker, Goodyear-welted and made in Japan, founded in 1872.
- Ambiorix — The Belgian heritage shoemaker in Tongeren since 1895, a comfort house that lasted through changing hands.
- Saint Crispin’s — The tiny high-craft house, hand-welted and made in Brașov, Romania, designed and registered in Vienna.
Direct-to-consumer makers
Grant Stone, Meermin, Myrqvist, Beckett Simonon, Velasca, Crown Northampton and Septième Largeur.
- Grant Stone — The Michigan-based new maker whose Goodyear-welted, Horween-leather shoes are made in Xiamen, China.
- Meermin — The Mallorcan family’s direct-to-consumer house, whose Goodyear-welted shoes hit a radical price by making value lines in China and premium lines in Spain.
- Myrqvist — The Stockholm direct-to-consumer brand, founded 2016, whose predominantly Goodyear-welted shoes are handcrafted in Portugal.
- Beckett Simonon — The direct-to-consumer, made-to-order brand whose Blake-stitched leather shoes are made in its own studio in Bogotá, Colombia.
- Velasca — The modern Milanese direct-to-consumer brand, founded 2013, whose Blake-stitched shoes are genuinely made in Italy’s Le Marche.
- Crown Northampton — The fifth-generation Woodford family maker, relaunched as a modern direct maker of hand-welted shoes and handmade sneakers in Northampton, England.
- Septième Largeur — The Paris house, founded 2009, whose Goodyear-welted shoes are made in Spain and hand-patinated in Paris.
Bespoke houses
George Cleverley, Yohei Fukuda, Corthay, Stefano Bemer, Scheer, Vickermann & Stoya and Koronya.
- George Cleverley — The Mayfair bespoke house whose founder is long gone but whose chisel-toed craft is carried on by the Glasgow family.
- Yohei Fukuda — The Tokyo bespoke maker who learned the English craft and became one of the world’s most acclaimed shoemakers.
- Corthay — The Parisian bottier of Pierre Corthay, whose bespoke is hand-made in Paris and whose patina is its art.
- Stefano Bemer — The Florentine bespoke house whose founder died in 2012 and whose craft and academy are carried on by new owners.
- Scheer — The Viennese bespoke house, founded 1816, that shod an emperor and still carves a personal last for every client.
- Vickermann & Stoya — The Baden-Baden bespoke atelier making hand-made shoes on oak-bark-tanned soles in Germany.
- Koronya — The Budapest bespoke atelier of Marcell Mrsán, making hand-welted Budapester shoes and teaching the craft.
Makers and revivals
Edward Green, Oak Street, Miyagi Kogyo, Fratelli Borgioli, Patine, Yanko and Undandy.
- Edward Green — The top-tier Northampton house whose antiqued Goodyear-welted shoes sit a notch above the rest, made in England since 1890.
- Oak Street Bootmakers — The modern Chicago maker, founded 2010 by a cobbler’s son, making welted boots and hand-sewn mocs in the USA.
- Miyagi Kogyo — The Yamagata manufacturer whose Wasōryōka made-to-order program delivers custom-fit, made-in-Japan dress shoes.
- Fratelli Borgioli — The Tuscan family workshop making handmade Italian shoes in many constructions, near Florence since 1946.
- Patine — The Polish direct-to-consumer brand and retailer whose own Goodyear-welted label is made in European workshops.
- Yanko — The once-huge Mallorcan Goodyear-welted maker, founded 1961, that went bankrupt and was revived under new ownership.
- Undandy — The Lisbon made-to-order shoe brand, launched 2015 and made in Portugal, that now appears to have wound down.
Heritage and bespoke
Grenson, White’s, Roberto Ugolini, Heschung, Marquess, R.M. Williams and Berwick 1707.
- Grenson — The 1866 Northampton house relaunched under Tim Little as a modern brand, honest about its two-tier making.
- White’s Boots — The Spokane heritage maker of hand-sewn stitchdown work boots, American-made and now part of a Japanese group.
- Roberto Ugolini — The Florentine bespoke shoemaker of the Oltrarno, hand-welting shoes on hand-carved beech lasts since 1995.
- Heschung — The family Alsace shoemaker, since 1934, whose Norwegian-welted shoes are made in France with a ski-boot past.
- Marquess — The Tokyo bespoke house of Shoji Kawaguchi, English-trained, known for a delicate, 1930s-inspired refinement.
- R.M. Williams — The Australian bootmaker, since 1932, whose Craftsman boot pairs a one-piece leather upper with a Goodyear welt, made in Adelaide.
- Berwick 1707 — The Almansa maker whose Goodyear-welted shoes are made in Spain, named for the 1707 battle fought at its own town.
Heritage footwear
Alden, Crockett & Jones, Church’s, Carmina, Red Wing and Grenson.
- Red Wing — The American heritage boot maker, with its heritage line made in Red Wing, Minnesota, since 1905.
Welted boots
Wesco, Nicks, Truman, Solovair, Joseph Cheaney, Clinch and John Lofgren.
- Wesco — The West Coast Shoe Company making its rebuildable engineer and work boots to order in Scappoose, Oregon since 1918.
- Nicks Boots — The Spokane maker hand-building stitchdown work boots in the USA on non-Horween tannery leathers.
- Truman Boot Co. — The Eugene, Oregon maker taking leather hides to finished Goodyear-welted boots under one roof since 2014.
- Solovair — The Wollaston maker that once made Dr. Martens under licence and now handmakes its own Goodyear-welted boots in England.
- Joseph Cheaney — The independent Northamptonshire maker Goodyear-welting its dress boots in its own Desborough factory.
- Clinch — The Tokyo bootmaker hand-welting its engineer boots on custom lasts, from the Brass workshop.
- John Lofgren — The Sendai maker crafting its Goodyear-welted engineer boots in Japan on Shinki, Horween and Badalassi leathers.
More welted boots
Sanders, Loake, Attractions, Rolling Dub Trio, Parkhurst, Unmarked and Thursday Boots.
- Sanders — The Rushden, Northamptonshire maker of Made-in-England Goodyear-welted service boots, a long-time military supplier since 1873.
- Loake — The family-owned English shoemaker whose “1880” line is made in England while other lines are made in India.
- Attractions — The Tokyo maker whose Biltbuck line builds Goodyear-welted engineer boots in Japan.
- Rolling Dub Trio — The Tokyo bootmaker building its stitchdown, flat-welted boots in Japan.
- Parkhurst — The Buffalo, NY boot brand that states plainly its boots are made in Spain and Portugal and assembled in Buffalo.
- Unmarked — The León, Mexico maker of Goodyear-welted, resoleable boots handcrafted in Mexico.
- Thursday Boots — The New York value brand whose Goodyear-welted boots are made in León, Mexico, disclosed in its FAQ.
At a glance: who owns the name and where it is made
Taken from each guide’s fact panel, as of October 2026. Ownership and production change; follow the link for sources and detail.
| Brand | Founded | Based | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alden | 1884 (USA) | Middleborough, MA | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Allen Edmonds | 1922 (USA) | Port Washington, WI | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Ambiorix | 1895 (Belgium) | Tongeren factory | Flexible, multi-construction |
| Attractions | 2006 (Tokyo) | See guide | Engineer boots (Biltbuck) |
| Aubercy | 1935 (France) | Paris house; see notes | Hand-welted Goodyear |
| Beckett Simonon | 2011 | See guide | Blake-stitched, made-to-order |
| Berwick 1707 | See guide | Almansa, Spain | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Carlos Santos | See guide | São João da Madeira | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Carmina | See guide | Inca, Mallorca | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Church’s | 1873 (England) | Northampton, England | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Clinch | 2012 (Tokyo) | See guide | Hand-welted engineer boots |
| Corthay | 1990 (France) | Bespoke: Paris | Bespoke + patina |
| Crockett & Jones | 1879 (England) | Northampton, England | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Crown Northampton | 1908 (England) | See guide | Hand-welted & handmade sneakers |
| Edward Green | 1890 (England) | Northampton, England | Goodyear-welted RTW |
| Enzo Bonafè | 1963 (Italy) | Bologna, Italy | Hand-welted & Norwegian-welted |
| Fratelli Borgioli | 1946 (Italy) | Vinci, Tuscany | Multi-construction |
| George Cleverley | 1958 (England) | Bespoke: London | Hand-welted bespoke |
| Grant Stone | See guide | See guide | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Grenson | 1866 (England) | England + overseas | Goodyear-welted (mostly) |
| Heinrich Dinkelacker | 1879 (Germany) | Made in Europe | Budapester welted shoe |
| Heschung | 1934 (France) | Steinbourg, Alsace | Norwegian-welted shoe |
| J.M. Weston | 1891 (France) | Limoges, France | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| John Lofgren | Sendai (Japan) | See guide | Goodyear-welted boots |
| Joseph Cheaney | Northamptonshire (Desborough) | See guide | Goodyear-welted boots |
| Koronya | See guide | Budapest, Hungary | Hand-welted Budapester |
| Loake | England (family-owned) | See guide | Welted boots & shoes |
| Lottusse | See guide | Inca, Mallorca | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Ludwig Reiter | 1885 (Austria) | Vienna, Austria | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Marquess | 2011 (Japan) | Tokyo, Japan | Hand-welted bespoke |
| Meermin | See guide | Mallorca, Spain | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Miyagi Kogyo | 1941 (Japan) | Yamagata, Japan | Made-to-order shoe |
| Myrqvist | 2016 (Sweden) | See guide | Goodyear-welted (mostly) |
| Nicks Boots | Spokane (USA) | See guide | Stitchdown work boots |
| Oak Street Bootmakers | 2010 (USA) | Chicago, USA | Welted boots & mocs |
| Otsuka | 1872 (Japan) | Made in Japan | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Paraboot | 1908 (France) | Saint-Jean-de-Moirans | Norwegian-welted rubber sole |
| Parkhurst | Buffalo (NY) | See guide | Goodyear-welted boots |
| Patine | 2013 (Poland) | See guide | Welted DTC shoe |
| R.M. Williams | 1932 (Australia) | Adelaide, Australia | One-piece + Goodyear welt |
| Red Wing | 1905 (Red Wing, MN) | See guide | Work & heritage boots |
| Roberto Ugolini | See guide | Florence (Oltrarno) | Hand-welted bespoke |
| Rolling Dub Trio | Tokyo (Japan) | See guide | Stitchdown boots |
| Saint Crispin’s | See guide | Brașov, Romania | Hand-welted shoe |
| Sanders | 1873 (Rushden) | See guide | Service & work boots |
| Santoni | 1975 (Italy) | Le Marche, Italy | Soft Goodyear welt + patina |
| Scheer | 1816 (Austria) | Vienna, Austria | Bespoke on a carved last |
| Scotch Grain | See guide | Made in Japan (Niigata) | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Septième Largeur | 2009 (France) | See guide | Hand-patinated welt |
| Solovair | 1881 (Wollaston) | See guide | Goodyear-welted boots |
| Stefano Bemer | See guide | Florence, Italy | Florentine bespoke |
| Thursday Boots | New York (value brand) | See guide | Goodyear-welted boots |
| TLB Mallorca | 2016 (Spain) | Inca, Mallorca | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Tricker’s | 1829 (England) | Northampton, England | Storm-welted country boot |
| Truman Boot Co. | 2014 (Eugene, OR) | See guide | Goodyear-welted boots |
| Undandy | 2015 (Portugal) | Made in Portugal | Made-to-order (dormant) |
| Unmarked | León (Mexico) | See guide | Goodyear-welted boots |
| Vass | 1978 (Hungary) | Budapest, Hungary | Hand-welted shoe |
| Velasca | 2013 (Italy) | See guide | Blake-stitched shoe |
| Vickermann & Stoya | 2004 (Germany) | Baden-Baden, Germany | Hand-made bespoke |
| Wesco | 1918 (Scappoose, OR) | See guide | Engineer & work boots |
| White’s Boots | mid-1800s (USA) | Spokane, WA (flagship) | Hand-stitchdown boot |
| Yanko | 1961 (Spain) | Inca, Mallorca | Goodyear-welted shoe |
| Yohei Fukuda | c. 2007–2008 (Japan) | Tokyo, Japan | Hand-welted bespoke |
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Church’s shoes?
The Prada Group, according to our guides.
See also our outdoor footwear brand guidelines.
Part of our Fashion & Apparel brand guidelines. See also all collections.